• Lead actress in ‘Rani’, Swarna Mallawarachchi addresses those criticising the film

The multi-award-winning superstar of Sinhala cinema, Swarna Mallawarachchi makes a comeback into cinema with the much-acclaimed movie ‘Rani’. There have been bouquets and brickbats for this movie, in which Mallawarachchi, as the ‘Queen without her Prince’ – as the movie’s subtitle claims – plays the role of a mother who loses her son quite brutally due to political upheavals at the time, Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu, with extraordinary restraint. 

Director Asoka Handagama’s casting is en pointe, but, he also makes it a point to say that the movie is a work of fiction based on true events. We mulled on that idea as Mallawarachchi joined ‘Kaleidoscope’ last week to discuss what makes her – and her character – tick. 

Following are excerpts from the interview: 

You are a master craftsperson when it comes to character roles, but, what drew you to this particular role, that of Dr. Saravanamuttu?

It was a long time ago when the desire to play the role first came around. I had the intention to play Dr. Saravanamuttu’s character for the last 27 years and I met her in 1996 after her son Richard de Zoysa was killed. When I met her, I told her that I would like to tell her story to the world. She was very happy about the proposition and that’s how everything started. 

How did you prepare for the role, knowing, as director Handagama says, that this is a work of fiction based on truth?

It is fiction and as you know, the director always has the right to create and make it dramatic and to do whatever he wants. In most of the films based on novels or true stories, if you are going to do the same thing, it’s a documentary. If you want to do a film, the director has to take the authorship and do what is right for the film.

In ‘Dadayama’ (written and directed by Vasantha Obeysekera), my character hits the screen of the car and tries to kill the man – that scene wasn’t there in the real story. So, we always take liberties to make a film more captivating. 

How did you prepare for this role?

I have been working on this role for the past 27 years. I was working with two other directors, but, it didn’t click. Then, it came to Handagama because I just got the producer for the film. When Handagama said, “I’ll do it”, I was so happy.

For a film like this, you need a person who has a political background. Handagama has it. Handagama went through it. We went through it. His close mate was just taken away and he never came back. From that time, he and I have been reading lots of literature about de Zoysa and Dr. Saravanamuttu. At the end however, you just try to create a scene in front of the camera. This is what the director wanted and if the director is happy, I am happy.

‘Rani’ is quite heavy because of his history and the politics at the time. How did these sensitivities affect your performance?

To tell you the truth, I completely forgot what I was doing. Sometimes, people will ask me whether I think that I’m doing the right thing. That doesn’t affect me at all. I am just getting into character. I just act my role.

By the time we made ‘Rani’, Dr. Saravanamuttu was no more. de Zoysa was no more. She was let down by people and she was used by people; she was a very sad woman when she passed away. 

We don’t have to explain to anyone why we did this film. She was a famous figure, so was de Zoysa. And I was just a woman. I just went by and played the role.

You have played complex female characters right throughout your career. How does Dr. Saravanamuttu stand out among them?

At the time I met her, she was feeling down. She was a very beautiful woman when she was young. I was no match for her beauty so, if I had to do this film 27 years ago when I met her, there would have been a lot of makeup on me, to get the right look, the right era, the right age. Luckily, god always has the right timing, and this was the correct time to do this film.

I have played roles of a village woman, a city woman, a student, and an innocent girl – lots of roles – each different and each from different segments of society. But, this role is completely different from what I have played in my life before.

The smoking and the drinking – how did you manage that?

I don’t smoke at all and occasionally, I may have a glass of wine. But, that’s it. If I mentioned to my daughter that I had to smoke cigarettes in the film, she would have said, “No”. The producers gave me herbal cigarettes, but, to avoid smoking, I broke a pencil in two and used that to practice. The rest of the crew had the cigarettes.

What challenges did you face with ‘Rani’? 

I’m not someone who likes to believe in being and living my characters; I prefer to analyse them. I have great discussions with my director. I’m very fortunate to work with talented directors and strong scripts. They influence me in many ways, and everything stays in my head.

We take in everything, absorbing as much as we can to shape the character. I know my dialogues. I know my character. We do a few script readings; the old-fashioned way and nowadays, we take time to get to know each other first before diving into the process. 

Stage drama isn’t the style used in film. We don’t follow a strict A-to-Z sequence. Instead, we might shoot scene A, then jump to Z, then back to A, or B, or C.

So, we have to be prepared to face the camera and deliver each scene as needed. That’s how I work; I step in, deliver every single dialogue as that character, and then step out. I don’t stay in character.

How are you handling the criticism?

I don’t waste time on criticism because 99% of the people love the film. They truly love it. It isn’t about me. 

For the premiere of the film, women who had lost their children travelled all the way from Galle just to be there. Many others came, bringing flowers; not for the production, not for the theatre, but for the film itself. One man came from the other side of the island just to see me. And they all loved ‘Rani’. So, I’m not bothered by what other people say. 

People love it for what it is, for what they see on screen. Some feel a deep connection to it, as if they own a piece of it. Those who feel that ownership should have done something for them; they should have made a documentary, held exhibitions about de Zoysa and Dr. Saravanamuttu, and done something for them back then. But, they were all hiding. Now, I see that some are finally stepping forward, taking ownership, which is a good thing. They are being remembered.

After Dr. Saravanamuttu died, the Mother’s Front lost a leader. Do people perceive you as that leader now?

These mothers came and told me, “Please, madam, you are saying these things that we experience, why don’t you lead us?” I’m not a political person as Dr. Saravanamuttu herself says in the film, so, I don’t get into that sort of thing. 

Any favourite scenes that you remember shooting?

There’s one seven-minute-long scene, with no cuts or edits. It’s where my character recognises her son’s body, comes home, pours herself a drink, and pours one for the man who looks after them, Karu, because she sees him as one of them. She then goes up the stairs and the scene reverts to a flashback where she enters her son’s room and the boys play guitar and we sing and dance. All of this was one continuous shot, seven minutes long. 

Why do you think it’s important for not just Sri Lankans but for anyone anywhere in the world to see this film?

Yes – North, South, everywhere. In China, India, and America, children continue to go missing. They are taken, dragged away, and subjected to unimaginable horrors. It’s still happening. That’s why I see this film as more than just a movie; it’s research material, something that people should have in their homes. Everyone needs to see it. This has been happening for 200-300 years and it hasn’t stopped. This is a film that people must talk about, will talk about, and should see.

What do you want audiences to remember after they have seen the film?

Women who have lost their children have come to me, asking me to do something. But, I feel helpless because I’m not in politics. I’ve never been involved in organising these kinds of efforts. I’ve seen people try and fail. The people in power and high places, those who can help these women – should step forward, take action, and, at the very least, form a commission to investigate and find out who is responsible. If this film can help bring about change, my simple wish is that at least we can stop it happening in Sri Lanka.

(The writer is the host, director, and co-producer of the weekly digital programme ‘Kaleidoscope with Savithri Rodrigo’ which can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. She has over three decades of experience in print, electronic, and social media)