Arts
Rehan’s take on Colombo’s night life
Rehan Mudannayake (centre) with his parents at the premiere
On December 8, young film-maker Rehan Mudannayake’s latest film opened to a packed audience at the Harold Peiris Gallery of the Lionel Wendt. Titled “Ladies Night” the 20-minute short film was an onlooker view of a night out among three friends that takes an unexpected turn. Set against the backdrop of Colombo’s trendy hangout spots around Hospital Street and Colombo 1, the short film follows “Shehan” the drug hazed, ex-boyfriend of Fiona who stalks her and wields his obvious power over her two male friends Sulaiman and Raji who try to stand up to him.
The idea for the film came to the young filmmaker quite randomly while he was “napping in Arugambay” he thinks back. Growing up in Colombo, Rehan was not unfamiliar with the thuggish, influential Shehan type characters who he often observed in Colombo’s night life scene. The story, nothing new to the reality of the local social sphere was nevertheless given a relatable, fresh perspective by the director.
His unconcerned female characters- clearly used to Shehan type males while socializing, scattered dialogue and the use of the upbeat Kool and the Gang hit “Ladies Night” makes the normalcy and the hopelessness of the scenario both painful and relatable. A standout performance was given by Lasantha David playing the role of Rajinda. One of the two friends of Fiona who manages to escape Shehan with less damage than the unfortunate Sulaiman, Raji is the voice of reality when he tries to make Sulaiman understand “there are some fights you can’t win”.
A mix of Rehan’s straightforward cinematography and David’s meditative expression was compelling and some of the film’s finest moments were Raji’s silence, allowing the audience to feel his thoughts and the deadly calm that radiates from him, setting the mood for the film’s harrowing end.