Sri lankan director Prasanna Vithanage spoke to Samiksha Raj about directing a story set against the backdrop of a strife-torn Sri lanka
leading Sri lankan filmmaker, Prasanna Vithanage, makes movies that always leave an indelible imprint on the viewers. The filmmaker feels that two kinds of movies get made, one that are only entertainers and the other that touch the heart. Prasanna believes in the latter category and that reflects through his films.
His latest movie, With You, Without You, says it all. Set in post-war Sri lanka, the film revolves around a Sinhala man, Sarathsiri (Shyam Fernando) and a Tamil girl, Selvi (Anjali Patil) who fall in love, from being complete strangers. What follows next is a revisiting of dark chapters from the past, for the couple. Through this confrontation of two people from opposite camps of a 30-year old civil war, the director has tried to capture the profound scars left behind, in the aftermath of a gruesome war (read Tamils vs Sinhalas). It is an intent love story against the backdrop of a strife-torn Sri lanka. “There’s almost no love existent after a heated war. There’s impossibility of love,” says the director, admitting that it’s challenging to package love and war together, especially when bitterness is deeply ingrained in the denizens.
The movie is an adaptation of Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s short story, The Meek One. Vithanage feels it’s not possible to adapt a novel. Hence, he has attempted to capture only the essence of the author’s short story to build the ethnic conflict in Sri lanka. “Transforming a great literature, which is considered as one of the classics, into a film is a challenge in itself. My aim was to prove that there is a reason to adapt such a classic for the silver screen and hence I conceptualised the movie. Portraying it objectively to the masses is, however, a greater challenge,” says the director.
With You, Without Youhas Anjali Patil playing the female protagonist Selvi. “She is a thorough professional and gave the much needed intensity to the role. Portraying the vulnerability and strength of the character was not easy,” says Vithanage, adding that she was also awarded the Silver Peacock at IFFI, Goa (International Film Festival of India) for her role in the film.
Vithanage always makes a conscious effort to touch upon ideas that have never been dealt with before. He has also dabbled in a comedy movie Machan as a co-producer, which premiered at the 65th Venice Film Festival in 2008. By his own admission, he doesn’t believe in long-term planning. On the subjects he generally explores for his films, the director says, “I feel a moviemaker should be serious with his movies, whether it’s a comedy or a tragedy. I usually focus on man and the society. My inspiration stems from life and human behaviour, the various grey shades that seem elusive but are ever-so-existent.”
Prasanna has been inspired by filmmakers like Guru Dutt, Satyajit Ray, Bimal Roy and Mrinal Sen. “I have always been associated with Indian cinema. I was a jury member at IFFI, Goa, where I was fortunate to meet stalwarts from the industry whom I have always admired,” he says.
The screening of With You, Without You was cancelled in Chennai after officials at PVR Cinemas, which released the film in India and was screening it in their halls, received threat calls from a Tamil group.