• Muhurath ceremony held for movie starring Chillie Thilanka and Chulakshi Ranathunga

The Muhurath ceremony for Thawath Adara Kathawak was held on Tuesday (31 January) at the Tharangani Theatre, National Film Corporation. The event was attended by the cast and crew of the movie, as well as National Film Corporation Chairman Deepal Chardrarathne.

The movie, which will soon begin filming, is the seventh production by filmmaker Sripali Hettiarachchi. His other productions include Sujatha Putra and Abhisheka.

Thawath Adara Kathawak stars Chillie Thilanka and Chulakshi Ranathunga in the leading roles, along with Dilhani Ekanayake, Roshan Pilapitiya, and many others. The movie is produced by Sunil T. Fernando, with music by Jananath Warakagoda and vocals by Nanda Malini and Uresha Ravihari.

Speaking at the movie’s Muhurath ceremony, filmmaker Sripali Hettiarachchi thanked the cast and crew for their support. “In the past few years, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the cinema industry was affected, and the number of people coming to the cinema reduced significantly, but this is now changing, and more and more people are watching movies at the theatre,” he said, focusing on the positives.

Hettiarachchi added that he was returning as a filmmaker after a three-year hiatus.

Congratulating the team on their latest productions, National Film Corporation Chairman Deepal Chardrarathne spoke about issues highlighted by Minister of Mass Media Bandula Gunawardana during a speech delivered at the occasion to mark the NFC’s 51 years of operation.

In the speech, it was highlighted that the development of the cinema industry wasn’t taking place, especially in terms of distribution. Chandrarathne explained that there was no issue with cinema-goers, as cinemas are attracting large crowds, especially for movies like Prasanna Vithanage’s Gaadi, the first Sinhala 3D movie Gajaman, and foreign productions like Avatar: The Way of Water.

Instead, the issue was with the current system, especially in terms of distribution. He explained that in addition to the NFC, private distributors also select which movies get screened.

“There is a huge competition in the selection and screening of a movie. Thus in most instances, and I won’t call these movies failures, most productions have been put aside by these private firms,” he said, adding that with Gajaman, for instance, they had to compete to acquire distribution rights.

This is even more challenging for the NFC. “Our corporation is bankrupt. It makes no revenue. Under the Government’s economic policy amidst economic hardships, we have been given instructions on our functions and operations. We thus face many limitations when purchasing movies,” he explained.

He added that the system will change in future, with the establishment of a regulatory committee – a recommendation that came from the industry itself. This will not only change the responsibilities of the NFC but also change the way filmmakers approach screenings and distribution.

The current status of the cinema industry was one discussed widely at the event, with actress Chulakshi Ranathunga saying that they hope to take part in good productions, which are today, few and far in between. “So during a time when such productions don’t get made, I believe Sripali Hettiarachchi’s movie will be a good one. And it is with this expectation that I decided to be a part of this movie.”

Meanwhile, actor Chillie Thilanka said: “We will put in our dedication and effort to make this a successful production and I must especially thank our producer for investing in a production like this during current times.”

PHOTOS LALITH PERERA