• An entertaining ride with a few missed opportunities 

Sri Lankan cinema welcomed another romantic drama last week with ‘Adaraneeya Tharuwak,’ which hit theatres on Thursday (6). Ahead of its release, we had the opportunity to attend a special media screening of the film, directed by debut feature filmmaker Dilshan Amarasinghe.

Officially described as the story of “a male singer’s emotional journey to fame, which intertwines with a powerful story of love, loss, and a special promise to a woman he can never forget,” the film delivers on its emotional premise. Without venturing too far into spoiler territory, it also touches on themes of class, opportunity, age-gap relationships, and society’s perception of older women in romantic relationships.

A film that wants to entertain

The film marks Amarasinghe’s first feature after establishing himself in television and commercials. 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Brunch, he shared that he had long hoped to establish himself as a commercial filmmaker in Sri Lanka, with ‘Adaraneeya Tharuwak’ representing that ambition. The project also reunites him with actor Saranga Disasekara, who not only stars in the film but also receives his first producer credit.

Amarasinghe explained that the film was deliberately created for younger audiences.

“This film is for teenagers, for Gen Z and Gen Alpha,” he said, adding that everything from the costumes to the styling was inspired by contemporary youth culture. Despite completing the entire production in just 25 shooting days, he believes the team made the most of the limited schedule, crediting assistant director Niroshan Edirimanna for helping bring the project together.

Watching the finished product, that target audience becomes immediately apparent.

This is not a slow-burning arthouse film. Instead, it embraces colourful commercial storytelling with romance, music, attractive locations, and emotional twists. It is a film that wants to entertain first and foremost.

The story follows a struggling young singer who falls for a wealthy young woman, setting in motion a romance shaped by ambition and circumstance. While the premise itself is familiar, the film introduces a late twist that genuinely caught us by surprise. Whether it succeeds because it is cleverly hidden or because the screenplay doesn’t quite lay enough groundwork is open to interpretation, but it undeniably elevates the final act.

Strengths and weaknesses

The screenplay, however, is also where the film’s biggest weaknesses lie. While the dialogue occasionally feels natural, several conversations sound noticeably scripted rather than authentic. 

For a film aimed squarely at Gen Z audiences, the dialogue doesn’t always reflect how young Sri Lankans actually speak today. Similarly, the passage of time becomes somewhat unclear, with much of the central romance developing through montages, making it difficult to gauge how deeply the relationship has evolved.

The first half also feels slightly overloaded with musical numbers. Although the soundtrack is enjoyable, spacing the songs out more evenly may have allowed the emotional narrative to breathe.

Despite these shortcomings, ‘Adaraneeya Tharuwak’ remains an entertaining watch.

Where the film truly excels is in its performances. Disasekara, Shanudrie Priyasad, and Sangeetha Weeraratne bring enough experience and screen presence to elevate material that occasionally feels underwritten. Weeraratne, in particular, is a standout. Her performance carries a quiet confidence, while her styling is arguably the strongest in the entire film.

The chemistry between Disasekara and Priyasad is also surprisingly convincing. Given their very public real-life relationship as brother-in-law and sister-in-law, we were curious whether audiences would be able to separate the actors from their personal lives.

Thankfully, they can.

The pair are experienced enough performers that their real-life relationship quickly fades into the background. The romance itself also remains fairly restrained, allowing audiences to focus on the story rather than the casting.

The one aspect that feels slightly less convincing is the age of the lead character. At 28, Priyasad comfortably fits the youthful world the film is trying to portray. Disasekara, now 43, is noticeably older than the character appears to be, despite styling that attempts to make him look younger.

This is not a criticism of his performance, which is solid throughout, but rather the casting choice. A younger actor may have made the central romance more believable while also adding greater impact to the later storyline involving Weeraratne’s older female character. As it stands, Disasekara appears visually closer in age to Weeraratne than to Priyasad.

Fun and visually charming

Visually, however, the film knows exactly what it wants to be.

It embraces the polished aesthetic familiar to Sri Lankan commercial cinema. The colour grading is vibrant, the makeup is beautifully executed, and the filmmakers make excellent use of multiple locations, allowing Sri Lanka’s natural beauty to become one of the film’s greatest strengths. Considering the tight production schedule, the visual ambition deserves recognition.

Tonally, ‘Adaraneeya Tharuwak’ occasionally recalls Hindi romances such as ‘Aashiqui 2,’ ‘Rockstar,’ and ‘Saawariya’ through its blend of music, ambition, and heartbreak. What it lacks, however, is the emotional consistency that made those films’ melancholy so memorable. Here, the shift between light-hearted romance and tragedy can feel abrupt.

The film also introduces heavier issues without fully exploring them. Most notably, a domestic violence storyline is presented but largely left unresolved. Given that the film is intentionally aimed at teenagers and young audiences, it feels like a missed opportunity to engage more responsibly with such an important issue.

Even so, these criticisms don’t overshadow the overall experience.

‘Adaraneeya Tharuwak’ is colourful, energetic, and visually appealing. It offers enjoyable music, strong performances, and enough emotional moments to keep audiences invested, even if the screenplay could have benefited from another round of refinement.

Most importantly, it understands exactly who it is made for. Younger audiences looking for romance, music, attractive visuals, and a few unexpected turns will likely find plenty to enjoy.

It may not reinvent the Sri Lankan romantic drama, but it doesn’t need to. ‘Adaraneeya Tharuwak’ is good fun, occasionally surprising, and visually charming, and for anyone looking for an uncomplicated evening at the cinema, it is certainly worth the watch.