I am not sure if Sri Lankan auteur Prasanna Vithanaje had Satyajit Ray’s ARANYER DIN RATRI (Days and Nights in the Forest, 1970) in mind when he conceived PARADISE (India-Sri Lanka, 2023) but it surely is a radical development on the theme explored by the Indian master 54 years ago – the intrusion of urban arrogance into a (not so) idyll rural setting and corrupting it in the process. Ray’s treatment was nuanced, of course, given his cinematic attitude; Vithanaje rips apart the veneer of apparent normalcy and spills blood – in the true sense. A young Indian couple visits Sri Lanka to celebrate their 5th marriage anniversary at a time when the island paradise is reeling under mass protests against government inefficiency and shortage of basic needs. They think they are immune to the disturbances, but situations on the ground make their way into their lives, impacting them in a way they had never expected – that rattles the audience.
Shot by Rajiv Ravi and edited by veteran S. Sreekar Prasad, Prasanna Vithanage is in familiar territory (if you are acquainted with his other films), directing his latest venture with a sure hand, layering it with a mythological subtext. Malayalam actors Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran do a commendable job, ably assisted by an efficient supporting cast.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
Ranjan Das is a Mumbai based filmmaker & faculty.
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