Myths are powerful symbolic stories that humans use to interpret the world they live in. Traditional myths contain accounts of supernatural events and experiences and tell fantastic and imaginative stories of creations, hero quests, gods, monsters and natural disasters.
These stories are enacted in important rituals and when told in social gatherings they are used to teach the most important concepts of a culture. The power of mythmaking is evident in the persistence of these traditional tales and the uses they have had through history.
A concept of this nature seems to be the perfect tool which a filmmaker can use to explore this creativity as well as bring knowledge about an intriguing subject before the audience. This might have been what had been in Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne’s mind when he began making ‘Kadira Divyaraja’. The fact that he decided to visualise the story of such a powerful and prominent deity like God Katharagama aka Skanda-Murukan is another genius stroke which made this film run for a record-breaking number of days in local film theaters.
God Skanda-Murukan or Kartikeya as he is known according to the Hindu tradition, is an important deity in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. Sri Lanka is no exception as there is even a temple dedicated to the god in Katharagama. Thousands of pilgrims visit this sacred site to seek his blessings annually. Therefore, a cinematic presentation of a being who has won such adoration and devotion is sure to captivate the masses. These key points, apart from its cinematic artistry helped ‘Kadira Divyaraja’ become a box-office hit at a time when Sri Lankan cinema needed a boost post the pandemic.
‘Kadira Divyaraja’ depicts Sri Lanka’s rich cultural and religious diversity in a commendable manner. It brings together many facts that have been related to the God Skanda-Murukan. The central focus of the film deals with the romantic relationship between God Skanda and the aboriginal princess Valli. It also relates many colourful and compelling facts related to other important deities like Narada Sage, Kamadeva, Brahma, Ganesh, Shiva andParvathi. What is noteworthy here is that the filmmaker, through his years of expertise, has delt with each myth carefully and had presented all the facts in the most realistic way possible.
He brings heaven before the viewers as naturalistically as he does in scenes depicting human activities. Therefore, there is no room left for the viewers to wonder if what they are seeing on the wide screen is a mere put-on. The stage is set in this manner to make way for the twist in the plot. The gods seem as humane to us as the humans so that it does not come as a surprise when God Skanda encounters and falls in love with Valli.
Enduring power of love
Romance has always been a topic which raises interest and a heaven and earth-shaking charm behind the tale of a powerful god’s act of pure love in marrying a maiden from the Vedda community. This remarkable presentation serves as a testament to the enduring power of love and the belief that divinity can transcend human boundaries.
This is an exception in the annals of the celestial mythology as this is the only instance recorded in history of a union between a god and human being from this part of the world. Intriguing, touching and beautifully crafted, the film skillfully traces the journey that God Skanda took to find, become enamoured and marry the maiden who had been a loyal devotee to him from her childhood.
Running alongside the love story is the story of how the friendship between King Dutugemunu and God Skanda came to exist. Giving the myth a history value and depth, the filmmaker has inserted the fact how King Dutugemunu is said to have rebuilt and richly endowed the temple at Kataragama as a thanks-offering for the God who enabled him to march against the Tamil King Elara and, after vanquishing him in battle, secure the throne at Anuradhapura.
The cast has been carefully handpicked to suit the roles. We get seasoned actors like Nilmini Thennakoon, Jagath Chamila, Dhananjaya Siriwardena and Roshan Pilapitiya alongside new faces like Nadeepa Ranasinghe. Indian actors Samar Vermani and Sonakshi Rawat have been fittingly roped in to play the roles of the two protagonists. Though they tread on unfamiliar territories as they act in their debut Sri Lankan film, both actors do justice to their characters.
Produced by Dr. Ravi Liyanage of the Raigam Group of Companies ‘Kadira Divyaraja’ projects storytelling power at its best. Kudos to the team for their effort and dedication is bring such a memorable production to the wide screen.
