''Nommara 17'' ( si, නොම්මර 17, italic=yes) is a 1989

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 Sinhala action thriller film directed by

Hemasiri Sellapperuma Hemasiri Sellapperuma (born 25 October: si, හේමසිරි සෙල්ලප්පෙරුම), is a Sri Lankan screenplay writer, editor and filmmaker in Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan cinema. He is a prolific director who directed th ...

and produced by Preethiraj Weeraratne for Weeraratne Enterprises. It stars

Vijaya Kumaratunga Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga ( si, කොවිලගේ ඇන්ටන් විජය කුමාරණතුංග; ta, விஜய_குமாரணதுங்க; 9 October 1945 – 16 February 1988), popularly known as Vijaya ...

Sanath Gunathilake Somsiri Sanath Julien Gunatilake (born 27 October 1955: Sinhala:සනත් ගුණතිලක), popularly as Sanath Gunatilake, is an actor, director, screenwriter in Sri Lankan cinema and film director. A highly versatile actor acros ...

and

Jeewan Kumaranatunga Jeewan Kumaranatunga (born 7 November 1958: si, ජීවන් කුමාරතුංග), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television, who later became a politician, a former member of the parliament and a former cabinet ministe ...

in lead roles along with

Mervyn Jayathunga Pitiyage Mervyn Piyadasa Jayatunga ( si, මර්වින් ජයතුංග; 9 March 1940 – 1 November 1993), popularly known as Mervyn Jayathunga, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and stage drama. He was a highly versatile actor, who ...

Wilson Karunaratne Wilson Karunaratne, popularly known as Wilson Karu (28 October 1942 – 3 May 2022) was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, and stunt director. Considered one of the best villains in Sinhala cinema, Karunaratne acted in more than 240 films across ma ...

Sabeetha Perera Warnakulasuriya Uswaththa Liyanage Sabeetha Janaki Perera (born December 1, 1962) is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and old Lollywood cinema of Pakistan. She is the most successful female superstar during the '80s and '90s in Sinhala cinema. ...

Menik Kurukulasooriya Hyacinth Menik Kanthi Kurukulasuriya (born 22 October 1957), popularly as Menik Kurukulasuriya, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. Personal life She was born as the youngest of the family. Her father was Kurukulasuriyage Venus Anthony Fernand ...

and

Freddie Silva Haupe Liyanage Athukorala Morris Joseph Ranabahu, (born 18 May 1938 – died 29 October 2001: si, ෆෙ‍්‍රඩී සිල්වා), popularly as Freddie Silva, was a Sri Lankan film actor, and playback singer, who appeared from 1973 u ...

. The music was composed by Ernest Soysa. It is the 691st film in the

Sinhala cinema Sri Lankan cinema encompasses the Sri Lankan film industry. 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 of Chitra Kala Movietone. Sri Lanka ...

. The film was screened after the assassination of lead actor Vijaya Kumaratunga, which influenced the fans to come and watch his famous movie star for the last time on the silver screen. Thus recorded as one of the huge blockbuster hit in Sinhala cinema. It successfully passed 200 days at theatres. In 17th Sarasaviya Awards in 1989 the film won the award for the Most Popular Film with 40,535 votes.

Plot

SP Jayasinghe arrests a criminal, Mervyn, who is later sentenced to life imprisonment. Inspector has three sons Vijaya, Naatha and Mahesh. He gifts same chains to them. To take revenge, Mervyn escapes from prison and shoots SP to death at his home. Vijaya and Naatha escape from there while Mahesh gets adopted by Jayasinghe's friend, IP Sabaratnam. Another thief, Wilson takes care of Vijaya and Naatha to earn money. One day, Mervyn kidnaps IP Sabaratnam's daughter, Vasanthi. Wilson forces Vijaya to robber from a house. However, Vijaya gets arrested and Wilson manages to escape. Years later, Vijaya who known as "Nommara 17", releases from jail with his friend, Potato who known as "Nommara 13". He determines to find Wilson and is against injustice. Now, Naatha is grown into a head of gangster and Mahesh working as a Inspector. Vasanthi has been adopted by Mervyn, who is now doing drug business with Wilson. Eventually, Vijaya and Vasanthi fall in love. Soon, Vijaya and Mahesh become friends. At Mahesh's home, Vijaya sees SP Jayasinghe's photo and realizes that Mahesh is his brother. Two brothers are reunited and they promise to find Mervyn and Wilson. They punish Wilson, but is caught by Naatha. While punishing them, Naatha notices Vijaya's chain and realizes that Vijaya and Mahesh are his long lost brothers and reunites with them. Mervyn and Wilson kidnap three brothers and Vasanthi saves them. Upon learning that, Mervyn and Wilson fight with them. However, Mervyn is stabbed and Mahesh's foster mother asks him about her daughter. Mervyn reveals Vasanthi about her mother and dies uniting them. Vijaya, Naatha and Mahesh manage to defeat Wilson, but Naatha is shot while saving Vijaya. Naatha dies uniting his wife with Mahesh. The film ends with the family's reunion.

Cast

as Vijaya aka 'Nommara 17' ** Kanchana Wicramasekara as Child Vijaya *

as Naatha ** Harindra Sanka Peiris as Child Naatha *

Jeevan Kumaratunga Jeewan Kumaranatunga (born 7 November 1958: si, ජීවන් කුමාරතුංග), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television, who later became a politician, a former member of the parliament and a former cabinet ministe ...

as Inspecter Mahesh ** Rakith Waravitage as Child Mahesh *

as Mervyn Jayasekera *

as Wilson *

as Vasanthi / Mrs Sabarathnam ** Rishini Weerarathne as Child Vasanthi *

Menik Kurukulasuriya Hyacinth Menik Kanthi Kurukulasuriya (born 22 October 1957), popularly as Menik Kurukulasuriya, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. Personal life She was born as the youngest of the family. Her father was Kurukulasuriyage Venus Anthony Fernand ...

as Radha *

as Potato aka 'Nommara 13' * Manel Chandralatha as Samanthie * Mahesh Jayasinghe as Brinjol * Lakmal Fonseka as Sooppuwa *

Teddy Vidyalankara Ganwari Teddy Vidyalankara (born on December 16, 1955, as ටෙඩී විද්‍යාලංකාර inhala is a Sri Lankan actor, and stunt director. Vidyalankara contributed more than 500 films across all languages including Sinhala, ...

as Teddy * Srinath Maldeniya as Police Chief * Ananda Basnayake as Inspector Jayasinghe, Vijaya, Naatha and Mahesh's father * Preethiraj Weeraratne as Inspector Sabarathnam * Kapila Sigera * Gamini Kumar * Lal Kumar * Alan Balasuriya * Dayananda Vidyalankara * P. Nihal Fernando

Production

The filming began in 1987. During writing the screenplay of the film, Preethiraj specially made the lead character Vijay to Vijaya Kumaratunga. Because he was the hero in Sri Lankan cinema at that time. However before the screening, Vijaya Kumaratunga was Assassinted.

Soundtrack

Reception

There was a big uproar in the cinema halls during the screening of the film. People were at queue at cinema halls from 8 am to witness Vijaya's last film. There have even been stabbing incidents recorded in 'Gemunu' and 'Manel' cinema theaters as well. The film was screened for 210 days at the 'National' cinema hall in Maharagama as well as it was screened in the opening cinemas for 200 days.

Awards

References

External links

*
තිත්ත ඇත්ත රිලීස් කළේ 20 දා 21 දා
1989 films 1980s Sinhala-language films {{SriLanka-film-stub