With the film Paradise, which starred Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran, Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage attracted a lot of attention in India. The movie was also produced by Madras Talkies, which is owned by renowned filmmaker Mani Ratnam. In a recent interview with OTTplay, Prasanna Vithanage discussed casting Malayali performers in Paradise, his opinions about the recent Tamil movie Tourist Family, and other topics.

The choice of Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran for Paradise was made by Prasanna Vithanage.

The plot of the 2023 movie Paradise centers around the Indian couple Keshav and Amritha, who arrive in Sri Lanka as the nation is experiencing an economic collapse. The well-known director Prasanna Vithanage responded to OTTplay's query on why he selected Malayali performers and characters for the main roles by making parallels between the island nation and the Indian state of Kerala.

“I believe that Kerala is geographically, culturally, and ethnically very similar to Sri Lanka, with which I could connect. They are also Malayalis living in Mumbai. They might be looking for better opportunities. The desires of Indians and Sri Lankans for a middle-class lifestyle are comparable, he noted.

Prasanna stated that he was confident that "Roshan would be able to bring out Keshav better than any other actor" after casting Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran as the main pair. "If you cast the right actor, then a great part of the acting job is done." He also mentioned that he had seen Darshana's work and was confident that she would be able to nail Amritha, both in terms of looks and execution.

Despite being an average middle-class man in India, Keshav is clearly the more powerful individual in the movie as he confronts the police about the theft of his equipment and even makes threats.

As a well-known filmmaker, Prasanna observed that all of this is a reflection of the era in which the tale is set. "When the economic crisis engulfed Sri Lanka, India was the biggest help. Keshav perfectly knows that. Power becomes part of his masculinity," he stated.

Mani Ratnam's support as described by Prasanna Vithanage

In India, the movie was presented by Madras Talkies, which is owned by Mani Ratnam. “Mani sir agreed to present it after watching the film,” the Sri Lankan director remarked of Mani Ratnam’s act. I appreciate that they stepped up to make room for their banner for the movie. Reaching the Indian population was considerably aided by it.

About the Tourist Family

The 2025 Tamil film Tourist Family also told the story of a Sri Lankan family who relocated to India in order to flee the country's economic collapse. As a Sri Lankan director, Prasanna responded, "Yes, I saw the movie," when asked about his opinions on it. I'm also delighted that the Indian people, particularly those from Tamil Nadu, are embracing a Sri Lankan family as if it were their own.

With optimism, he stated, "I am quite glad about the good aspect, and that we are producing films with good heart and good spirit, confident that there will be greater understanding of the people."

Mithun Jai Sankar and Kamalesh Jagan star alongside Tamil actors Sasikumar and Simran in the popular movie.

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