Saudi Arabia beheaded Rizana for allegedly killing a baby in her care in 2005 in a case widely condemned by rights groups and it is this story that will be in the spotlight in the film, Rizana – A Caged Bird.
A noteworthy feature in Rizana – A Caged Bird – is that it steps into the international spotlight given that it stars Academy Award winning British Actor Jeremy Irons and multi-award winning South Asian actor who has acted in over sixty films, Varalaxmy Sarathkumar.
Rutnam who is no stranger to film industries around the world including Hollywood adds internationally acclaimed James Rutnam into the formula as screenwriter.
He also introduces emerging actor Vidushika Reddy in the title role, a nuance that uplifts her career, given that she stars in a film with globally acclaimed actors from both Hollywood and Bollywood.
Irons who won an Oscar for Best Actor in Reversal of Fortune and has won a Golden Globe, Tony, Emmy, SAG and an Honorary César Award and a Premio Europa Per il Teatro, stars as Human Rights Activist and former Attorney - Professor Julian Miles.
Speaking at the title reveal he said, “Working in Sri Lanka is a new experience for me and has added to my appreciation of how vibrant the film industry is in this part of the world.
The story of Rizana in itself, is a harrowing tale and I am happy to be working with Director Chandran Rutnam to retell the tale and shed light on the disturbing paradigm of capital punishment, which shouldn’t happen in the 21st century.”
Rutnam, who has over 100 international films to his credit including collaborations with Hollywood giants Stephen Spielberg, David Lean, Carol Reed, George Lucas, John Boorman and Régis Wargnier and won awards for his films Witness to a Killing, Pilgrimage, The Road from Elephant Pass and A Common Man is renowned as a director unafraid to delve deep into controversial subjects.
“The story of Rizana Nafeek affected me greatly and I felt that it was a story to be told,” he said.
“This dream was made real when I met Jagath Sumathipala by chance.
By having internationally renowned actors in the film, I am taking this message out to the world and hope that the story will resonate with people, prompting more awareness on cases like these.”
For professionally trained ballet dancer turned actor who is fluent in six languages Varalaxmy Sarathkumar who stars as dentist Dr Rani Chlevam, acting in a Sri Lankan film expands her scope of already having 30 plus films in all South Indian languages.
“I am thrilled to be working in Sri Lanka being directed by one of the most extraordinary directors of our time Chandran Rutnam and acting alongside one of my film idols, Jeremy Irons who I grew up watching,” she said.
“Rizana’s story touched my soul on many levels – and being an activist for women’s rights, the role of Rani resonates with what my activism.”
Adding to this, screenwriter James Rutnam says,
“Rizana Nafeek represents a human rights crisis that still affects the world today.
We hope that by telling her story and honouring her, we can give her a voice so that she is not forgotten.”
In his welcome address, Chairman of Sumathi Holdings and producer of Rizana Jagath Sumathipala who hails from a heritage of film that spans over fifty years, stated that, “Sumathi Studios is not just making films.
We are crafting milestones and that is why we have built this legacy of being the most awarded production studio in national cinema.”
With his father U. W. Sumathipala being the first to win an international accolade at the Cairo Film Festival for Ahasin Polowata in 1977, Sumathipala recalls how his mother Milina became one of the first female producers in the country to win a continuous number of awards, placing Sumathi Studios on the pedestal of being the most awarded producer in Sri Lankan history.
“We are now here to not just tell stories but to take them beyond our shores to a global audience,” he said.
“Sumathi Studios carries the saga of Sri Lankan cinema - from the trailblazing vision of my father who laid the foundation for the industry, to the fearless innovation we have pursued in my stewardship and to the next generation who step in now to take this legacy to the next level, this film is our ode to the continuum of creativity.”