The Bindu controversy

Ruwini Jayawardana

It may not be the first time that similar stories did the rounds but it is the first time that the matter broke into the limelight with a bang. The money fraud scandal at Jayanthi cinema, Polonnaruwa, had been making waves on the grapevine and accusations have been flying from one party to the other.

Recently filmmaking duo Somaratne Dissanayake and Renuka Balasuriya cleared the air at a press gathering at the National Film Corporation.

They related that Jayanthi cinema theatre owner Gamini Sumanasekara had been engaging in this money swindle for some time and that they had received many complaints from cinemagoers in Polonnaruwa.

“He had sold the tickets at a higher price, charged them for parking their vehicles and not even returned the change.

Bindu had been screening at the theatre during this period and had been doing well as a lot of people had been eager to see the production.

We spoke to him and were unable to come to a satisfactory agreement as he refused to amend his ways. We had no choice but to stop Bindu from being screened at Jayanthi,” Dissanayake related in the presence of a team comprising Balasuriya, NFC Consultant T.M. Sangadasa, NFC Acting General Manager Nadeeka Gunasekara and a representative from E.A.P. Films. Producer Balasuriya added that similar stories had reached them even while Siri Raja Siri was screening.

“This is not an issue that had recently sprung to the open. It is a campaign which had been taking place for a long period. We invited all the theatre owners to a discussion before the film took off.

Around 35 of them took part in this gathering and they said that they need the extra funds to renovate and keep the cinemas functioning.

However they agreed to pay an amount to the producer as it is his or her creation which draws in the audience,” Balasuriya explained. “We have assigned some of our agents to check on matters at the theatres and they have reported back the situation. In the case of Jayanthi cinema, the owners have refused to admit our examiner into the premises”.

He had been warned and fined for his misdeeds before but he had not changed his tactics.

“It is a very sorry situation,” she further stressed adding that the cinema owner had spread malicious tales portraying a false picture of the incident after the movie had been pulled out of the theatre”.

Speaking at the event NFC Consultant T.M. Sangadasa said that one of the prime needs of the industry is protecting those who invest their money on making movies.

He stressed that Dissanayake and Balasuriya had set an example to others in agreeing to take out their production despite the fact that it had been bringing in tons of cash even while all the misdeeds had been taking place. Polonnaruwa movie buffs will have to venture to Hingurakkgoda to see Bindu. Further action will be taken on the matter, he said.