Paradise (2024 film)
| Paradise | |
|---|---|
 First look poster | |
| Directed by | Prasanna Vithanage |
| Written by | Prasanna Vithanage |
| Screenplay by | Anushka Senanayake |
| Produced by | Sanita Chittilappilly Anto Chittilappilly Mani Ratnam Siva Ananth |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Rajeev Ravi |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | K |
Production companies | |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages |
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Paradise is a 2024 Sri Lankan-Indian co-produced drama film co-written and directed by Prasanna Vithanage. The film was presented by Mani Ratnam and Siva Ananth under his Madras Talkies banner and produced by Newton Cinema. It stars Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran, Shyam Fernando and Mahendra Perera and tells story of a married couple whose anniversary vacation goes awry in Sri Lanka.[1]
It had its world premiere at the 28th Busan International Film Festival on 7 October 2023,[2] where it won the Kim Jiseok award.[3]
Synopsis[edit]
An Indian tourist couple arrive in the hill country of crisis ridden Sri Lanka to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. But, when things take an unexpected turn, conflicts deepen revealing cracks in their relationship.
Cast[edit]
- Roshan Mathew as Keshav
- Darshana Rajendran as Amritha
- Shyam Fernando as tour guide Dr. Andrew
- Mahendra Perera as lnspector Sergeant Bandara
Release[edit]
Paradise had its world premiere at 28th Busan International Film Festival on 7 October 2023.[4]
The film was screened at the Mumbai Film Festival in Icons: South Asia section on 29 October 2023 for South Asia Premiere.[5]
Paradise is all set for its theatrical release in May 2024.
Reception[edit]
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10.[6]
Lee Marshall reviewing for ScreenDaily at Busan wrote, "Moving through the narrative with admirable dexterity, despite some contrived passages, it’s a well-made drama buoyed up by a raft of fine performances."[7]
Saibal Chatterjee reviewing for NDTV rated the film 4.5/5 and wrote, "Unswerving in its grasp of both philosophy and psychology, Prasanna Vithanage's Paradise is a masterly evocation of the frailty of 'man' when faced with a crisis."[8]
Santanu Das reviewing for Hindustan Times dubbed the film as "a stirring, important piece of work" and wrote, "As the drama inches its way closer to that shocking denouement, Paradise grapples to interrogate questions around politics and the state."[9]
Priyanka Sundar reviewing for Firstpost at Mumbai Film Festival rated the film 3.5/5 and wrote, "By the end, whose side you are on speaks volumes about who you are as a person than of the film itself, the film brings about this reflection of self, and of society with poignancy and that more than anything makes Paradise a winner."[10]
Accolades[edit]
The film won Kim Jiseok award at Busan International Film Festival, which is given to 2 films from the selected 10 films in the competition category for the Asian directors who have directed more than 3 feature films, and present their new film for premiere in the festival.
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan International Film Festival | 13 October 2023 | Kim Jiseok award | Prasanna Vithanage | Won | [11] |
| Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema | 13 February 2024 | Golden Cyclo | Nominated | [12] | |
| Prix du Jury Lycéen | Won | ||||
| Asian Film Awards | 10 March 2024 | Best Film | Paradise | Nominated | [13][14] |
| Best Director | Prasanna Vithanage | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | A. Sreekar Prasad | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Prasanna Vithanage and Anushka Senanayake | Nominated |
References[edit]
- ^ "Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran to headline 'Paradise'; Madras Talkies to present". The Hindu. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Kim, Da-sol (30 August 2023). "28th Busan Film Festival unveils selection for Asian auteur, rookie directors". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Jo Ah-seo (13 October 2023). "부산국제영화제 오늘 폐막…"열흘간 영화로 물든 부산"" [Busan International Film Festival closes today... “Busan filled with movies for 10 days”]. News 1 (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Liz Shackleton (30 August 2023). "Busan Announces New Currents, Jiseok Line-ups With Strong Showing From Bangladesh, Japan". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ "Paradise". Mumbai Academy of Moving Image. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ "Paradise (2023, Drama/Mystery & thriller)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Marshall, Lee (13 October 2023). "'Paradise': Busan Review". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Saibal Chatterjee (30 October 2023). "Paradise Review: Beautifully Realised Drama Is Beyond Masterful". NDTV. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Santanu Das (7 November 2023). "Paradise review: A marriage is put to test in Prasanna Vithanage's tightly controlled drama". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Priyanka Sundar (31 October 2023). "Paradise Movie Review: Demons within us & outside portrayed poignantly - Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023". Firstpost. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz (1 November 2023). "Prasanna Vithanage On Sri Lanka's Economic Crisis; Power Dynamics In Society & Marriage In Award-Winning Feature 'Paradise' – Mumbai Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (14 February 2024). "'Snow Leopard' Wins Top Prize at Vesoul Asian Festival". Variety. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (11 January 2024). "'Evil Does Not Exist', '12.12: The Day' Lead Asian Film Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (10 March 2024). "'Evil Does Not Exist' Wins Best Picture at Asian Film Awards". Variety. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Paradise at IMDb
- Paradise at BIFF
