Feature a Sri Lankan film avatar like Iranganie Serasinghe and a group of talented youngsters and then create a film with stunning cinematography capturing beautiful scenery and add to it an enthralling plot with a twist and then you have ‘The Wind Beneath Us’, a film that is very watchable because of its talented cast.
To me the film reminded me of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It is a film set in a rural setting and follows the lives of two brothers again very similar to Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The two brothers, Vihanga and Kasun live in a village where there is very little out of the ordinary. Each day is pretty much the same but there is no monotony because of the pleasure of living that these villagers experience. To them life is simple and very relaxed. Of course there are the occasional squabbles between villagers. They may be poor but they have no great expectations.
Iranganie Serasinghe plays the doting grandmother who is very fond of these boys. When one is whipped by the father because of a misdemeanor, it is she who rubs’ the sores with oil.
However this idyllic life is soon shattered, when the family calf ends up in the back of a truck belonging to strangers. This calf is like a family member to the family that owns it and is used to transport goods. Their livelihoods depend on the calf who is called ‘Sudda’. There is also a strong bond between the boys and the calf. Both boys see the calf being taken away and pursue the truck. For some reason both boys take with them a jar of money they have hidden beneath a tree.
A sinister turn of events unfold, when the younger brother, Kasun, manages to clamber onto the back of the truck and then is carried away to the heart of Colombo. What he felt when he saw the Colombo High Risers is anyone’s guess, but the poor boy must have been terrified, suddenly finding himself in a city similar to Singapore.
Here he encounters an older Colombo boy who wrestles the jar of money from him. He gives chase but fails to outrun the Colombo boy and ends up weeping on the pavement. Here he encounters his guardian angel –Nihansa, a Girl from Colombo who ends up becoming his friend as she takes pity on him. Having seen the theft, she too joined the chase and consoles him promising to try and get back the jar of money which they never do.
Having told Nihansa that he is in Colombo only because of the calf, Kasun also tells her that he has every intention of finding his calf and taking him back home.
The village scenery is stunning with the rivers and the lush green fields. The interpretation of the moral of the movie is up to anyone, but courage is one theme it explores, as well as the power of friendship. The girl is a strong female character and is an excellent partner to the younger brother. Colombo and the rural areas are very different and it is interesting picturing oneself in the boy’s shoes. There are no high risers in the village, and what transpired is a little bit like Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack climbs the beanstalk and then finds himself in the giant’s home.
from daily news