‘Senu’ wins Best Film on Disability Issue at Istanbul Film Awards
Veteran teledrama director SudathDevapriya and Ruvani Kurukulasuriya’sco-direction ‘Senu’, a telefilm recently won the Best Feature Film on Disability Issue at the Istanbul Film Awards.
A story woven around a disabled child, ‘Senu’ stars SampathJayaweera, Prashan Senanayake, Damitha Abeyratne, Sahan Ranwala, Manel Wanaguru, Rohana Siriwardana, Nimal Jayasinghe and co-director RuvaniKurukulasuriya herself.
Sudath Devapriya
One episode telefilms is also co-directed and co-script written by ‘Ambayahaluwo’ famed Sudath Devapriya and Ruvani Kurukulasuriya.
Earlier Kavishana Abhishek, a six-year-old child actor who played the role of Senu won the Best Young Actor awards at the Cannes Silk Road Film Awards in France.
First telecast in Rupavahini in October 2020, ‘Senu’ is dedicated to differently-abled children. It revolves around an autistic little boy. ‘Senu’ cited as “Little black duckling”, is born with a negative self-image, but with the change and time, finally fly out to the sky as a beautiful white swan that marvelled everyone who called it an ugly duckling.
“Senu discusses this message of a negative-self image that could be turned into a positive with the acceptance and empathy of the education system. The story invites the entire society to take a positive approach towards the differently-abled, and help them establish themselves as beautiful human beings, accepted in the society,” Ruvani told the Sunday Times.
Psychologist by profession, Ruvanihas experience over 15 years attending to children with special needs. With the first-hand experienceworking with such children and their families, Ruvani wrote the story of ‘Senu’andco-produced with her husband Shanaka. The teleplay is Rivani’s maiden effort in movie making.
Ruvani Kurukulasuriya with the award
“The key to ‘Senu’s success both nationally and internationally is the strong positive social message, of empathy and acceptance that it imparts to the society. ‘Senu’ shows the bright side of the “ability” of disability that only a handful of positive thinkers are optimistic about and accept. Subsequently such acceptances make a big difference in the lives of many children, whom otherwise are regarded as “disabled for life”,” said Ruvani who has worked extensively with the differently-abled children.
Speaking on the project Ruvani said that disabled community is one of the least cared groups at present and it is difficult for most of the ordinary people to understand the struggle they are going through.
“During Covid-19 pandemic we got an opportunity as we too experienced a similar condition with the restrictions of the movement,”.
“Rather than capitalising on the disability, as human being we should be able to see the ability of these children and what they could do. Sometimes they are far better and able than many of us,” she described.
With the international awards, a repeat telecast of ‘Senu’ would be timely and it would also be an opportunity for those TV viewers who missed this teleplay. The producers and directors are searching for a willing sponsor to telecast again on a television channel.
“Most Sri Lankans would be benefitted watching this heart warming, sensitive and positive telefilm that could evoke optimism in families that have differently-abled children, and who are experiencing the predicament of disability behind closed doors,” Ruvani explained.
Any willing sponsor could contact Ruvani on her Fb messenger @Ruvani Kurukulasuriya and discuss about the teleplay to be sponsored fora re-telecast.
