Chandran Rutnam
Encyclopedia
Chandran Rutnam is a well known film maker from Sri Lanka
and was more than 38 years in Los Angeles
. He is of mixed minority Tamil and majority Sinhalese ancestry. Having started his movie career with Britain's Sir David Lean
in The Bridge on the River Kwai
at sixteen, and having studied with American director George Lucas
in film school in the USA, Rutnam has brought numerous Hollywood movies to Sri Lanka. He worked as the production supervisor in Sri Lanka for, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(1984) amongst many other Hollywood movies.
He is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Film Location Services(Pvt)Ltd. in Sri Lanka which mostly hosts foreign films to be filmed in Sri Lanka.
He founded the once popular local airline company, Lionair
and currently owns the Asian Aviation Centre(Pvt)Ltd
. in Sri Lanka.
and a Sinhala mother Evelyn Wijeratne, who gave him all his yearning for freedom and adventure. Chandran Rutnam was 16-year-old school boy when David Lean arrived in Sri Lanka to shoot his Second World War epic, "The Bridge on The River Kwai". The film crew hired a house that belonged to his parents for the shooting, and Rutnam hung out at the sets volunteering odd jobs until finally, he got hired as a standby props assistant and gofer. His big moment, Rutnam recalls, came when it was time to shoot the blowing up of the bridge — the film's finale — on location at the scenic Kitulgala river in central Sri Lanka. The crew had laid out only a couple of yards of rail track on either side of the bridge, not enough to show an approaching train. Rutnam's job was to run through a stretch of the jungle on one side working up smoke with a pair of smoke bellows. Of course, those who saw the film only saw the smoke, synchronized with the chugging sounds of a rapidly approaching train.
Due to this exposure, to the consternation of his parents, he dropped out of school and went to London
to pursue his dream of a career in films. He later moved to the United States
and attended the film school at the University of Southern California
and the San Fernando Valley College of Law. While doing jobs in Hollywood studios, Rutnam's break in selling Sri Lankan locations to international film-makers came when he managed to convince John Derek
, director of "Tarzan the Apeman", to shoot the film starring his wife Bo Derek
, in Sri Lanka rather than Africa
. Steven Spielberg
refers to Rutnam as "My most valued friend in the Far East
.
Production Manager
Director:
Writer:
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and was more than 38 years in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He is of mixed minority Tamil and majority Sinhalese ancestry. Having started his movie career with Britain's Sir David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
in The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–43 for its historical setting. It stars William...
at sixteen, and having studied with American director George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
in film school in the USA, Rutnam has brought numerous Hollywood movies to Sri Lanka. He worked as the production supervisor in Sri Lanka for, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
(1984) amongst many other Hollywood movies.
He is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Film Location Services(Pvt)Ltd. in Sri Lanka which mostly hosts foreign films to be filmed in Sri Lanka.
He founded the once popular local airline company, Lionair
Lionair
Not to be confused with the Indonesian airline Lion AirLionair is an airline with its head office in the Asian Aviation Centre on the grounds of Ratmalana Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, near Colombo. It is a privately owned charter operator...
and currently owns the Asian Aviation Centre(Pvt)Ltd
Asian Aviation Centre (Sri Lanka)
Asian Aviation Centre is the pioneering private sector aeronautical engineering and flying academy in Sri Lanka.-History:The masterminded of the Asian Aviation Centre is veteran film producer and art lover Chandran Rutnam who dreamt of conquering the aviation field.Chandran Rutnam stated, "I was...
. in Sri Lanka.
Biography
Chandran Rutnam was born to a Sri Lankan Tamil father Dr. James T. RutnamJames T. Rutnam
James T. Rutnam was a Sri Lankan historian, educationalist, author, and politician.-External links:* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *...
and a Sinhala mother Evelyn Wijeratne, who gave him all his yearning for freedom and adventure. Chandran Rutnam was 16-year-old school boy when David Lean arrived in Sri Lanka to shoot his Second World War epic, "The Bridge on The River Kwai". The film crew hired a house that belonged to his parents for the shooting, and Rutnam hung out at the sets volunteering odd jobs until finally, he got hired as a standby props assistant and gofer. His big moment, Rutnam recalls, came when it was time to shoot the blowing up of the bridge — the film's finale — on location at the scenic Kitulgala river in central Sri Lanka. The crew had laid out only a couple of yards of rail track on either side of the bridge, not enough to show an approaching train. Rutnam's job was to run through a stretch of the jungle on one side working up smoke with a pair of smoke bellows. Of course, those who saw the film only saw the smoke, synchronized with the chugging sounds of a rapidly approaching train.
