Acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage’s latest international film Paradise which had its World Premiere at the Busan International Film Festival 2023 and won the prestigious Kim Jiseok Award for Best Film, is set for a pan-India and worldwide release this month.
The film garnered multiple accolades at international film festivals and was ranked among the top 10 films in the FIPRESCI India Grand Prix 2023. Paradise is produced by Newton Cinema and presented by Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, marking their first collaboration.
Shot in Sri Lanka, Paradise narrates the vacation of a tourist couple, exploring their struggles with societal, personal, and internal challenges. Through their experiences, they unveil an objective truth about human nature. Filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage says, “Paradise is my first Indian film. This is, for the first time, a Sri Lankan director has a worldwide release. I want to thank Newton Cinema for opening the world to me.”
The film features an impressive cast with Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran in the lead roles, supported by Shyam Fernando and Mahendra Perera. The film's illustrious crew includes Rajeev Ravi as the cinematographer, Sreekar Prasad as the editor, Tapas Nayak as the sound designer, and K as the music director.
Roshan Mathew, the lead actor of the film says, “I’m happy Paradise is releasing and looking forward to knowing the reaction from the audience. The experience of making this film was inspiring and challenging. I’m very grateful to Prasanna sir and the team of lovely, talented people that got together for Paradise. It’s the most diverse team I’ve been part of and a joy to work with.”
Anto Chittilappilly, CEO of Newton Cinema says, “Paradise is a film that resonates with audiences worldwide. I fell in love with the script from the very first time I read it. It's a great honor to produce a film of the master director, Prasanna Vithanage, and to work with such a talented cast and crew whose efforts made this film successful. Newton Cinema, a young production studio founded during the pandemic, is proud to have Paradise as our fourth project. We are deeply humbled by the accolades we have received so far including the Busan award, and the four nominations to Asian Film Awards. Paradise is a film that must be experienced in theaters to fully appreciate its exceptional audio-visual elements.”
The lead actress of the film Darshana Rajendran says, “From the first time I read the script, I thought Amritha was a very challenging and exciting character because while she has very strong opinions, we rarely see her be vocal. So we get to know her less through her interactions and conversations with the others and more through her thoughts and her time alone. I felt like that would be a great space to occupy as an actor because I had to take the audience through the deep transformation that Amritha goes through in the film, but with very little words”
For the lesser known, Prasanna Vithanage is the winner of over 35 international and national awards and is widely regarded as one of the most talented and influential filmmakers in South Asia. He is best known for his thought-provoking films that delve into social, political, and cultural issues. Vithanage holds the unique distinction of being the only filmmaker to win the NETPAC Best Filmmaker award five times. Beyond his achievements in cinema, he has been actively involved in human rights and peace initiatives.
Words Platform Desk
Date 19.06.2024