Cinema Of Sri Lanka
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Sri Lankan cinema encompasses the
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
n
film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...
. It is a fledgling industry that has struggled to find a footing since its inauguration in 1947 with '' Kadawunu Poronduwa'' produced by
S. M. Nayagam Sundaram Mathura-Nayagam (24 September 1906 - 03 February 1972) was a pioneer of Sinhala cinema, producing the first ever Sinhala talkie, ''Kadawunu Poronduwa''. Career Hailing from Madurai, South India, Nayagam was originally an industrialist, ...
of Chitra Kala Movietone. Sri Lankan films are usually made in Sinhala and
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
languages Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
, the dominant languages of the country. Cinema of
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
is also referred to as Follywood as many famous Sri Lankan actors had surnames starting with an "F." In the first nine years, most films were made in neighboring
Southern India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...
and closely followed the conventions of
Indian cinema The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
. Studio shooting was the norm, with Indian style sets erected in
film studios A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the productio ...
. It is widely believed that ''
Rekava ''Rekava'' (Sinhala for "Line of Destiny") is a 1956 film based on village life and mythical beliefs in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). It is the first Sinhala film fully shot in Ceylon and was film shot outdoors in the country. It was also the first ...
'', made in 1956 by pioneer director
Lester James Peries Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, a ...
, was the first Sinhala film to be shot completely out of studio, however, it was the film "Gambada Sundari", starring
Kingsley Jayasekera Weliwattage Kingsley Jayasekera (1924–2004) was a Sri Lankan actor, play producer and an A grade radio singer for Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Career Jayasekera was an A grade radio singer for Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, his ...
and Sheela Peiris in 1950, which was the first film shot outside studios instead. It was also the first Sri Lankan film where, like in "
Rekava ''Rekava'' (Sinhala for "Line of Destiny") is a 1956 film based on village life and mythical beliefs in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). It is the first Sinhala film fully shot in Ceylon and was film shot outdoors in the country. It was also the first ...
", the dialog was recorded on the spot. This was because the film was shot on 16mm, using an Auricon sound-on-film camera which recorded the sound on the 16mm film optically, unlike in the case of where the sound was recorded on a Kinevox 35mm magnetic recorder. The film was later 'blown-up' to 35mm and was screened in Colombo in 1950. Though "
Rekava ''Rekava'' (Sinhala for "Line of Destiny") is a 1956 film based on village life and mythical beliefs in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). It is the first Sinhala film fully shot in Ceylon and was film shot outdoors in the country. It was also the first ...
" was acclaimed by local and international critics, the film failed to find an audience in the country and was a
box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...
failure. Films continued to follow formulaic storylines borrowed from
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
up through the early 1960s despite such efforts as ''
Sandesaya ''Sandesaya'' ( Sinhalese language word meaning ''The Message'') is a 1960 film. The film based on the war between the Sinhalese people and the Portuguese invaders in Sri Lanka. It was directed by Sri Lankan film director Lester James Peries. It ...
'' and ''
Kurulu Bedda Kurulu Bedda is a 1961 Sri Lankan drama directed by L. S. Ramachandran and written by P. K. D. Seneviratne. It attempted to follow in the precedent set by '' Rekava'' and create a truly Sinhala film. Plot The story takes place in a small Sri La ...
''. In 1964,
Lester James Peries Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, a ...
again contributed to the development of Sri Lankan cinema with '' Gamperaliya'' which was the first Sinhala film to feature no songs and like ''Rekava'' shot completely outside the studio. It garnered massive praise for portraying Sinhalese culture in a realistic manner and was hailed by critics and audiences alike. The producer Anton Wicremasinghe was awarded the Silver Peacock at the New Delhi International Film Festival for Gamperaliya. Following this breakthrough, several artistic Sinhala films were made in the late-1960s including '' Sath Samudura'' by professor
Siri Gunasinghe Siri Gunasinghe ( Sinhala: සිරි ගුණසිංහ ; 18 February 1925 – 25 May 2017) was a Sri Lankan academic, poet, Sanskritist, art historian, author and filmmaker. He played a crucial role in honing the creativity of free Sinhal ...
, supported by cinematography by Dr.D.B. Nihalsinghe. During the 1970s several talents came to the forefront while commercial cinema continued to lift storylines and plots from
Indian films The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
. These include Dr. D.B. Nihalsingha with "Weilkatara"- Sri Lanka's first film in Cinemascope ratio wide screen in 1972; Vasantha Obeysekera who followed up his well-received debut ''Ves Gatho'' with a slew of successful films culminating with ''Palangetiyo'' in 1979. Another major director who stepped forward during this time is
Dharmasena Pathiraja Pathiraja Navaratne Wanninayake Mudiyanselage Ranjith Dharmasena (28 March 1943 – 28 January 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter. He has been referred to as a 'rebel with a cause', an ‘''enfant terrible'' of the '70s', and ...
who examined the tensions of city youth in such works as ''
Bambaru Awith ''Bambaru Avith (The Wasps are Here)'' ( si, italic=yes, බඹරු ඇවිත්) is a 1978 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja and produced by director himself with Thilak Godamanne for Saranga Salaroo. It explo ...
'' and ''
Ahas Gauwa ''Ahas Gauwa'' ( si, අහස් ගව්ව)(One League of Sky) is a 1974 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja. It stars Amarasiri Kalansuriya and Swarna Mallawarachchi in lead roles along with Vijaya Kumaratunga, Wimal Kumar ...
''. Artist and poet Mahagama Sekera's sole film ''
Thun Man Handiya ''Thun Man Handiya movie'' ( Sinhala for ''Three Way Junction'') is a 1970 dramatic film made by Sri Lankan artist Mahagama Sekera. It is autobiographical and recounts Sekera's childhood though the character of Sirisena. Plot The film is set in ...
'' is also an important film in Sri Lankan cinema released in 1970.
Sumitra Peries Kala Keerthi Sumitra Peries (born 24 March 1934) is the first Sri Lankan female filmmaker and is known by all as the "Poetess of Sinhala Cinema". She also held the post of Sri Lanka's ambassador to France, Spain and the United Nations in the ...
, the wife of Lester James Peries, also struck out during the 1970s with work that looked at the conflicting roles of women in society. Her work include ''
Gehenu Lamai ''Gehenu Lamai'' ( si, ගැහැණු ළමයි English : Girls) is a 1978 Sri Lankan Sinhala teenage drama film directed by Sumitra Peries and produced by her husband Lester James Peries for Lster Films. The film introduced Vasanthi Chath ...
'' and ''
Ganga Addara ''Ganga Addara'' (English : Beside the River) was a 1980 Sinhalese language film directed by Sumitra Peiris and produced by Sumathi Films. The film stars Vasanthi Chathurani and late Vijaya Kumaratunga in the lead roles. Adapted from a novel by L ...
''. Over the next few decades, artists such as
Tissa Abeysekara Deshanabu Tissa Ananda Abeysekara (7 May 1939 – 18 April 2009 as තිස්ස අබේසේකර) was a Sri Lankan filmmaker, actor, writer, director, screen playwright and political activist. He is better known as a script writer for th ...
,
Chandran Rutnam Chandran Rutnam is a Sri Lankan filmmaker and entrepreneur. Rutnam has hosted numerous Hollywood films for their location shoots in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. He was the Line Producer/Production Supervisor on several international productions incl ...
, Dr. D.B. Nihalsingha, Udayakantha Warnasooriya, H.D.Premaratne, Ashoka Handagama,
Prasanna Vithanage Udaya Prasanna Vithanage ( si, ප්‍රසන්න විතානගේ) (born 14 March 1962) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker. He is considered one of the pioneers of the third generation of the Sri Lankan cinema. He has directed eight feature ...
and
Vimukthi Jayasundara Kala Keerthi Vimukthi Jayasundara ( si, විමුක්ති ජයසුන්දර) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker, critic and a visual artist. Jayasundara is the first Sri Lankan to win the Caméra d'Or, in 2005. Life and career Vimukthi Jay ...
have attempted to breathe new life into the industry. Nihalsingha was an accomplished cinematographer as well as an editor: so his films has an input which was special and brought a viewpoint to all his films, most of which focused on the exploited women. Vithanage's film ''
Purahanda Kaluwara ''Purahanda Kaluwara (Death on a Full Moon Day)'' ( si, පුරහඳ කළුවර, italic=yes) is a 2001 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed and produced by Prasanna Vithanage. It stars Joe Abeywickrama and Priyanka Samaraweera in lead ...
'' is widely considered one of the best movies made in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
as is Jayasundara's '' Sulanga Enu Pinisa'' which won the coveted ''Camera d'Or'' for best first film at the 2005
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. During the Sri Lankan Civil War, several films began to tackle gritty subjects such as family relationships, abortion, and results of the conflict between the military and
Tamil Tiger The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
s in the north. Director Asoka Handagama especially has drawn criticism for pursuing such material in his work. In the recent years high budget films like
Aloko Udapadi ''Aloko Udapadi'' (; ; ) is a 2017 Sinhala epic historical film based on the story of King Valagamba of Anuradhapura (89 – 77 BCE). It was co-directed by Chathra Weeraman and Baratha Hettiarachchi produced by Thusitha Wijayasena for Art Mo ...
,
Aba (film) ''Aba'' is a 2008 Sinhalese film directed by Jackson Anthony and co-produced by Justin Belagamage and Rajindra Jayasinghe for Chandrakini Creations. The title is derived from ''Pandu Aba'', another name for the title character. Anthony’s son, ...
and
Maharaja Gemunu ''Maharaja Gemunu (King Gemunu)'' ( si, මහරජ ගැමුණු) is a 2015 Sri Lankan Sinhala epic film directed by Jayantha Chandrasiri and produced by Gunapala Rathnasekara for Sipvin Films. It stars Uddika Premarathna and Jackson ...
based on
Sinhalese Sinhala may refer to: * Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka * Sinhalese people * Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka * Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language ** Sinha ...
epic
historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
stories gain huge success. Furthermore, following the drastic impact on the film industry by the ongoing
Covid-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, '' Adaraneeya Prarthana'' has emerged as one of the highest grossing films of 2022.


