Saroja

Saroja

සරෝජා

Colour 35 mm

Film No: 909  ·  Released: 10 Mar 2000

55.62% · 3,764 votes
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Summary

NameSaroja / සරෝජා
Film No909
Released Date10 Mar 2000
ColorimeterColour
Video Format35 mm
Movie GroupSinhala
CategoryFamily
Main Actor: Tharaka Hettiarachchi Main Actress: Malani Fonseka Main Actress: Dilani Abeywardana Director: Somaratne Dissanayake Producer: Renuka Balasuriya

International Awards

1 Netpac Awards- Best Asian Film Dhaka International Film Festival Dhaka - Bangladesh - 2000
2 Audience Awards-Best Film Dhaka International Film Festival Dhaka - Bangladesh - 2000
3 Special Awards in the Festival Piyoung Yang International Film Festival Korea - 2000
4 Liv Ullmann Peace Awards Chicago International Film Festival Chicago - USA - 2000
5 Audience Certificate Vesoul International Film Festival France - 2000

National Awards

For The Film

1 Best Film 14th Presidential Award 2001 - 2001

For Artists

1 Best Actor - Merit 27th OCIC Award Ceremony 2002 - 2002 Janaka Kumbukge
2 Best Performance Award - Gold 27th OCIC Award Ceremony 2002 - 2002 Mahendra Perera
3 Best Performance Award - Merit 27th OCIC Award Ceremony 2002 - 2002 Suminda Weerasinghe
4 Best Actor 14th Presidential Award 2001 - 2001 Janaka Kumbukge
5 Best Upcoming Actor 14th Presidential Award 2001 - 2001 Mervin maheshan
6 Special Jurry Award 14th Presidential Award 2001 - 2001 Pramudi Karunarathna
7 Special Jurry Award 14th Presidential Award 2001 - 2001 Nithyavani Kandasami
8 Special Jurry Award 14th Presidential Award 2001 - 2001 Somaratne Dissanayake

This film tackles problematic issues in Sri Lanka, such as the war and racial intolerance. Sri Lanka is not geared to producing musicals in the same way that Mumbai is. This is a serious, well-made drama, focusing on a wounded Tamil Tiger soldier who sends his daughter to a Sinhalese border village to avoid starving to death in the jungle, after the Sri Lankan army destroys a Tiger base. The young child, Saroja, is taken in by a school teacher and his family, after befriending their daughter. Saroja persuades the teacher to go back and rescue her father. Problems arise when they try to conceal the identities of their new guests from the rest of the village. Similar villages have fallen victim to savage machete killings by Tigers seeking to prolong the war and provoke the army into similar massacres. The paranoia and fear that spreads through the village is powerfully evoked, with Janake Kumbukage being convincing as the teacher The two little girls in the film were without fault and their scenes avoided over the top sentimentality. Overall, an extremely touching and well-made film.

Cast

Crew