Kurulu Bedda is a 1961 Sri Lanka

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...

n drama written by P. K. D Seneviratne. It attempted to follow in the precedent set by Rekava

Rekava

Rekava is a 1956 film based on village life and their mythical beliefs in Sri Lanka . It is the first Sinhalese film which was fully shot in Ceylon and was the first in the country to be shot outdoors. It was also the first film which was free from Indian influence...

and create a truly Sinhala film.

Plot

The story takes place in a small Sri Lankan village Kurulu Bedda. The Bandara family are members of the wealthy elite. Bandara Mahatthaya is the young heir of the family name and Bandara Menike is his mother. Siyadoris is a village man who works for the Bandara family. He has a pretty daughter named Ranmenike. Another member of the village is Kaithan Baas, a crafty marriage broker who advises Bandara Menike.

Bandara Mahatthaya has given up his medical education to take up his family properties when his father dies. He becomes attracted to Ranmenike after spotting her taking a bath while walking with a friend from medical school. He takes a photo of her and is seen by Kaithan Baas, who scolds this behavior to his mother.

Kaithan is brought before the rural court soon after on a fowl theft charge. Siyadoris testifies against him but Kaithan uses his cunning ways to escape conviction. From that day on he swears to get his revenge against Siyadoris' family.

The medical student friend of Bandara Mahatthaya finishes his education and comes to the village as a doctor. On his arrival, he oversees Health Week celebration which includes a beauty contest. Ranmenike enters and wins much to the ire of Kaithan.

During a thovil ceremony, Kaithan sets fire to Siyadoris' house and is finally imprisoned. The doctor and Bandara Mahatthaya help out Siyadoris with money to build a new house. The doctor is transferred to a different district soon after. At that time, Bandara Menike forces Siyadoris into conducting his daughter's marriage to a man from a distant village. Bandara Mahatthaya is saddened but doesn't do anything to interfere. He presents Ranmenike with a gift on the wedding day which brings tears to her eyes. She then leaves for her husband's village.

Time passes and Bandara Mahatthaya remains a bachelor extending all his strength into helping the city. Ranmenike becomes ill after her husband is killed in an accident and is admitted to the doctor friend's hospital which as fate has it is in her husband's district. Bandara Mahatthaya comes to the hospital and shares his feelings. They exchange words, Ranmenike entrusts him with his wedding gift to be given to her daughter and she dies during the birth. Bandara Mahatthaya leaves with the child. The village then weeps for Ranmenike's goodness.

Songs

• "Aruna Udaya" – J. A. Milton Perera
  J. A. Milton Perera
  J. A. Milton Perera was a leading playback singer of Sri Lankan cinema during the '60s and '70s.Milton was born on May 9, 1929 the son of J. A. Edwin Perera, also known as Tabla Podi Appuhamy, an accomplished tabla player...
  
  
• "Oya Balma Oya Kalma" – Latha and Dharmadasa Walpola
  Dharmadasa Walpola
  Dharmadasa Walpola was the most prominent Sri Lankan male playback singer of the 1950s and 1960s. Walpola was an accomplished musician adapt at playing the flute, harmonium, violin and tabla.- Early life :...
  
  
• "Wi Kirili Yay Igili" – Latha Walpola (G. S. B. Rani Perea in the movie)
• "Kurulu Kobey" – Latha Walpola and chorus
• "Wathey Watunu Pol Athu (folk poem)" – Dharmadasa Walpola

Development

Arthur Amaratunga who hailed from a small village was inspired to make a truly Sinhala film, after watching Rekava, that avoided the crudities common in popular film of the time. He subsequently came across a collection of stories by P. K. D. Seneviratne broadcast over the radio as Kurulu Bedda which were fitting to his goal. He contacted Seneviratne and got him to write a film script based on the work.

Amaratunga operated under limited resources. He could only afford call sheets from the rundown Sundara Sound Studios and a South Indian crew that had no experience with location shooting. Poor photography, poor editing and poor processing resulted.

Reception

The film received rave reviews upon release and was a box office hit. A lot of praise was directed at the authenticity of the film in dealing with village characters. A critic for a Sinhala daily wrote: "The makers of Kurulubedde have not learned the Background of the Ceylon villager from books or hearsay. They have actually lived it."