History

A 1997 government committee identified the following 13 films as the best of the first 50 years of Sri Lankan cinema:


Early development (1901–1947)

1901 marked the introduction of film to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) when a film was shown for the first time in the country at a private screening for the British governor West Ridgeway and prisoners of the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...
. It was a short film that documented the British victory in the Boer War, the burial of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
and the coronation of
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
. More English screenings followed and attracted British settlers and Anglicized Sinhalese. Cinema in Sri Lanka became a public affair due to the efforts of Warwick Major, an Englishman who developed "bioscope" showings. These were films screened out in open areas and makeshift tents. The first permanent theaters were built by Madan Theaters in 1903. The company showed Indian films and achieved success, prompting the development of theaters by the rival Olympia. In 1925 ''Rajakeeya Wickremaya'' (English:''Royal Adventure'') became the first film to be made in Sri Lanka. Dr.
N.M. Perera Nanayakkarapathirage Martin Perera, commonly known as Dr. N. M. Perera ( Sinhala එන්.එම්.පෙරේරා ; 6 June 1904 – 14 August 1979), was one of the leaders of the Sri Lankan Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). He ...
played the lead in the film which was shown in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. However, this film reels got burnt before they were shown in Sri Lanka. In 1933 the film ''Paliganeema'' was screened in Colombo. During the 1920s and 1930s films with American stars like
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
,
Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragedy, ...
,
John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...
,
Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred ...
, and
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), '' Gunga Din'' (1939) ...
were popular in Sri Lanka. '' The Sheik'' and '' The Thief of Bagdad'' were especially popular. in 1932, the first sound film to be screened was shown at the Regal Cinema, titled "The Dream." By the 1930s Indian films started to surpass English films in popularity. ''Bilwa Mangal'' set an early record for Sri Lankan box office earning. The beginnings of cinema's spread was seen when the Indian Madan circuit established Elphinstone cinema in Colombo as a part of his extensive cinema chain in Asia. Empire cinema, which became the longest functioning cinema in Sri Lanka was established in 1915 and continued to function till 2003 when it was demolished to make way for a commercial building in Colombo.


Inauguration (1947)

South Indian South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
producer S. M. Nayagam played an important role in the development of the first Sri Lankan film. In 1945, Nayagam founded a company named Chitrakala Movietone and constructed a studio in
Madurai, India Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in T ...
for the purpose of making a Sinhalese film. After considering several options, he decided to build the film around the historical love story of Saliya and Asokamala and held a contest to find a suitable screenplay; the winner was budding artist Shanthi Kumar. Due to disagreements however, this project fell through and Nayagam broke a deal with dramatist
B. A. W. Jayamanne Bernard Aloysius Wanniarachchi Jayamanne who was better known as B.A.W. Jayamanne (20 May 1908 – 16 February 1965: as බී.ඒ.ඩබ්ලිව්. ජයමාන්න) was a Sri Lankan playwright, director, producer and actor. He playe ...
to film his popular play '' Kadawunu Poronduwa.'' Kumar determined to film his script left Nayagam's company and convinced the Ceylon Theaters group to fund his film. Faced with a more daunting task of putting together the film from scratch, the ''Ashokamala'' project began filming in
Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
about two months after the production of ''Kadawunu Poronduwa'' had initiated. Naygam's film would win out screening at the Mylan Theater on January 21, 1947. ''Ashokamala'' was screened three months later in April 1947 at the Elphinstone Theater. Both films were popular with audiences but derided by critics who found them to be derivative of South Indian cinema.


Primitive stage (1947–1955)

