ධර්මයුද්ධය - Dharmayuddhaya Sinhala Full Movie

Comment: the film Dharmayuddhaya

August 19, 2017, 5:54 pm


Dharmayuddhaya, a 2017  Sinhala film adapted from the Malayalam film Drishyam originally written by Jeethu Joshep, is currently screened in many cinemas and heavily advertised by Sirasa and TV I channels. Indian director Cheyyar Ravi died in March this year. It is produced by MTV Channel for Sirasa Films of the Capital Maharaja Organization Limited and distributed by M Entertainments.

It most definitely is a film with positives and negatives in it, with the plus points winning over the few minuses.

The narrative

I suppose the story has to be briefly outlined before a critique of it is undertaken. The film is about a very happy family of father, mother and two daughters aged about 18 and 13. The father, Harischandra, an orphan has made good in business – building contractor etc and is devoted to his beautiful wife and two girls. Into this happy and peaceful milieu creeps in the son of a rich, politically powerful family. He was on a field

trip the elder daughter was also on and surreptitiously photographs her while she takes a bath. After they return home, he accosts her with the cell phone pictures and tells her she has to give in to him (have sex) or be exposed on social media. She consents to meeting him in their garden storeroom late that night after hours of mental turmoil.

Just as he grabs her, a light is switched on to show them the presence of the mother. The young beast then propositions the mother and advances to molest her. The daughter hits the man with a metal rod she wielded intending to dislodge the cell phone from his hand. And then they are in deep deep trouble with the politically very important mother of the boy determined to get to the bottom of his disappearance and extract a confession from the family or a member of it. Harischandra is crime-detection and escape savvy being a two films a day cinema buff. He tutors the family to stick to the story he tells them and has many witnesses tutored too. The police, directed by the politician, finally hones in on the younger daughter who spills the beans.

Dharmayuddhaya is a thriller with much police brutality shown and the ability of a political VIP to do almost anything.

Negatives

The minuses that registered with me are mostly minor. The film is categorized (Internet write up plus advertisements) a family film; this not with reference to the main protagonists being a strongly knit family unit but as suitable for the entire family to view. Adding insult to injury, TV ads show children below teenage emerging from cinema halls praising the film as a must see as it shows the love of a father/parents to his/their children. The latest advertisement announced a family trip to Singapore to lucky families who see the film. Dharmayuddhaya is certainly not family entertainment. The theme of blackmail and seduction are X ratable. Also severe torture and fisticuffs by the police are shown; the worst being bullying and threatening the younger daughter to reveal all she knows about the disappearance of the young man for otherwise her parents will be killed. However, it is a warning film teenagers should see; definitely not pre-teens, even though the camera photographs are discreet, but brutality is severe.

The film conversation was translated to English and subtitles appear. Some odd translations are seen. Whenever Harischandra addresses his wife by name and vice versa, the name is not written; ‘darling’ substituted. This was extra ludicrous when the Ministry Secretary, a very sharp and wicked woman, addresses her husband by name or ‘you’, and ‘darling’ comes up!

There is altogether too much emphasis and too much film footage on showing how close and happy the family is. The mes

sage could have been very effectively conveyed without some of the scenes, for example the first trip to Kandy. Furthermore, there is way too much goody goody talk at the beginning of the film, even moral preaching by Harischandra.

Positives

Dharmayuddhaya is a film for present times. The evil that can be wrought by illicit photography using sophisticated cell phones; political spoilt-to-rottenness sons who think all others are there to serve them with the thrill of frightening the vulnerable and demanding sex from any woman; and politicians, (in the film an imperious woman politician), being able to subjugate even an honest and humane police officer to carry her every order and watch helplessly while she personally, or a vengeful policeman, tortures the family of Harischandra to the point of serious injury and scares the younger girl with dire threats after separating her from her family and venting physical cruelty on her.

The film shows protests and mobs, this time sympathetic to Harischandra and his family. They gather at the gate of the politician and she curbs her vengeance somewhat when told the media is present.

Mercifully for the viewers, honesty and basic human goodness wins the day. Harischandra and his family are exonerated of the suspected crime of killing the political brat even though clues point to their guilt.

There are subtle nuances of irony. A cement floor in the newly built police station has something buried in it, known only to Harischandra. He alludes to the cement floor when threatened by the Officer in Charge who says they will keep tabs on him in case the young man’s body is found.

Subtle advertising is seen: Black Knight toted by Maharaja Organization and ‘breaking news’ as TVI does it, with one of their anchors making the announcement.

The evil boy is a metaphor for so many despicable brats of obnoxious politicians who have reveled in power that, however, was temporary. This was a stark reminder of what we had to suffer with political Mervyns and the power of father- president’s being abused by sons. Also seeing the film on Tuesday and then seeing on TV night news Shiranthi Rajapaksa being questioned by courts on a vehicle she used. Her maternal instincts would have dictated her actions that the public and courts censure now, just as the political wife’s love for her son did not stop the police torturing a little girl. The film cleverly reflected the recent past and modern times. Thus I felt that though it is an adaptation of a Malayali film, only the core of the story would be original. Much of it reflected Sri Lanka’s debased society and rife corruption.

A bit controversial that one gets away with a killing, however unpremeditated and necessary it was. So there’s satisfaction that the script and Director were bold enough to let murder and lying and all that go free. The father tells his wife and children as they sit together having overcome all their tribulations due mainly to political clout that he taught them to lie, but it was the end justifying the means: they were innocent.

Actors

The excellence of Jackson Anthony’s representation of the man Harsichadndra is something to write about. As foil to his solidity and yes, bulk, is the lovely wife played by Dilhani Ekanayake. She excelled in her portrayal of a sexy wife at one moment, a determined mother at the next and completely trusting her husband. She did not seem to mind his coming home late after seeing a film – his habit. Kusum Renu and Thisuri Yuwanika were the daughters. Roshan Pilapitiya was a very convincing police officer who has human kindness in his blood but chooses to do as bidden by the political woman, even though at the beginning he is ready to dismiss the case in spite of Harischandra’s nemesis – the police sergeant named Tiger – attesting he saw Harischandra drive off in the disappeared young man’s red car.

Kumara Thirumadura, playing the role of the politician’s rotten son, is an actor to watch. His sneer, his lascivious glances and his fanged smile of evil were bits of brilliant getting into a character’s evil skin.

As an Internet advertisement notes: "Dharmayuddhaya ultimately turns into a battle between justice and injustice and might versus right." Correct. But within this core story, the film presents much more, relevant to present times.