‘Sewwandi’: A rose that blossomed and withered

By Susitha R. Fernando

Experienced filmmaker Vasantha Obeyesekera's latest direction 'Sewwandi' (The Rose) will be released this week at Savoy Wellawatta and other EAP circuit cinemas. The twelfth venture in his acclaimed journey as a filmmaker is filled with suspense, intrigue and thrills.

‘Sewwandi' marks a milepost for actress Sangeetha Weeraratne who is making her entry as producer with Sunil T. Fernando.

Sewwandi revolves around the passion and torment of Kumaris (Sangeetha) quest to happiness and fulfillment in life. The love and devotion she pours into the relationship she has with her lover is shattered when she finds his infidelity and betrayal. Unable to bear the bitterness and torment of a betrayed lover she turns to revenge and murder.

Cleverly evading the law she tries to valiantly build up her life and find happiness elsewhere. Ten years roll away and Kumari is now happily married with two children. She has finally found the happiness contentment and peace she was yearning for. An unexpected encounter with a police sleuth, threatens to destroy the stability she has painstakingly acquired. Will they revolve in a vicious cycle again? What will happen to her dreams? This will be revealed as we watch 'Sewwandi' released in 25 theatres around the country from December 7.

Speaking about his latest venture Mr. Obeysekere says that the plot was based on a true incident which he adapted dramatically to suit the cinematic audience.

"Basically it is a story about an ordinary woman. A woman at an hour of war became so lonely that she was forced to long for the relationship with the man she loved. The man she loved too longed for her company but at the same time he was tremendously conditioned by her when they renewed their relationship after a misunderstanding," said the filmmaker.

Speaking on her debut role as a producer Sangeetha says "How can we expect others to invest money on our films if we ourselves are not prepared to spend money on them".

Sharing the experience as Sewwandi, Sangeetha says, "It is a character which goes through a lot of emotions. It was a wonderful experience."

"Sewwandi could be your mother, sister or a friend. It is from real life. I'm sure this film will be a new experience to Vasantha Obeysekere fans who were captivated by 'Dadayam' and 'Palagetiyo' and many others. This is because ‘Sewvandi’ gives an unexpected twist and a surprise at the end of the film," said Sangeetha the producer.

The cast consists of professionals,Sangeetha Weeraratne, Ravindra Randeniya, Chandani Seneviratne, Dilhani Ashokamala and amateurs Dayan Witharana.

Musical score by Rohana Weerasinghe, edited by Ravindra Guruge, Sewwandi is cinematographed by Jayanath Gunawardena. Lal Harindranath is the art director.