Following the success of Kadawunu Poronduwa, B. A. W. Jayamanne produced a string of popular movies based on his plays. These were '' Peralena Iranama'', ''Kapati Arakshakaya'', ''Weradunu Kurumanama'' (1948), ''Hadisi Vinischaya'' (1950, first film directed by Jayamanne; he handled the post on all his subsequent films), ''Sangavunu Pilithura'' (1951), ''Umathu Wishwasaya'' (1952), ''
Kele Handa ''Kele Handa'' is a 1953 Sri Lankan romantic musical starring Rukmani Devi, Stanley Perera, Eddie Jayamanne, Rita Ratnayake and Mabel Blythe. It is based on a popular Sinhala novel by W. A. Silva. The adaption was successful due to the book be ...
'' (1953), ''Iranganie'' (1954), ''Mathabedaya'' (1954), ''Daiva Wipakaya'' (1956), ''Wanaliya'' (1958), ''Hadisi Vivahaya'' (1959), ''Kawata Andare'' (1960), ''Jeewithe Pujawa'' (1961), ''Mangalika'' (1963) and ''Magul Poruwa'' (1967; completed after his death by another director). Jayamanne mostly adhered to a formula derived from South Indian cinema and didn't contribute to the development of artistic film. Most of his films featured the couple
Rukmani Devi Daisy Rasammah Daniels, known popularly as Rukmani Devi (15 January 1923 – 28 October 1978: si, රුක්මණී දේවී) was a Sri Lankan film actress and singer, who was often acclaimed as "The Nightingale of Sri Lanka". She mad ...
and Eddie Jayamanne (though never as lovers on screen) which allowed them to become the first stars of Sri Lankan cinema. Following the dawn of independence, Sri Lanka instituted restrictions on travel to and from India causing Nayagam to move his business into the island to cut costs. He purchased land outside of Kandana and built the Sri Murugan Navakala studios (later known as the S. P. M. studios) which would for a time be the most developed studio in the country. His first production was ''Banda Nagarayata Pamine'' (1952) which was successful among local audiences. It was the first locally produced Sinhalese film though in technique it still remained South Indian. Nayagam followed the film with ''Prema Tharangaya'' (1953) and ''Ahankara Sthree'' (1954). Due to the low quality of the studio (Nayagam resisted buying high tech equipment), these films failed to match the standards of Bollywood imports. They were also highly formulaic based extensively on South Indian cinema (the technicians were all from India) featuring a combination of exaggerated melodrama, lowbrow comedy, scuffles and dance numbers. Of the few filmmakers interested in pursuing a truly indigenous art form in these early years,
Sirisena Wimalaweera Sirisena Wimalaweera ( si, සිරිසේන විමලවීර; born 23 June 1901 – died 24 August 1963) was a Sri Lankan filmmaker and theater master. He made several critically acclaimed films from 1949 to 1960. He is the first indepe ...
was the most prominent. In his work, Wimalaweera researched Sri Lankan history when depicting historical characters like King
Asoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
, who oversaw the introduction of Buddhism to the island and Saradiel, a Robin Hood-like character.
K. Gunaratnam Kanagasabai Gunaratnam (20 July 1917 – 27 August 1989; ta, கனகசபை குணரத்தினம்; si, කනකසබේ ගුණරත්නම්), popularly known as K. Gunaratnam was a prolific film producer in Cinema ...
was another major producer in this period breaking into the scene with the technically skilled '' Sujatha'' made at the state of the art Modern Theaters studio in
Salem, India Salem (), is a major city in Salem district, located on the banks of Thirumanimutharu river in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Salem is the List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, sixth largest urban agglomeration and metropolitan city in ...
. It was highly successful and influenced popular cinema over the following decade. It was revolutionary in its high production values and incorporation of North Indian cinema into the accepted South Indian model. Still, it failed to capture the true nature of Sinhalese life or create anything uniquely Sri Lankan.


Rekava (1956)

In 1956 documentary filmmaker Lester James Peries and his fellow film technicians William Blake and Titus Thotawatte broke away from the Government Film Unit to produce what they hoped would be a truly Sinhalese film that would revolutionize Sri Lankan cinema. In all facets of the creation of ''
Rekava ''Rekava'' (Sinhala for "Line of Destiny") is a 1956 film based on village life and mythical beliefs in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). It is the first Sinhala film fully shot in Ceylon and was film shot outdoors in the country. It was also the first ...
'', the trio strayed from tradition shooting completely outside of the studio, creating an original story with no basis in literary or historical material and utilizing a mostly inexperienced cast (with a few exceptions i.e.
D. R. Nanayakkara Don Ruter Nanayakkara (15 March 1915 – 4 January 1989) was a Sri Lankan actor in Sri Lankan cinema as well as in British drama. Playing lanky villains and comedic characters, Nanayakkara gained popularity in movies like ''Rekava'', ''Kurulu Be ...
). The story paid great attention to Sinhalese village life giving equal time to marriage traditions, village customs and folk beliefs in a non obstructive documentary-esque manner. The main plot revolved around a young boy named Sena who becomes touted as a miracle worker after he is said to cure the blindness of his friend Anula. Though some viewed the plot as a bit naive due to the filmmakers being from the city and the attribution of
superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...
belief in an exaggerated manner to village folk, it was a critical success and was shown at the
Cannes International Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
drawing praise from foreign critics. It is widely considered in Sri Lanka to be the birth of true Sinhalese cinema. Audiences at the time were unresponsive however and the film was a box office failure. They were unaccustomed to the documentary-like nature of the film and its avoidance of common melodramatic features common in cinema of the time. The lack of a major romantic plot, for example, was a grievance to some.


Following in the path of Rekava (1957–1963)

Popular film continued in the Indian mould. There was great interest in the cinema. The Sinhalese daily, " Lankadipa" launched the first Film Festival where "Deepasika" awards were given out. Though Rekava failed to influence popular cinema which continued to imitate Indian cinema, it did draw out the efforts of some small independent filmmakers who coalesced into units. The most important group in this period, Kurulu Rana, was led by screenwriter P. K. D. Seneviratne, producer John Amaratunga and actress
Punya Heendeniya Heendeniya Vidanaralalage Punya Heendeniya (born 31 July 1938: si, පුණ්‍යා හීන්දෙනිය), popularly as Punya Heendeniya, is a former Sri Lankan cinema actress who currently resides in England. Personal life Punya He ...
. Amaratunga in his pursuit to follow up ''Rekava'' came across Seneviratne's radio drama '' Kurulubedde'' and enlisted him to adapt it into a film. Though it maintained certain formulaic elements, the film was free of overt Indian influence and contained various elements of Sinhalese culture. Actress
Punya Heendeniya Heendeniya Vidanaralalage Punya Heendeniya (born 31 July 1938: si, පුණ්‍යා හීන්දෙනිය), popularly as Punya Heendeniya, is a former Sri Lankan cinema actress who currently resides in England. Personal life Punya He ...
broke ground in her role portraying a truly Sinhalese character in contrast with the female roles of popular films modeled after Indian actresses. It was a critical success within Sri Lanka and was praised for its realistic portrayal of Sinhalese village life. The group followed up with the thematically similar '' Sikuru Tharuwa'' in 1963. At this time, the Government Film Unit productions were making their mark, particularly, Pragnasoma Hettiarchi's "Makers, Material and Motiffs" which won the Gold Medal at Venice International Film Festival in 1952. Hettiarchi was to repeat this feat again in 1972 with "Centenary of Ceylon Tea".


Gamperaliya (1963)

In 1963,
Lester James Peries Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, a ...
with the help of producer Anton Wickremasinghe made and released '' Gamperaliya'' based on a novel by critically acclaimed writer
Martin Wickramasinghe Lama Hewage Don Martin Wickramasinghe, (commonly known as Martin Wickramasinghe) ( si, මාර්ටින් වික්‍රමසිංහ) (29 May 1890 – 23 July 1976) was a Sri Lankan journalist and author. His books have been tran ...
. Starring
Punya Heendeniya Heendeniya Vidanaralalage Punya Heendeniya (born 31 July 1938: si, පුණ්‍යා හීන්දෙනිය), popularly as Punya Heendeniya, is a former Sri Lankan cinema actress who currently resides in England. Personal life Punya He ...
, Henry Jayasena and
Gamini Fonseka Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka () (21 March 1936 - 30 September 2004 as :si:ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා, ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා), was a Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan film actor, film director ...
. It was a turning point in Sri Lankan cinema doing away with all formulaic elements (songs, dance, comic relief and fights) present in popular cinema and achieving commercial success. It proved the viability of artistic cinema in the country and gave Sri Lankan cinema a before absent sense of prestige when Producer Anton Wicremasinghe was awarded the Golden Peacock Award and the Critics' Prize at the Third International Film Festival held in New Delhi and the Golden Head of Palanque at the Eighth World Review of Film Festivals held in Acapulco, Mexico.


