Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran’s ‘Paradise’ to premiere at Busan International Film Festival

Poster of ‘Paradise’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

We had earlier reported that actors Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran are headlining an upcoming film titled Paradise which is directed by Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage. Today, the makers announced that the film will have its world premiere on October 7 at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea and compete for the Kim Jiseok Award.

Written by Prasanna and Anushka Senanayake, the film is set during the 2022 Sri Lanka financial crisis during which inflated led to shortages in basic amenities resulting in public unrest. “This narrative takes viewers on a gripping rollercoaster of love, deceit, and crime. Against this backdrop, Paradise tells the story of a TV producer and his wife, a vlogger, who arrive in the hill country of Sri Lanka to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. However, when things take an unexpected turn, conflicts deepen, revealing cracks in their relationship,” reads the plot description provided by the makers.

“In the face of crisis, an individual’s true nature emerges. I aim to explore life’s realities, effects on relationships, and highlight disparities in race, status, justice, and gender. Through the characters’ struggles with societal and personal conflicts, a deeper truth about human nature is revealed,” said director Prasanna in a statement.

Roshan shared, “Director Vithanage proposed, ‘Let’s delve into the human psyche together.’ This exploration is what he fostered throughout the shoot. I believe my character, Kesav, embodies elements of human nature that reside in everyone.”

Darshana, who plays Amritha in the film, said, “ I recognized my character as captivatingly complex. Her strong convictions often remain unspoken, revealing themselves more in solitary moments than in verbal communication. I embraced this as a unique opportunity to lead the audience through Amritha’s profound transformation.”

Paradise also stars Shyam Fernando and Mahendra Perera. The film has cinematography by Rajeev Ravi, editing by Sreekar Prasad, and sound design by Tapas Nayak. K (Krishnakumar) is the music director.

Produced by Newton Cinema and presented by filmmaker Mani Ratnam under his Madras Talkies banner, the film will be released in English, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, and Sinhala languages.