The negative of the film was facing ruin, and Bandaranayake said in a facebook posting that 16,343 dollars was needed to restore it.

Given below is related the news article carried by Sri Lanka Mirror:

https://sinhala.srilankamirror.com/news/9618-dharmasiri

Bandaranayake said in the fb posting that he would hand over the ownership of the film to anyone who would give the money.

When contacted, he said the President’s Office gave him the Rs. 2.5 million needed to preserve the film.

It has paid half of the amount to Prasad Film Laboratories in Chennai, India which is now doing the preservation work, he said.

‘Thunveni Yamaha’ was first screened in 1983 at the height of the racial clashes.

Indira Jonklass, who played a leading role in the film, left for Dubai in the same year and has not made a return to Sinhala cinema.