Artistic boom (1964–1970)

The success of ''Gamperaliya'' changed the course of Sri Lankan cinema significantly. Following its release, many films attempted to adapt the realistic style of the film and took up location shooting previously shunned. Seneviratne again emerged in this period with a script about village life titled ''Parasathu Mal''. This time he had the support of the wealthy producer Chitra Balasooriya who would not fall prey to financial difficulties encountered by Amaratunga. Balasooriya was deeply interested in creating an artistic film in the vein of ''Gamperaliya'' and enlisted Lester's wife Sumithra Peries as technical director and gave the budding actor
Gamini Fonseka Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka () (21 March 1936 - 30 September 2004 as :si:ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා, ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා), was a Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan film actor, film director ...
a chance to direct. Fonseka had served in a similar capacity on ''Rekawa''. Also among the crew was cameraman Sumitta Amarsinghe who had trained with the GFU and was adept at outdoor shooting. The film would be a critical and popular success. Serendib Productions responded to the artistic mood in the air in 1965 with ''Saravita'' starring a comedic actor,
Joe Abeywickrema Deshabandu Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama ( Sinhala:ජෝ අබේවික්‍රම) (22 June 1927 – 21 September 2011), popularly as Joe Abeywickrama, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Initially famed ...
, for the first time in Sri Lankan cinema. It dealt with slum life and the criminal element within it and was awarded most of the national awards that year for film. Titus Thotawatte who had broken away from Lester James Peries after ''Sandesaya'' directed ''
Chandiya Chandiya or Chandia is a village near the town Anjar, the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Village is located 21 km from nearest town Anjar. History Many castes and religious groups live in Chandiya, such as So ...
'' the same year avoiding overt crudities prevalent in the action genre made within the country.
G. D. L. Perera Gonaduwahandunge Don Lakshman Perera (26 June 1935 – 14 February 2021 as si, ජී. ඩී. එල්. පෙරේරා), popularly as G. D. L. Perera, was an actor and filmmaker in Sri Lankan cinema as well as a journalist. Early life H ...
with his Kala Pela Society headed in a radically different way in this period dealing with rural life with his first film "Sama".
Siri Gunasinghe Siri Gunasinghe ( Sinhala: සිරි ගුණසිංහ ; 18 February 1925 – 25 May 2017) was a Sri Lankan academic, poet, Sanskritist, art historian, author and filmmaker. He played a crucial role in honing the creativity of free Sinhal ...
's '' Sath Samudura'' released in 1966 was the biggest critical success in the wake of ''Gamperaliya''. The film was praised for its realistic portrayal of a fishing community and acting from a cast that included
Denawaka Hamine Kala Suri Dona Meraya Denawaka, (20 February 1906 – 9 December 2002 as දෙනවක හාමිනේ), popularly known as Denawaka Hamine, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Known as "The grand old lady" of Sinhala cin ...
, Edmund Wijesinghe and Cyril Wickremage. Also drawing acclaim were Gunasinghe's novel film techniques such as his extensive use of close-ups. Working close with Gunasinghe on the script and the direction was
Vasantha Obeysekera Vasantha Obeysekera (1937 – 2017), was a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter. Early life and career Kala Keerthi Vasantha Obeysekera who was regarded as one of the foremost film makers in the 70s decade graduated from the Universit ...
. The editing and photography was handled by D. B. Nihalsinghe. Both would go on to be major filmmakers on their own. GDL Perera's "Sama" was followed by a film on contemporary city settings in ''Dahasak Sithuvili''. GDL joined up with the D.B. Nihalsingha's famously fluid hand-held camera work of the "Sath Samudura" fame, utilizing subjective camera and a sepiatone filter for the first time in Sri Lankan cinema. Perera and his group had first came to fame with ''Saama'', a stylized but faithful observance of village life. Other major films of this period include the debut directorial efforts of Obeysekera (''Vesgatho'') and Nihalsinghe landmark film, (''Welikathara''). "Welikathara" was Tissa Abeysekara's first screenplay- he was billed as "Additional Dialolgue Writer" up to that time. Nihalsingha's recognition of Tissa Abeysekara's superlative writings skills launched him on a career as the foremost screenplay writer in Sri Lanka. "Welikathara" was to become one of the 10 top films of Sri Lankan cinema. Nihalsingha's refreshingly fluid camera work was noted by this time. He combined the facets of Direction, Cinematography and Editing in "Welikathara" to create an epic in CinemaScope for the first time in Sri Lanka."Welikatara" was to become one of the "10 Best" films of Sri Lanka. An independent student production overseen by Ranjith Lal (''Nim Wallala''), songwriter
Mahagama Sekera Mahagama Sekera (Mahagamage Sekara) ( Sinhala:මහගම සේකර / මහගමගේ සේකර ) (7 April 1929 – 14 January 1976) Sri Lankan poet, lyricist, playwright, novelist, artist, translator and filmmaker. He is considered t ...
's autobiographical effort (''
Tun Man Handiya ''Thun Man Handiya movie'' (Sinhala language, Sinhala for ''Three Way Junction'') is a 1970 dramatic film made by Sri Lankan artist Mahagama Sekera. It is autobiographical and recounts Sekera's childhood though the character of Sirisena. Plot The ...
''), the maiden production of Piyasiri Gunaratne (''Mokade Une'') and Sugathapala Senerath Yapa's ''
Hanthane Kathawa ''Hanthane Kathawa'' (Sinhalese language word means "Story of Hanthana") is a 1969 film based on a love story of university students of Sri Lanka. It was directed by famous Sri Lankan film director Sugathapala Senarath Yapa and screened on Augus ...
'' which introduced the to-be-matinee-idol Vijaya Kumaratunga. Apart from that, the movie Soorayangeth Sooraya(English Title:-The River of Love) is a landmark film for the Sri Lankan(Helawood) cinema where a trend of Thriller, Action and Musical films emerged. These commercial movies, although foreign transliterations, discuss the problems of poverty, blind law, injustice & love. Hence, critics are in a zoom lens against these movies.


Government-instituted development and individual achievement (1971–1979); unprecedented surge in yearly admissions

