Sri Lanka’s breathtaking locales are increasingly becoming the backdrop of choice for major Indian film productions, with top producers and directors actively seeking out the island’s scenic spots for upcoming projects.  

While Sri Lanka has long been a favored filming destination, industry analysts note that inadequate promotion has led some international productions to opt for other South Asian or European locations. 

However, recent high-profile shoots have put the country back in the spotlight.  

Tollywood sensation Vijay Deverakonda recently wrapped up filming a romantic sequence for Idhayam Ulle Vaa in the coastal charm of Galle and the iconic Arcade Independence Square. 

Meanwhile, Tamil cinema heavyweights Sivakarthikeyan and Ravi Mohan (formerly Jayam Ravi) shot key scenes for their upcoming movie Parasakthi at Colombo’s historic Kollupitiya Railway Station and other scenic spots.  

Recognizing the growing interest, Sri Lankan tourism authorities are stepping up efforts to position the island as a top filming hub. Last year, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) made a strong pitch at Mumbai’s India International Film Tourism Conclave—the country’s premier film tourism event—showcasing the nation’s diverse landscapes and cultural heritage.  

With Indian film makers showing renewed enthusiasm, industry insiders believe Sri Lanka is poised to reclaim its status as a premier destination for international cinema.  

The funeral of Malini Fonseka, revered as the ‘Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema’, was held yesterday (May 26) under state patronage at the Independence Square, Colombo 7.
Thousands of fans yesterday paid last respects to her both at her residence in Madiwela and at Tharangani Hall, where her remains lay in state, before being taken to Independence Square.

The iconic actress passed away on May 24 at the age of 78, while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

(Pics : Nirosha Jayawardena)

Disney’s live-action Lilo and Stitch remake and Tom Cruise’s supposedly final Mission: Impossible outing have opened as two of the biggest films of the year in a record-breaking weekend at the box office.

Lilo and Stitch, which revisits the 2002 animated family favourite, exceeded expectations with takings of $341m (£252m) around the world.

That made it the second highest opening of 2025 so far after A Minecraft Movie, Variety reported, and broke the record for the Memorial Day weekend in the US.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth film in the franchise, also proved a hit with $190m (£140m) in ticket sales.

Cruise has been playing agent Ethan Hunt since 1996, and seemingly confirmed The Final Reckoning would be the last instalment by telling the Hollywood Reporter: “It’s the final! It’s not called ‘final’ for nothing.”

But some have doubts about whether it will really turn out to be the end.

The blockbuster has had some rave reviews, with the Guardian calling it a “wildly entertaining adventure” in a five-star review, and Vanity Fair describing it as “a worthy send-off”.

However, not everyone was blown away, with the Hollywood Reporter saying it’s “a disappointing farewell”, and Mashable saying the series risked going out with the “fizzled whimper of a message self-destructing in a tape deck”.

Meanwhile, Lilo and Stitch is the latest in a long line of live-action remakes of beloved Disney animations, and achieved the third-best box office opening behind 2019’s The Lion King and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, Variety said.

The new version stars Courtney B Vance and Zach Galifianakis alongside eight-year-old Maia Kealoha and a computer-generated cuddly runaway alien.

It has also had mixed reviews, being described as “jovial, zany, and sweet” by the Daily Beast, but a “mind-numbing abomination” by the Times.

(BBC News)