‘Bondhawu Sihinaya’ shows the power of ethnic unity
Sri Lankan cinema which went through one of the most turbulent period of time specially with the Covid 19 pandemic and the worst ever economic crisis that followed, is experiencing silver lining specially with the multi-ethnic efforts to promote cinema. In the beginning of Sri Lankan cinema it was a common phenomenon that Tamil filmmakers making Sinhala movies. But with ethnic riots in 1983 and civil unrest led the Tamil filmmakers to leave Sinahala cinema.
However there are new hopes with Tamil film directors now returning to Sinhala cinema. Experienced Tamil filmmaker N. S. Thanapala Sunatharam has directed his first Sinhala movie ‘Bondhawu Sihinaya’ and it is ready for release. Suntharam directed his first Tamil film ‘Yar
Andha Thewade’ in 2015 and ‘Oru Kuilum 2 Kottankalum’ in 2019. The Speciality of ‘Bondhawu Sihinaya’ is that it introduces new film producer Dr. W. G. Karunadasa, former senior administrator, who had served in both private and the public sector. As Sinhala and Tamil Producer and director join to make ‘Bondhawu Sihinaya’, highlighting the importance of ethnic harmony, the film will be released in both languagesTamil and Sinhala.
Set in a dark period of Sri Lanka, the film narrates around Sinhala boy and a Tamil girl who becomes refugees after their parents were killed following a bomb blast at a train plying from Colombo to Jaffna. They are joined by another boy in the same age and they start making a living out of stealing and pickpocketing. As they grow up, this become their main source of income and even after they grew up as adult they continue with the wrong practices. Once they carry out a major robbery and they travel to a rural area to hide the stolen jewellery. However as they were returning , the three met with an accident. There one boy is killed and the other two lost their memories. Would these two, lose their memories forever? What will happen to the jewellery? The film features Sanjaya Moramudali, Poorvika Rasasingham, Gajan Kaneshan, Sugath Janaka, Rohitha Dias, Chandana Edirisnghe, Shantha Nanu, Jayantha Weerasinghe and few others.
Cinematographed by Sujith Nishantha, art director is Bandula Weerasekara, make up by Suresh Indika, editor and colour grading by Dilan Gunawardena, and assistant director is Chandana Edirisinghe.
Music director is Farhan Shan while lyrics written by Karinda Edirisinghe and Sunil Ananda. Playback singing is done by Resanjani Thamodya, Sadhani Apsara Kalhara, Ruchira Nadeera and Farhan Shan himself. Choreographed by Nilan Maligaspe, costume designing of ‘Bondhawu Sihinaya’ is by Nipun Chathuranga.