In 1971, a socialist government which sought to overcome the dominance of screen time in Sri Lanka by Tamil and Hindi films came to power in the country. Foreign film domination had resulted in domestically produced films being relegated to 20% of the screen time while foreign films occupied 80% (60% Tamil, 10% Hindi, 10% English). The government which won power had promised to redress this imbalance. It established the State Film Corporation by Act no 47 of 1971, charged with the promotion of national film and giving and making available a wide variety of films to the public. The State Film Corporation (SFC) established a unique credit scheme for film production. Loans were given on the basis of a script evaluation and those taking part with credit given on the collateral of the negatives. This was at a time when bank lending was very conventional and such a 'collateral' was unheard of in the banking industry. The directors and main technicians had to have prior training to obtain loans via a system of registration. Prior to these measures, films produced domestically were transliterations of Tamil and Hindi films, to the extent that there was no credit for screenplay. The only credit was for dialogues as the "screenplay" was a transliterations of the Hindi or Tamil original. The credit scheme ensured original screen writing for the first time and stories which were copies of Hindi and Tamil were not entitled to receive loans. Thus a professional film production industry was established. The SFC instituted a film distribution system through which all films produced in the country were ensured exhibition according to system of precedence. Quality control of the cinemas was established by a system of inspection and checks on equipment. The cost of imported film was reduced by 75% because of the monopoly buying by the SFC: the same number of Tamil films continued, albeit at greatly reduced prices. The result of the measures was that the film admissions which were 30 million in 1972 grew to 74.4 million by 1979. The domestic film screen time share grew from 20% to 58%. The number of cinemas grew to 365 by 1978 – the highest number. By 2010, this number was down to 147. This was the best evidence that the system prior to the SFC was not market-oriented and that the demand was suppressed. It required the SFC to cater to the suppressed and pent-up demand, resulting in an unprecedented surge in yearly admissions within seven years. After 1979, the Chairman of the SFC, Anton Wicremesinghe, reversed all the measures of the SFC, giving unlimited loans to "anyone to direct films". Some hundreds of films were made by those who had no knowledge of film making. The result was that so many were produced that there was a waiting list of films awaiting release to the cinemas of 5 years, by 1982. The audiences responded to shoddy films by staying away. Admissions began declining alarmingly. Yearly admissions, which peaked in 1979 at 79.4 million, are now (2009) down to a mere 7.2 million admissions. The SFC, a profitable institution till that time, began sliding into bankruptcy and had to be sustained by infusions of funds from the government. Titus Thotawatte and Lester James Peries were the most prominent artists during this period making artistic films. Thotawatte directed such films as ''Hara Lakshe'', ''Sihasuna'', ''Sagarika'' and ''Mangala'' which united technical skill with themes that appealed to mainstream audiences. Lester James Peries was more successful in his work in this period, creating some of his most important work despite the restrictions instituted by the government. Peries' ''
Nidhanaya ''Nidhanaya'' ( en, The Treasure) is a 1972 Sinhalese language film Dr. Lester James Peries, the screen play, dialog and script by Dr. Tissa Abeysekara, starring Gamini Fonseka and Malini Fonseka. The film stars Gamini Fonseka and Malini Fonseka ...
'', released in 1972, is considered his masterpiece and was adjusted the best Sri Lankan film of the first 50 years in 1997 by a government board. It was praised for its skillful direction by Peries' and the inspired acting by Gamini and
Malini Fonseka Wanniarachchige Malini Senehelatha Fonseka, popularly as Malini Fonseka ( Sinhala:මාලිනී ෆොන්සේකා) (born 30 April 1947, in Kelaniya) is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television as well as a director. ...
. It was another international success for Peries' winning the Silver Lion of St. Mark award at the
Venice International Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
and being selected one of the outstanding films of the year, receiving a Diploma, at the
London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and shor ...
. His subsequent works of the period were also critical successes ('' Desa Nisa'' and ''
Madol Duwa ''Madol Duwa'' (Sinhala, ''Mangrove Island'') is a 1976 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries and produced by Upasena Marasinghe. The film stars Ajith Jinadasa as Upali, a young rebellious youth who travels to a small island to get ...
'').
Dharmasena Pathiraja Pathiraja Navaratne Wanninayake Mudiyanselage Ranjith Dharmasena (28 March 1943 – 28 January 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter. He has been referred to as a 'rebel with a cause', an ‘''enfant terrible'' of the '70s', and ...
, who had worked on Yapa's ''Hanthane Kathawa'', emerged with his debut directorial effort, ''
Ahas Gauwa ''Ahas Gauwa'' ( si, අහස් ගව්ව)(One League of Sky) is a 1974 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja. It stars Amarasiri Kalansuriya and Swarna Mallawarachchi in lead roles along with Vijaya Kumaratunga, Wimal Kumar ...
'', in 1974. It served to capture the spirit of the dissolute urban youth and provided a major artistic venture for actors like Cyril Wickremage to prosper in. Obeysekera pursued a similar theme in his work ''Valmathvuvo''.


Beginning of decline (1979–1983)

With the 1977 elections a more capitalist party came to power and some of the restrictions instilled earlier were removed. But this removal only in respect of production, which resulted in a flood of shoddily made films under the unrestricted credit given by Anton Wicremasinghe to anyone. Some 100 films were waiting for release as cinemas, in a curious contradiction, was forced to show each and every film so made. As a result, the peak film attendance of 74.4 admissions of 1979, began to drop and has been declining uncontrollably till now. It is popularly held that television was the cause of this decline. But Sri Lanka television broadcaster Rupavahini Corporation commenced transmission only in 1982, by which time island-wide cinema attendance had dropped to 51 million, from the peak of 74.4 million of 1979. The Presidential Committee to Investigate the Film Industry in 1985 established that there was a major drop in attendance for Tamil films in 1980. Since television went islandwide only in 1983, this drop in film admission was due not to television but to new Tamil films not being screened.
Sumitra Peries Kala Keerthi Sumitra Peries (born 24 March 1934) is the first Sri Lankan female filmmaker and is known by all as the "Poetess of Sinhala Cinema". She also held the post of Sri Lanka's ambassador to France, Spain and the United Nations in the ...
, Lester James Peries' wife, made her directorial debut with ''
Gehenu Lamai ''Gehenu Lamai'' ( si, ගැහැණු ළමයි English : Girls) is a 1978 Sri Lankan Sinhala teenage drama film directed by Sumitra Peries and produced by her husband Lester James Peries for Lster Films. The film introduced Vasanthi Chath ...
'' in 1978. It examined the effects of societal constraints on a rural girl and secured some critical applause in addition to box office success being selected as an outstanding film of the year to be presented at the
London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and shor ...
and receiving the Jury Award at the Carthage International Film Festival. In her first film appearance, Vasantha Chathurani was praised for her restrained portrayal of the lead role. Peries' next film ''
Ganga Addara ''Ganga Addara'' (English : Beside the River) was a 1980 Sinhalese language film directed by Sumitra Peiris and produced by Sumathi Films. The film stars Vasanthi Chathurani and late Vijaya Kumaratunga in the lead roles. Adapted from a novel by L ...
'' (1980) captured the imagination of Sri Lankan audiences becoming a huge box office hit and breaking earning records in the country. Critics were also impressed with the film as it went on to capture many of the national awards given to film in the country and was awarded a diploma at the South Asian Film Festival. Pathiraja was most active in this period directing ''
Eya Dan Loku Lamayek ''Eya Dan Loku Lamayek (How to Be an Adult)'' ( si, එයා දැන් ලොකු ළමයෙක්) is a 1975 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja. It was entered into the 9th Moscow International Film Festival. Cast ...
'' (1977), ''
Bambaru Awith ''Bambaru Avith (The Wasps are Here)'' ( si, italic=yes, බඹරු ඇවිත්) is a 1978 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja and produced by director himself with Thilak Godamanne for Saranga Salaroo. It explo ...
'' (1978), ''Ponmani'' and ''Soldadu Unnahe'' (1981). ''Bambaru Awith'' is widely held to be his pivotal work dealing with social tensions between fishing folk and city youth. Pathiraja's film ''Ponmani'' was made in Tamil intending to contribute to the development of cinema featuring that language in the country. Though well made, the film was ignored by Tamil audiences distrustful of the Sinhalese director. ''Soldadu Unnahe'' followed the dreary lives of an old soldier, a prostitute, an alcoholic and a thief intending to cast light on their plight. Pathiraja went into hiatus following the making of the film. Obeysekera made his most highly regarded film ''Palengetiyo'' in 1979. It dealt with the difficulties of urban youth. His next film ''Dadayama'' (1983) was also well received. The star of ''Palengetiyo'',
Dharmasiri Bandaranayake Dr. Dharmasiri Bandaranayake (born 06th of October 1949) is a Sri Lankan film director and playwright. Particularly work as a playwright, Bandaranayake is an artist who attempts to connect the sociopolitical environment with the civil society ...
broke out as a director with his highly stylized debut ''Hansa Vilak'' in 1980.


