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After armed men stormed into her house in the middle of the night and dragged her son Richard de Zoysa away, Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu made frantic phone calls pleading with the authorities to tell her where he was. Some assured her that he was alive and in police custody but actually he was already dead – tortured, shot in the dead and dumped into the sea. It was February 18, 1990.
Richard was one of the many thousands of young men and women who were exterminated by extra judicial means during the UNP government’s crackdown on Marxist rebels from 1988 to 1990. Figures range from between 30,000 and 60,000. Several thousands more disappeared and still have not been found. Mass graves are unearthed from time to time but these investigations have led nowhere, just like the many commissions of inquiry held into disappearances reaching as far back as 1971, the time of the first insurrection.
“I am the luckiest mother in Sri Lanka. I got my son’s body back. There are thousands of mothers who never get their children’s bodies back,” Dr Saravanamuttu told reporters after Richard’s inquest. The discovery of her son’s body was a turning point for her personally and for the nation as a whole.
No one has been brought to justice for Richard’s murder with Ranil Wickremesinghe, a minister in the government of President Ranasinghe Premadasa, dismissing the killing as “suicide or something else.” Steps have been retraced. Defence Minister Ranjan Wijeratne had drinks that night with Senior Superintendent of Police Ronnie Gunasinghe after which Gunasinghe who Dr Saravanamuttu, despite the death threats she received identified in court as one of Richard’s abductors, picked up some policemen from the Slave Island police station to get Richard. Both Premadasa and Gunasinghe were blown up by a LTTE suicide bomber on May 1, 1993 while Wijeratne met the same fate in 1991.
Dr Saravanamuttu went on to form the Mothers’ Front and became a voice for the poorer, marginalised women and men who continued to search desperately for their missing children, shunted from pillar to post, only to meet with hostility and rejection. The Mothers’ Front faded away after Dr Saravanamuttu’s death in 2001 but a similiar organisation that was also started in the 1990s continues the struggle under the name Families of the Disappeared.
The story of Dr Saravanamuttu and her relentless quest to find justice for her son are the subject of Asoka Handagama’s new film Rani, which premiers on January 30. Asoka answered questions from Groundviews on what inspired him to make the film and how he handled the task of turning fact into fiction.
What inspired you to create Rani based on Richard’s story?
Richard’s character is always inspiring. I was asked to produce a film based on this character. The idea was to give the veteran actress, Swarna Mallawarachchi, a film that offered her the opportunity to play a role that she liked. That’s how the film came to me. I accepted the challenging task and began to write the script. But it is not a film about Richard. It is about his mother, Manorani, seeking the justice for her son’s abduction and murder. Richard in this film is seen from Manorani’s point of view.
How did you approach portraying the emotional true events in the film?
This is different from my other films. Although this is fiction it is based on real events, which are traumatic. It was very difficult to control emotions. If the audience is carried away by emotions, political truth cannot be revealed. On the other hand, nobody knows about the truth of a mysterious event. Various people talk about it and portray different truths. Managing different truths is a difficult task. I had no problem like this with my earlier films. Audiences believe the truth in those films without questioning it. People believe the realities within the film. There were no true events outside the film to compare. As a filmmaker I had liberties to create what I wanted. I had to be careful in this.
What was Swarna Mallawarachchi’s impact in her role as Manorani?
She was destined to play this role for a long time. I think she is the most suitable actress to play the role. Her physique, age, beauty…everything. I had very little to change. She came to the film set with an open mind. When makeup and dressing are done, the camera angle is fixed, the lights are on and the set is prepared, she intuitively enters into the role. It’s a treat to watch how she plays the situations. Manorani in real life was a strong character. A light hearted woman who had lots of fun. But after Richard was killed, she endured a lot of pain. She stood up against the killings and abductions. Swarna carefully controlled her emotions to play the role.
How did you balance historical accuracy with storytelling?
All the facts were checked for historical accuracy from media reports. Those media reports from different sources were cross checked for accuracy. Remember after all this is not a documentary but fiction. I have the freedom to imagine events the way I wanted.
How did you recreate the late 1980s setting for the film?
It is a collective effort with the production designer, costume and make up. We got together and discussed the arrangements. It was mainly a production designer’s job. The task was difficult. We had to go to far away villages to find houses that were in Colombo those days. We had to do some construction. Some scenes were shot in a studio.
How did you work with the actors to bring authenticity to their performances?
Representing real life characters who are known to people had to be handled very carefully. By choosing the correct person by appearance for each role, 75 percent of the task was done. They are good actors. I had very little to do in directing them. The only thing I told them was not to imitate the real characters but to act in their own way with real character in mind.
How did music and visuals contribute to the film?
I selected Rohana Weerasinghe as the music director. He has knowledge of working in the 80s and 90s. He was the music director of my play, Maghatha, which Richard reviewed. He brought the nostalgic mood to the film and showed the tension during that time.
What messages do you hope viewers will take from the film?
As a filmmaker and artiste I don’t want to give messages to the viewers. After creating a film, I think that my task is over. The viewers can interpret the film the way they want. There is a saying that when the book is out, the author is dead. The same is true for a film as well.
What impact do you want Rani to have on Richard’s legacy?
This film will continue his legacy to present and future generations.