To add to the humiliation of the Govt. and the Organizers , even the few actors and actresses who came to SL for the event had not favorably responded to the invitation extended to them to lunch at the Temple Trees on the 5th. Even the few who graced the occasion had blithely arrived and left at times chosen by them at their will and pleasure.

What was most striking was , even the SL’s screen veteran actress Malini Fonseka who had won most number of awards as an actress has not participated   at the awards function. So were Ravindra Randeniya and Jackson Anthony , two popular local actors.

Even the chief guest President Mahinda Rajapakse  had not attended the ceremony .

No matter who must take the blame for this absolute  fiasco , one truth stands out, as always, it is finally the economy of the country and the common man who suffer by this colossal waste of funds. It is very unfortunate that the Govt. which made a huge din that it is going to revive the tourist Industry  with this event had to recoil  in shame owing to the disgraceful failure engendered by those who organized (disorganized) it .

As the Opposition leader Ranil Wickemesinghe aptly put it at a UNP party meeting : the Govt. invited the Khannas of Bollywood for the Festival , but they refused to come pointing out that there are enough ‘Rata Khannas’ in the Govt. , and therefore their arrival will be  of no use.