Decline (1983–1990)

With the flooding of films directed by "anyone" under the National Film Corporation Chairman Anton Wicremesighe during which hundreds of films were produced creating a 5-year line of films waiting for release, being no match for the increasing rise of television coupled with the beginning of a civil war, film earnings began to drop as Sri Lankans took to staying at home instead of frequenting the theater. The significant films of the era include Sumitra Peries' ''Sagara Jalaya Madi Heduwa Oba Sanda'', Tissa Abeysekara's ''Viragaya'' (1988) and D. B. Nihalsinghe's ''Ridi Nimnaya'' (1983), and Producer
Vijaya Ramanayake Vijaya Ramanayake ( si, විජය රාමනායක ; 1 April 1945 – 26 October 2016) is a Sri Lankan film and music producer, songwriter, journalist and author. He was the founder and producer of Tharanga Music and Film. Ramanayake wa ...
's ''Maldeniye Simiyon'' (1986). Maldeniye Simion" won the Silver Peacock for Anoja Weerasinghe at the 11th New Delhi International Film Festival in 1987. Nihalsinghe infused his films with his skillful combination of technical excellence with artistry. ''Keli Madala'' (1991) was a creative success winning no less than 14 national film awards- perhaps the highest number ever won by one film to date.


Rise of independent filmmakers (1990–2010s)

One of the most important filmmakers of Sri Lankan cinema,
Prasanna Vithanage Udaya Prasanna Vithanage ( si, ප්‍රසන්න විතානගේ) (born 14 March 1962) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker. He is considered one of the pioneers of the third generation of the Sri Lankan cinema. He has directed eight feature ...
directed his first feature film ''Sisila Gini Ganee'' in 1992 and his second ''Anantha Rathriya'' in 1995. The latter was a large critical hit being shown at several international festival and securing several awards. Vithanage's followed the work two years later with ''Pawuru Walalu'' a mature drama that featured a performance by former star
Nita Fernando Nita Fernando (born 5 September 1947, නීටා ප්‍රනාන්දු) in Negombo, Sri Lanka is an actress in the Sri Lankan cinema. She has starred in films like '' Duhulu Malak'' and ''Pavuru Walalu''. Biography Early life Nita ...
after a long hiatus. It was also lauded by critics. His final feature of the decade was ''
Purahanda Kaluwara ''Purahanda Kaluwara (Death on a Full Moon Day)'' ( si, පුරහඳ කළුවර, italic=yes) is a 2001 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed and produced by Prasanna Vithanage. It stars Joe Abeywickrama and Priyanka Samaraweera in lead ...
'' that examined how the Sri Lankan civil war affects families of soldiers. Featuring a contemplative performance by Joe Abeywickrema in the main role, the film is considered Vithanage's finest work.
Chandran Rutnam Chandran Rutnam is a Sri Lankan filmmaker and entrepreneur. Rutnam has hosted numerous Hollywood films for their location shoots in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. He was the Line Producer/Production Supervisor on several international productions incl ...
is another award-winning film maker directed and edited the film The Road from Elephant Pass, which was a Finalist Award Winner at the New York International Television and Film Awards in 2011 and A Common Man with Academy Award Winner
Sir Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two ...
and
Ben Cross Harry Bernard Cross (16 December 1947 – 18 August 2020) was an English stage and film actor. He was best known for playing Billy Flynn in the original West End production of the musical ''Chicago'', and his portrayal of the British Ol ...
. The film was nominated for the four main awards at the Madrid International Film Festival in 2013. The film won the Best Picture, Best Director and the Best Actor Awards in that year.


Modern era (2000-present)

Director
Vimukthi Jayasundara Kala Keerthi Vimukthi Jayasundara ( si, විමුක්ති ජයසුන්දර) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker, critic and a visual artist. Jayasundara is the first Sri Lankan to win the Caméra d'Or, in 2005. Life and career Vimukthi Jay ...
became the first Sri Lankan to ever win the prestigious
Caméra d'Or The Caméra d'Or ("''Golden Camera''") is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections (Official Selection, Directors' Fortnight or International Critics' Week The International ...
award for Best First Film at the
2005 Cannes Film Festival The 58th Cannes Film Festival started on 11 May and ran until 22 May 2005. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on 21 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Belgium, Belgian film ''L'Enfant (film), L'Enfant ...
for his film '' Sulanga Enu Pinisa''. Controversial filmmaker Asoka Handagama's films are considered by many prestigious names in the Sri Lankan film world to be the best films of honest response to the
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. * ''Sanda Dadayama'' * ''Chanda Kinnarie'' * ''Me mage sandai'' * ''Tani tatuwen piyabanna'' * '' Aksharaya'' * ''Vidu'' * ''Ini Awan'' Those films won awards at many international film festivals. He has faced many
censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
problems with his creation; his film Aksharaya was banned by the
Sri Lankan government The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජය, Śrī Lankā Rajaya; ta, இலங்கை அரசாங்கம்) is a parliamentary system determined by the Sri Lankan Constitution. It administers the is ...
. Recent releases include: '' Sooriya Arana'', ''Aadaraneeya Wassaanaya'', ''Samanala thatu'', ''
Aloko Udapadi ''Aloko Udapadi'' (; ; ) is a 2017 Sinhala epic historical film based on the story of King Valagamba of Anuradhapura (89 – 77 BCE). It was co-directed by Chathra Weeraman and Baratha Hettiarachchi produced by Thusitha Wijayasena for Art Mo ...
'', ''Hiripoda wessa'', have attracted Sri Lankans to cinemas. Sooriya Arana was replaced by Jackson Anthony's
Aba (film) ''Aba'' is a 2008 Sinhalese film directed by Jackson Anthony and co-produced by Justin Belagamage and Rajindra Jayasinghe for Chandrakini Creations. The title is derived from ''Pandu Aba'', another name for the title character. Anthony’s son, ...
as the highest-grossing film in Sri Lankan cinema history, generating Rs.185 million at the
box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...
. Aba, also became the most expensive film produced in Sri Lanka costing over 60 million Rupees to produce as well as being the first Sri Lankan film to be finished via Digital Intermediate technology. Several other countries such as
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
have shown interest in screening this film after its trailer was released. Among them China has shown special interest by considering dubbing it in Chinese. Aba was released on 8 August 2008. In 2009
Prasanna Vithanage Udaya Prasanna Vithanage ( si, ප්‍රසන්න විතානගේ) (born 14 March 1962) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker. He is considered one of the pioneers of the third generation of the Sri Lankan cinema. He has directed eight feature ...
's Akasa Kusum (Flowers in the Sky) ran at 22 screens to packed audiences for over 70 days. The film which premiered at the Pusan International Film Festival in late 2008 also won several awards and was invited to numerous international film festivals. While Sri Lankan films were winning international awards, and while
Aba (film) ''Aba'' is a 2008 Sinhalese film directed by Jackson Anthony and co-produced by Justin Belagamage and Rajindra Jayasinghe for Chandrakini Creations. The title is derived from ''Pandu Aba'', another name for the title character. Anthony’s son, ...
attracted an unprecedented Rs.185 million in income and over 1 million admissions sold, in yearly admissions continued to fall without let. By 2009 it had dwindled to a mere trickle of 7.2 million attendances a year. The number of cinemas which was 365 in 1979 had fallen to a mere 147. By end of 2010, the yearly cinema attendance had fallen to 5.5 million, the lowest in the history of Sri Lankan cinema. A hapless National Film Corporation was seen to be lost, frozen in inaction while the 4 private sector distributors who had taken over the reins to run the film industry since 2001, were waiting for the audience to fall into their laps. Since privatization of film distribution in 2001 among 4 "distributors" without calling for any bids, as is customary when a government gives up a monopoly, by the Chandrika Bandaranayake government, 111 cinemas have closed by July 2010- an average of one per month, signifying a failure of that process. The number of domestically produced films screened for 2009 was 15 according to statistics released by the National Film Corporation. In the recent years several high budget films like
Aloko Udapadi ''Aloko Udapadi'' (; ; ) is a 2017 Sinhala epic historical film based on the story of King Valagamba of Anuradhapura (89 – 77 BCE). It was co-directed by Chathra Weeraman and Baratha Hettiarachchi produced by Thusitha Wijayasena for Art Mo ...
, Aba, Pathini,
Maharaja Gemunu ''Maharaja Gemunu (King Gemunu)'' ( si, මහරජ ගැමුණු) is a 2015 Sri Lankan Sinhala epic film directed by Jayantha Chandrasiri and produced by Gunapala Rathnasekara for Sipvin Films. It stars Uddika Premarathna and Jackson ...
and Vijayaba Kollaya produced and gain huge success. Most of them are based on Sri Lankan epic
historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
stories gain huge success. In 2017
Dharmayuddhaya ''Dharmayuddhaya'' () is a 2017 Sri Lankan Sinhala-language crime thriller film directed by Cheyyar Ravi and produced by MTV Channel and The Capital Maharaja Organization Limited, and distributed by M Entertainments. It is a shot-for-shot re ...
earned 22.4 SL crores (224 million) and became the highest-grossing film in Sri Lanka replacing Aba.


