Time-travel with Tillakaratne

"I believe you have some acting experience?" the polite Sri Lankan voice at the other end of the line asked.

"Erm… yes," I replied, quickly crossing my fingers and flashbacking to the highlight of my stage career, when I donned a dressing gown and played "Dogg" Hamlet in a Tom Stoppard play in school in Kent. In one scene, I was required to stand on a castle turret created by two large hollow boxes. They collapsed, taking me with them, and I was stretchered off with a twisted knee, signalling an end to my thespian activities.

Apparently I needn't have bothered with the crossed fingers. My caller represented a company working on a period film based on cricket, and they were near-desperate for an actor who could play Edward, son of the British governor-general in the Ceylon of the 1940s, just before independence. It was the perfect summation of my British lineage and Sri Lankan life. How could I refuse?

So one day in August 2010 I found myself on a beautiful hill just outside Kandy with fellow "actors" of equally limited experience, kitted out in costumes that made us resemble a cross between Sir Francis Drake, a Victorian poet and a fictional wizard. Caked in heavy make-up and wilting under the fiery sun, surrounded by a crew that ran into the hundreds but manned a single camera, we found ourselves facing a strange problem: the leading man was of Sri Lankan parentage but American upbringing, and had no idea how to play cricket. A number of the "English" extras were as clueless: They were drawn from cricketing deserts such as Estonia and Poland, and had rapidly forgotten the basic lessons of batting and bowling under the pressure of unfamiliar attire and strange accents.

But these proved to be teething troubles on the sets of Sinhawalokanaya, Sri Lanka's first-ever cricket movie, and no doubt the only film in the world to bring together time-travelling monks, the decline of British imperialism, cricket and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Things soon picked up and, against the beautiful backdrop of Lankan hill country, the scenes were shot and okayed despite (to my inexperienced eyes) the primitive equipment.

Not a little of the credit must go to Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya, cricketers who propped up the A-list stars in the film. Jayasuriya, quiet and reserved, was unfailingly courteous at all times, though he didn't really look like he was enjoying the whole experience. I found it fascinating that a man so self-confident, even aggressive, on the pitch could be so retiring and quiet off it.

Dilshan, who had a pivotal role in the movie, on the other hand, was a natural in front of the camera. The allrounder, who acquitted himself bravely during the infamous terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Pakistan, was hesitant to start with, but soon hit his stride, and displayed his customary aplomb while inspiring villagers to greater heights with his "Dilscoop".

For those curious about the storyline, which ties together a pre-independence era with current-day cricketers, here's the brief. The son of the British governor-general goes on a tour of the island with his friends, encounters locals playing a rudimentary form of cricket and thrashes them. The Sri Lankans' pride is injured. They approach a mystic, who helps them time-travel to modern Colombo, where they learn the latest tricks from Dilshan. Some return time-travel later, they narrowly defeat the English team. You get the idea.

There was no sync-sound, lighting was completely at the mercy of the temperamental sun, the one camera had to be moved endlessly, but audiences watching Sinhawalokanaya - the film was released ahead of the World Cup and has met with popular and critical acclaim - will not be able to guess any of it. The film-makers are seeking a spot at the Sundance Festival in the US and also prepping for a soft release in areas with substantial Sinhalese presence across the world. While not in the same league as Lagaan, the cricket-based 2001 Bollywood blockbuster, Sinhawalokanaya is an uplifting cricket film, which treats important issues with a light touch.

And, of course, it gave me my 15 minutes of fame. I am still being stopped for autographs and chats in Colombo and loving every bit of it.