ASANI WARSHA

Pradeep is an impulsive young man, from the wrong side of the social tracks who does dirty work for a local politician. With the help of this politician Pradeep manages to locate the whereabouts of his biological father (Sanjeewa). Pradeep confronts Sanjeewa and tells him that he is the result of a fleeting relationship between Sanjeewa and his mother Renuka, decades ago. Due to the fact that Renuka was of lower social class, Sanjeewa's mother convinced him to break up the relationship and travel abroad for an indefinite period of time. Now Sanjeewa has returned to Sri Lanka with his wife and two young children, only to have his life turn upside down by Pradeep's revelation. Pradeep was relentlessly taunted as a young child. 'Bastard' was one of many insults he had to bare, which lead him to drop out of school by the fifth grade. Now an uneducated young thug, Pradeep is faced with an uncertain future. This is why he begins to ask for money from his biological father, who happens to be a successful businessman. The small amounts of money requested proceed into larger sums and for Sanjeewa this small problem has escalated into a much more dangerous and threatening crisis.

ASANI WARSHA (Wrath and Rain) is written and directed by Vasantha Obeysekera and features Jagath Chamila (Pradeep) and Kamal Addaraarachchi (Sanjeewa) as the two leading characters. The supporting cast includes Meena Kumari (Renuka), Sanath Gunathilake (Sirimanna, the politician) and Mahendra Perera.

The plot has been masterfully crafted by an experienced writer/ director. The story is simple yet cleverly paced with the progression of plot points seamlessly increasing in importance. The story kept me interested and engrossed in the film until the very end. The story encompasses many social dilemmas and double-standards still occurring in present day Sri Lanka. It highlights the most common quandary of all, how can an uneducated man make a living in a country where economic strife is widespread? What makes this story unique and sets it apart from other films is that it contains subtext. Whereas many other films present superficial conflicts, this film shows a deeper and mature discord. The character of Pradeep is constantly defeated by external forces but in the end Pradeep's greatest enemy is himself. This veiled layer to the story is what makes this a superior film. As with many of Obeysekera's films, the screenplay is meticulously designed to convey the exact information at the correct time. The dialogue is intimate and heartfelt and the use of clichés is non-existent.     

The look of the film matches the subject matter undertaken. The cinematography is understated with the use of appropriate camera angles for each scene. The photography does not try to overcompensate for the slow moving plot by increasing the movement. Many Sri Lankan cinematographers are guilty of doing too much or too little, but Director of Photography Jayanath Gunawardana has done is job just right.

Besides the plot, the best part of this film is the acting. Jagath Chamila who plays the lead character of Pradeep gives a complex performance. Although he is a recognizable actor today, he was a fairly unknown actor during the making of this film. But judging from his conflicted portrayal, there is no doubt why Obeysekera cast him in the lead. He is truly in the forefront of the new generation of talented actors in Sri Lanka. Kamal Addaraarachchi is consistence as always, adding a sense of restrained intricacy to his role and the supporting cast members purely enhance the quality of the film by their individual performances.

Vasantha Obeysekera is considered one of the best film directors in Sri Lanka by journalists, film reviewers and cinema-goers alike, I wholeheartedly agree with this. But in my opinion his consistency is debatable from film to film. As far as ASANI WARSHA is concerned he's proved his aptitude and ability. The film is exceptional, from the script, to casting, to cinematography, to editing, to scoring; the director has pooled the individual talents of his cast and crew and created a memorable film.  

Rating: 4/5

S. V. Fernando