Short-film culture

In the context of Sri-Lankan cinema, this remembrance of the short film could easily be related to its history. Here, the short film has retained its status only as an exercise for the film-makers who rose to fame with the feature film. Dr.
Lester James Peries Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, a ...
, the realist film-maker, began his career, first, creating a short film titled “Soliloquy”. Another towering figure in country’s cinema, Dr.
Dharmasena Pathiraja Pathiraja Navaratne Wanninayake Mudiyanselage Ranjith Dharmasena (28 March 1943 – 28 January 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter. He has been referred to as a 'rebel with a cause', an ‘''enfant terrible'' of the '70s', and ...
, also created a short film titled “Enemies” as his first cinematic experience. The State Film Corporation, which was established in the 1971, instituted a requirement for aspiring cinema-artists to make a short film prior to debut as a feature film-maker, and making them entitled to receive publicly funded production credit. However, the problem was not that one made a short film before his long-length film, but the abandonment of the short-film as cinematic-medium thereafter by Anton Wicremesinghe after 1979 by making public funds available to "anyone" with disastrous results. Young filmmaker
Malaka Dewapriya Malaka Dewapriya ( si, මාලක දේවප්‍රිය, is a Sri Lankan film maker, visual artist, Sinhala Radio Play writer, short film and video director. Biography Born in Sri Lanka, Dewapriya graduated with a BA (Special) from th ...
was screened his ‘‘Life Circle’’ Short Film in the international competition in 2004, at the 10th
International Student Film Festival The Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival is the largest of its kind in the world and is considered one of the most important in its field. The film festival hosts hundreds of students, lecturers and guests of honor from the world's lead ...
in Tel Aviv, Israel. This was the first time a Sri Lankan student's film was chosen in an internationally recognized festival. And the selection was a big step to re-establish short film culture in Sri Lanka. The addition of annual short film festivals to the local cinematic calendar, like the Agenda 14 Short Film Festival conducted by Anoma Rajakaruna, continue to motivate and enable talented young filmmakers to engage in the tradition of short-film making. A number of these programs have acquired support from international sources, like the European Film Academy in the case of Agenda 14, and that a number of short films by emerging filmmakers like Rehan Muddanayake, Hiran Balasuriya and Prabuddha Dihkwaththa have had their short-films receive some international recognition as well. Director Ilango Ramanathan - widely known as Ilango Ram's debut short film 'Mouna Vizhiththuligal'
(Silent Tears) Silent may mean any of the following: People with the name * Silent George, George Stone (outfielder) (1876–1945), American Major League Baseball outfielder and batting champion * Brandon Silent (born 1973), South African former footballer * C ...
in the year 2014 traveled to 27 international film festivals and secured 19 awards including best foreign language film, best director, best screenplay, best cinematography, best child artist to name a few. Silent Tears was also screened in Locarno Open Doors in the year 2017. More recently, the High School Junkies led by filmmaker Akash Sk have gained international recognition for their short film ''
EIDETIC Eidetic memory ( ; more commonly called photographic memory or total recall) is the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision—at least for a brief period of time—after seeing it only onceThe terms ''eidetic memory'' and ''pho ...
'' which became the first Sri Lankan film to be screened at the
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
's International Film Festival. The film has played at various other festivals worldwide including
Raindance Film Festival Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates in major cities including London, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin, and Brussels. The festival was established in 1992 by Elliot Grove t ...
. Their consequent horror short film The Summoning became the second film to be screened at the same festival in 2019. There is a new resurgence in independent filmmaking with short films such as these being released on platforms such as
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
.


Leading actors

The stars of the first Sinhalese film ''Kadavunu Poronduwa'', Rukmani Devi and Eddie Jayamanne, were the first to achieve popularity across the country. They had gained a certain fame through their roles in the plays of the Minerva group which contributed to their emergence in the film industry. They continued to star in films through the 1950s and the early 1960s. In 1960,
Gamini Fonseka Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka () (21 March 1936 - 30 September 2004 as :si:ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා, ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා), was a Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan film actor, film director ...
emerged as a star in the historical film ''
Sandesaya ''Sandesaya'' ( Sinhalese language word meaning ''The Message'') is a 1960 film. The film based on the war between the Sinhalese people and the Portuguese invaders in Sri Lanka. It was directed by Sri Lankan film director Lester James Peries. It ...
''. Though the main role of the film was played by Ananda Jayaratne, Fonseka outshone the actor in his first major role. Fonseka had his next hit role in ''Ran Muthu Duwa'' where he found a popular co-star in actress Jeevarani Kurukalasooriya. Fonseka's other major films of the 1960s include ''Deewarayo'', ''
Adata Wadiya Heta Hondai Adata Vediya Heta Hondai (Sinhala, ''Tomorrow Is Better Than Today'') is a 1963 Sri Lankan film directed by Indian filmmaker M. Masthan and produced by producer K. Gunaratnam. The film starring Gamini Fonseka and Jeevarani Kurukulasuriya. It ...
'' and ''
Chandiya Chandiya or Chandia is a village near the town Anjar, the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Village is located 21 km from nearest town Anjar. History Many castes and religious groups live in Chandiya, such as So ...
''. In 1969,
Vijaya Kumaratunga Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga ( si, කොවිලගේ ඇන්ටන් විජය කුමාරණතුංග; ta, விஜய_குமாரணதுங்க; 9 October 1945 – 16 February 1988), popularly known as Vijaya ...
emerged as a star with a lead role in ''
Hanthane Kathawa ''Hanthane Kathawa'' (Sinhalese language word means "Story of Hanthana") is a 1969 film based on a love story of university students of Sri Lanka. It was directed by famous Sri Lankan film director Sugathapala Senarath Yapa and screened on Augus ...
''. Over the next decade, he was the most popular leading actor next to Gamini Fonseka. In addition to foreign transliterated commercial films, he also acted in artistic films like ''
Bambaru Awith ''Bambaru Avith (The Wasps are Here)'' ( si, italic=yes, බඹරු ඇවිත්) is a 1978 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja and produced by director himself with Thilak Godamanne for Saranga Salaroo. It explo ...
'', ''Eya Dan Loku Lamayek'' and ''
Ganga Addara ''Ganga Addara'' (English : Beside the River) was a 1980 Sinhalese language film directed by Sumitra Peiris and produced by Sumathi Films. The film stars Vasanthi Chathurani and late Vijaya Kumaratunga in the lead roles. Adapted from a novel by L ...
''. His death in 1989 had a huge effect on popular cinema.


