Chandran Rutnam’s newest venture :

Hollywood returns to Sri Lanka

Ruwini Jayawardana

Remember the picturesque backdrops unfolding on the wide screen in award winning films like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Water and The Bridge on the River Kwai which captured nature in all its woodsy splendour? Now the Hollywood audience will get a chance to see the scenic beauty of the isle captured on camera once again with Universal Studio’s latest chapter of the Covert Affairs series

Comments from the special effects department

Indian born twins Elan and Rajiv Dassani who are based in USA handles the special effects of When the Levee Breaks with Anna Schwaber. They have been in the island to handle the shoot. The following are excerpts from the interview.

“It has been fantastic shooting in Sri Lanka especially because we were able to do things which we could not do anywhere else. We have shot with elephants and cliff edges with cranes,” Elan said.

Rajiv added: “We have been shooting in the actual streets of Sri Lanka with thousands of people watching us at the busiest time. We also have a production team who can handle the project and they were able to perform the stunts without any hassle.”

“It has been really interesting learning about the people and culture of Sri Lanka. We have met some amazing people. It makes no sense building sets in Toronto when you have all that you need within arms distance. It will not look nearly as good as the real thing,” Anna noted adding that more filmmakers should visit the isle.

Yes, Hollywood had returned to Sri Lanka, drawing the curtains on a three decade period of terrorism. The Hollywood project that had begun shooting is Allan Krocker’s When the Levee Breaks. It is the newest episode of Covert Affairs which is a network spy television series.

The striking aspect of this project is that Sri Lanka will be shown in its true form. It will project the image of modern Sri Lanka as an ideal place for shooting action as well as romantic movies and serials to filmmakers across the globe. Action, romance, fantasy or art, whatever genre your production may take shape, you will find the ideal location in Sri Lanka.

Shooting took place in Captain’s Kovil, Maradana, while a helicopter scene with stunning stunts was captured at a high-rise building in Dehiwala.

Sri Lankan air force helicopters were used for this purpose. Renowned filmmaker Chandran Rutnam hosts the project via Film Location Services Limited.

“We have filmed many western movies and television series in Sri Lanka but once terrorism intensified directors and producers were reluctant to choose the country as their location.

Now that dreary period had come to a close the first Hollywood project had made its entrance. Covert Affair is a very popular television series in USA and European countries,” the dynamic personality related to the Daily News ‘Artscope’.

Another important feature related to When the Levee Breaks is that some local artistes will play significant roles. Seasoned fight director Teddy Vidyalankara and his stuntmen will engage in some stunning stunts when they chase the lead characters on jeeps, motor cycles and helicopters across the Pettah market.

“Senaka Navaratne designed the sets of the project. He had been the key figure in designing many of the Hollywood movies I have worked with.

Sunil Wijeratne is the art director,” Rutnam said adding that one of the producers of the series, Doug Liman had worked with him in some of their previous creations.

“We worked together in Beyond Rangoon which was shot in Malaysia. He had visited the island on several occasions as my guest and was enchanted with our country’s natural beauty,” noted Rutnam who works as the line producer of the episodes shot in Sri Lanka. He also added that the other producer of When the Levee Breaks, Sean Ryerson, too was quite taken with the setting.

According to this episode of the series the characters recall how they met for the first time.

The romantic but action-packed backdrop is Sri Lanka.

Some of the scenes will also be shot in Canada and Hollywood. The episode will be telecast next month. “I believe that When the Levee Breaks will open doors for Sri Lanka as a film shooting location.

It is not very often that you show Sri Lanka in its real form. The background is moulded into another backdrop from another Asian country like India as in the case of films like Water and Mother Theresa.

We have never done this before in all our films. Another Indian production named Tainaat, an action movie, will also begin shooting in Sri Lanka soon,” he concluded with a smile.

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