• Chandran Rutnam’s newest project ‘Rizana – A Caged Bird’

At its best, cinema doesn’t just entertain us; it remembers, reflects, and sometimes demands that we pay attention, especially when it comes to the lives of those who are often overlooked.

Chandran Rutnam’s newest film, ‘Rizana – A Caged Bird,’ is one of those films that looks to do more than entertain. It retells the true story of Rizana Nafeek – a 17-year-old Sri Lankan domestic worker who was executed in Saudi Arabia after being accused of killing an infant in her care. Rizana’s story was one that made global headlines. 

Rizana was a domestic worker who, like so many others, was sent abroad by her family in the hopes of earning a living. But a tragic accident involving the infant in her care led to her being accused of murder – a charge she denied until the end. After a confession extracted under duress, she was convicted and, despite global appeals for clemency, beheaded in 2013. 

Through ‘Rizana – A Caged Bird,’ Rutnam hopes to bring it back into focus, not just to honour Rizana, but also to shine a light on the broader human rights issues facing migrant domestic workers around the world. 

Produced by Jagath Sumathipala under the banner of Sumathi Studios, the film stars Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, South Indian star Varalaxmy Sarathkumar, and newcomer Vidushika Reddy in the title role of Rizana.

The film’s title was officially revealed last week, followed by a panel discussion that brought together key voices from the production, offering insight into the story, the motivations behind it, and the real-life tragedy that still casts a long shadow.

Taking local stories global

For over 50 years, Sumathi Studios has been a fixture in Sri Lankan cinema. Now helmed by Producer Jagath Sumathipala, the third generation of the Sumathipala family in film, the studio is ready to cross borders. 

“We have made award-winning films. We have worked with brilliant directors and actors. But no Sri Lankan production has yet broken into the international festival circuit in a meaningful way,” Sumathipala explained. “That’s what we want to change with this film.”

To support international distribution and marketing, Sumathi Studios has joined hands with India’s Studio Shakthi, strengthening its ability to take local stories to global audiences. “We’re not just making films,” Sumathipala said. “We are crafting milestones.”

That sense of purpose is especially resonant in ‘Rizana – A Caged Bird.’ The film is as much about Rizana as it is about the thousands of women like her, sent abroad every year, often young and vulnerable, tasked with navigating systems where their rights are minimal and their protections uncertain.

The Rizana Nafeek story

Born in the town of Mutur in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, Rizana was one of many children in a family struggling with poverty. 

In 2005, at the age of 17, she was sent to Saudi Arabia to work as a domestic aide. Her family has alleged that her passport was forged to adjust her year of birth to avoid rules stopping those under the age of 18 being recruited in Sri Lanka for work abroad.

There, she was assigned to care for a four-month-old baby. The baby reportedly choked while being bottle-fed and died shortly after. Rizana was accused of murder. Under Saudi Arabia’s kafala system – a labour sponsorship structure that gives employers near-total control over migrant workers – she had no legal support and no translator during her interrogation, and reportedly signed a confession she did not understand.

Despite appeals by the Sri Lankan Government, human rights organisations, and activists worldwide, Rizana was executed in 2013. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even the United Nations decried the execution as a breach of international law.

Every year, thousands of Sri Lankan women travel abroad for domestic work, many of them to the Middle East. They often go out of economic necessity, tasked with supporting entire families through remittances. Yet many end up trapped in abusive work environments, with limited recourse, little legal protection, and no real voice.

Under systems like the kafala sponsorship in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, migrant workers require their employer’s permission to leave, change jobs, or even return home. In practice, this makes exploitation easy and justice almost impossible. 

In Sri Lanka, women from rural areas are particularly vulnerable to exploitation as domestic workers overseas. With few opportunities at home and minimal education, they are often misinformed about the risks they face abroad. The practice of adjusting documents such as passports to make domestic workers older is not uncommon – a symptom of the pressure to migrate early and earn.

Despite high-profile cases like Rizana’s, reforms have been slow. Some countries have made improvements to labour laws, but enforcement remains patchy. Back home, support systems for returnees are minimal, and little is done to empower women economically so they don’t feel the need to migrate in the first place.

“Rizana’s story haunted me,” Director Chandran Rutnam said during the panel. “It’s a story that should have been told a long time ago. It’s not just about what happened to one girl. It’s about what can – and does – happen to many girls.”

Rutnam had researched the story for years before finally moving into production. “This film is my way of saying what should have been said back then,” he shared. “It’s a story that, even now, continues to be relevant.”

Telling her story with dignity

For Rutnam, whose career spans over a hundred international films – including collaborations with legends like Steven Spielberg, David Lean, and George Lucas – ‘Rizana – A Caged Bird’ is both a personal and professional milestone. “Everything we have shot so far has gone beautifully. I couldn’t be prouder,” he said.

Screenwriter James Rutnam, Chandran’s son, was entrusted with adapting Rizana’s story. “We had a tight timeline, but I had been thinking about this story for years,” he shared. “The biggest challenge was ensuring we were accurate, respectful, and focused. Once the film is released, people will hear her name again. She won’t be invisible anymore.”

For James, cinema’s power lies in its ability to get people talking. “We forget sometimes, amidst the deadlines and logistics, what we are doing this for. But Rizana is now a representative of many. Hopefully, this will spark conversation and change.”

One of the biggest surprises – and strengths – of the film is its casting of British actor Jeremy Irons in the role of Professor Julian Miles, a human rights activist who becomes involved in Rizana’s case.

Speaking at the panel, Irons was both candid and warm. “I come from a country with fairly strong human rights protections. But I know that’s not the case everywhere. The story of Rizana resonated because I know women – and men – are sent abroad, treated unfairly, and are often silenced.”

Irons noted that while cinema did not always change the world, it could shine a light on parts of it. “If a story like this helps prevent something like this from happening again, or if it makes people more aware, then it’s worth doing.”

Despite initial scheduling conflicts, Irons was convinced to come to Sri Lanka by the crew and by word of mouth. “Everyone I spoke to told me Sri Lanka is beautiful, the people are kind, and the culture is rich. They were right. I’ve loved my time here.”

South Indian actor and activist Varalaxmi Sarathkumar also stars in the film, playing Dr. Rani Chelvam, the only meaningful bond Rizana forms while imprisoned. “As an activist, I speak up for women who don’t have a voice,” she said. “This story called to me. My character gets to be Rizana’s only support, and I’m honoured to play her.”

Sarathkumar added that filming in Sri Lanka with such a powerful team was transformative. “You always take something away from a project like this, especially when the story is so charged and so real.”

Newcomer Vidushika Reddy, who plays Rizana, is stepping into her first major role. The weight of the character and the real-life stakes have made the experience a challenging but meaningful one.

‘Rizana – A Caged Bird’ humanises a case that could have been forgotten. It reminds us that behind the headlines, there are lives and that every life lost to injustice diminishes us all. In closing the panel, Director Rutnam described himself simply as a dreamer looking to tell a story. “I dreamed this film would happen. I dreamed it would come together. And it did.” 

The film is still in production and scheduled for release in 2026.