Notable actors


Notable filmmakers

* Asoka Handagama * Boodee Keerthisena *
Chandran Rutnam Chandran Rutnam is a Sri Lankan filmmaker and entrepreneur. Rutnam has hosted numerous Hollywood films for their location shoots in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. He was the Line Producer/Production Supervisor on several international productions incl ...
* Daevinda Kongahage * D. B. Nihalsinghe *
Dharmasena Pathiraja Pathiraja Navaratne Wanninayake Mudiyanselage Ranjith Dharmasena (28 March 1943 – 28 January 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter. He has been referred to as a 'rebel with a cause', an ‘''enfant terrible'' of the '70s', and ...
* Dinesh Priyasad *
Gamini Fonseka Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka () (21 March 1936 - 30 September 2004 as :si:ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා, ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා), was a Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan film actor, film director ...
* Indika Fernando * Ilango Ramanathan *
Jackson Anthony Conganige Joseph Malsi Ushan Thimira Jackson Anthony (born July 8, 1958, as ජැක්සන් ඇන්තනී), commonly known as Jackson Anthony, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. One of the most popular artists ...
*
Jayantha Chandrasiri Kala Keerthi Jayantha Chandrasiri ( ජයන්ත චන්ද්‍රසිරි; born 1959), is a Sri Lankan journalist, screenplay writer, television director, and filmmaker in Sri Lankan cinema. Chandrasiri's film ''Agnidahaya'' won sev ...
*
Lester James Peries Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, a ...
*
Mahagama Sekara Mahagama Sekera (Mahagamage Sekara) ( Sinhala:මහගම සේකර / මහගමගේ සේකර ) (7 April 1929 – 14 January 1976) Sri Lankan poet, lyricist, playwright, novelist, artist, translator and filmmaker. He is considered ...
*
Malaka Dewapriya Malaka Dewapriya ( si, මාලක දේවප්‍රිය, is a Sri Lankan film maker, visual artist, Sinhala Radio Play writer, short film and video director. Biography Born in Sri Lanka, Dewapriya graduated with a BA (Special) from th ...
* Nalaka Vithanage *
Prasanna Jayakody Prasanna Jayakody (In Sinhalese: ප්‍රසන්න ජයකොඩි) is a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter, internationally recognized for his cinematic accomplishments in contemporary Sri Lankan cinema. His movies primarily ...
*
Prasanna Vithanage Udaya Prasanna Vithanage ( si, ප්‍රසන්න විතානගේ) (born 14 March 1962) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker. He is considered one of the pioneers of the third generation of the Sri Lankan cinema. He has directed eight feature ...
*
Priyantha Colombage Priyantha Colombage (born in 1966) is a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter who works primarily in Sinhala cinema. He is best known for his directorial debut “Dehena”(Trance) in 1998 & Dehena won the highest number of awards for Sri ...
*
Roy de Silva Chathurartha Devadithya Gardiyawasam Lindamulage Roy Aloysius Felix de Silva, popularly known as Roy de Silva (රෝයි ද සිල්වා; 30 August 1937 – 30 June 2018), was a Sri Lankan actor and film director in Sri Lankan cinema a ...
* Sanjeewa Pushpakumara *
Siri Gunasinghe Siri Gunasinghe ( Sinhala: සිරි ගුණසිංහ ; 18 February 1925 – 25 May 2017) was a Sri Lankan academic, poet, Sanskritist, art historian, author and filmmaker. He played a crucial role in honing the creativity of free Sinhal ...
*
Somaratne Dissanayake Somaratne Dissanayake is a Sri Lankan film director, Screenwriter and Producer. He is the Chairman of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the president of the Film Makers Guild of Sri Lanka (FMG). He won the Peace prize of Chicago Internation ...
* Sudesh Wasantha Pieris * Sugath Samarakoon *
Sumitra Peries Kala Keerthi Sumitra Peries (born 24 March 1934) is the first Sri Lankan female filmmaker and is known by all as the "Poetess of Sinhala Cinema". She also held the post of Sri Lanka's ambassador to France, Spain and the United Nations in the ...
*
Sunil Ariyaratne Vidyodaya Vibhushana Sahithya Kala Shiromani Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne Kuruwita Bandara (born 28 July 1949 as සුනිල් ආරියරත්න), popularly as Sunil Ariyaratne, is a Sri Lankan scholar, film director, author, poet and a ly ...
* Surange de Alwis *
Tissa Abeysekara Deshanabu Tissa Ananda Abeysekara (7 May 1939 – 18 April 2009 as තිස්ස අබේසේකර) was a Sri Lankan filmmaker, actor, writer, director, screen playwright and political activist. He is better known as a script writer for th ...
* Udayakantha Warnasuriya *
Vasantha Obeysekera Vasantha Obeysekera (1937 – 2017), was a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter. Early life and career Kala Keerthi Vasantha Obeysekera who was regarded as one of the foremost film makers in the 70s decade graduated from the Universit ...
*
Vimukthi Jayasundara Kala Keerthi Vimukthi Jayasundara ( si, විමුක්ති ජයසුන්දර) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker, critic and a visual artist. Jayasundara is the first Sri Lankan to win the Caméra d'Or, in 2005. Life and career Vimukthi Jay ...
*
Saman Weeraman Saman may refer to: Places Iran * Saman, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, a city in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province * Saman, Hamadan, a city in Hamadan Province * Saman, Ilam, a village in Ilam Province * Saman, Kurdistan, a village in Kurdistan Provi ...
* Wishal Sajendra


Award ceremonies

* Sarasaviya Awards * Derana Film Awards * Hiru Golden Film Award * Presidential Film Awards * SIGNIS Awards (Sri Lanka)


Leading film score composers


Veterans living and dead

*R. Muttusamy *Sunil Santha *Somadasa Alwitigala *Mohomada Sali *Premasiri Khemadasa *Nimal Mendis *W. D. Amaradeva *Sarath Dasanayaka *Somapala Rathnayaka *Dr.Rohana Weerasinghe *Gunadasa Kapuge *Victor Rathnayaka *Sarath De Alwis *Lakshman Joseph de Saram *Dilup Gabadamaudalige *Nawarathna Gamage *Harsha Makalanda


New age composers

*Nadeeka Guruge *Kasun Kalhara *Dinesh Subasinghe *Dharshana Ruwan Disanayaka *Pradeep Rathnayaka *Mahesh Denipitiya *Ranga Dasanayaka *Gayathree Khemadasa *Ajith Kumarasiri *Sanka Dineth *Charitha Rakshitha Attalage *Chitral Somapala *Narendra Gunarathna


See also

* List of Sri Lankan films * Sri Lankan Tamil Cinema * South Asian cinema


References

23. Public Enterprise in Film Development- Success and Failure in Sri Lanka"; Trafford Publishing, Vancouver


External links


Sinhala Cinema Database - Official WebsiteSri Lankan Movie DatabaseNational Film Corporation of Sri Lanka - Official WebsiteSri Lankan film
at the Internet Movie Database
Sinhala Movies and Latest information about cinemaMicro budget Film Made by Student film makersEAP Films And Theaters
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cinema Of Sri Lanka Cinema of Sri Lanka,