Due to this exposure, to the consternation of his parents, he dropped out of school and went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to pursue his dream of a career in films. He later moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and attended the film school at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and the San Fernando Valley College of Law. While doing jobs in Hollywood studios, Rutnam's break in selling Sri Lankan locations to international film-makers came when he managed to convince John Derek
John Derek
John Derek was an American actor, director and photographer.-Career:His matinee-idol good looks quickly got him supporting roles, most notably as Broderick Crawford's son in All the King's Men , but he also enjoyed leads such as "Nick Romano" in Knock on Any Door opposite Humphrey Bogart John...
, director of "Tarzan the Apeman", to shoot the film starring his wife Bo Derek
Bo Derek
Mary Cathleen Collins , better known as Bo Derek, is an American film and television actress, model, and sex symbol, known for her role as Jenny Hanley in the 1979 comedy film 10. However, Derek's film career soon faltered; her later films, including, Bolero and Ghosts Can't Do It , were poorly...
, in Sri Lanka rather than Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
refers to Rutnam as "My most valued friend in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
.
Film career
- The movie, "Tarzan and the Ape Man" starring Bo Derek as Jane was shot at Udawatte Kelle, KandyKandyKandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
.
- He also took Bo and John Derek to beaches in BentotaBentotaBentota is a Sri Lankan coastal city located on the southern tip of the Galle District of the Southern Province, about south of Beruwala on the A2 highway. Its population is estimated to be between 25,000-50,000...
beaches to film "Ghosts Cant Do It". Even today there is a carving on a stone in Bentota, which says "Great Scot Loves You" - a message from late John to Bo.
- Mr. Rutnam and his team brought the Geraldine ChaplinGeraldine ChaplinGeraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
and Mother TeresaMother TeresaMother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
to Sri Lanka and built Calcutta in ColomboColomboColombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and a little bit of OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
at a warehouse in KelaniyaKelaniyaKelaniya is a small town near Colombo, Sri Lanka in the Gampaha District. It is known for the Buddhist temple built on the banks of the Kelani River, which runs through the town...
.
- Rutnam also brought to life a beautiful love story between a Tamil boy and a Sinhalese girl in Adara Kathawa (Love Story in Sinhalese) based on the real life story of his parents. This was prior to the commencement of the current Sri Lankan civil warSri Lankan civil warThe Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
in 1983.
- He also wrote and directed the Sinhala films, Poronduwa (1993), Janelaya and The Road from Elephant Pass (2009) which won several awards.
Other credits
Producer- Dheewari (2006)
- The Sleeping DictionaryThe Sleeping DictionaryThe Sleeping Dictionary is a 2003 film by Guy Jenkin. It was filmed in Sarawak and is set during the British colonial rule in the 1930s.- Plot :...
(2003) - Mother Teresa: In the Name of God's PoorMother Teresa: In the Name of God's PoorMother Teresa: In the Name of God's Poor is a 1997 film directed by Kevin Connor. It stars Geraldine Chaplin as Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa herself had approved the script but withdrew her imprimatur shortly before her death...
(1997) - The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & BalooThe Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & BalooThe Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo is a 1997 American adventure film starring Jamie Williams as Mowgli, and Roddy McDowall. The film was adapted for the screen by Bayard Johnson and Matthew Horton.It was shot in Kandy Mountain, Sri Lanka.-Plot:...
(1997) - Bloodsport III (1997)
- Bloodsport 2Bloodsport 2Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite is the sequel to the 1988 film Bloodsport. This sequel had a limited release before going direct-to-video in 1996 and starred Daniel Bernhardt, who reprised the role in two following sequels.-Plot:...
(1996) - Ghosts Can't Do ItGhosts Can't Do ItGhosts Can't Do It is a 1989 film starring Bo Derek and Anthony Quinn and written and directed by John Derek.It was awarded Razzie Awards for worst picture , worst actress , worst director and worst supporting actor...
(1990) - Stein des Todes, Der (1987)
- Death Stone (1986)
Production Manager
- Beyond RangoonBeyond RangoonBeyond Rangoon is a 1995 drama film directed by John Boorman about Laura Bowman , an American tourist who vacations in Burma in 1988, the year in which the 8888 Uprising takes place...
(1995) - The Iron Triangle (1989)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomIndiana Jones and the Temple of DoomIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
(1984)
Director:
- Poronduwa (1993)
- The Road from Elephant PassThe Road from Elephant PassThe Road from Elephant Pass is a 2008 action thriller film produced, screen played and directed by Chandran Rutnam based on the novel The Road from Elephants Pass by Nihal De Silva.-Plot:...
(2008)
Writer:
- Poronduwa (1993)
External links
- 'Water' the Best Foreign Film at Hollywood
- Deepa Mehta's film - 'WATER'
- Film company sues Mahaweli Authority, NFC
- Alimankada –Behind the scenes
- A 'land like no other' for film locations
- Breaking the artificial barriers
- Water nominated for Academy Awards
- New York Festivals
- On horseback for peace and charity
- Chandran Rutnam Videos