''Christhu Charithaya'' () is a 1990

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

n Sinhala biographical film directed by

Sunil Ariyaratne Vidyodaya Vibhushana Sahithya Kala Shiromani Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne Kuruwita Bandara ( සුනිල් ආරියරත්න; born 28 July 1949), popularly as Sunil Ariyaratne, is a Sri Lankan scholar, film director, author, poet and a lyr ...

and produced by Alerik Lionel Fernando. It stars

Vijaya Kumaratunga Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga (; ; 9 October 1945 – 16 February 1988), popularly known as Vijaya Kumaratunga'','' was a Sri Lankan film actor, playback singer and politician regarded as one of the most popular icons in Sri Lankan cinem ...

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

along with ensemble cast of popular film artists. Music composed by

Premasiri Khemadasa Deshamanya Kala Keerthi Dr. Premasiri Khemadasa ( Sinhala: ආචාර්ය ප්‍රේමසිරි කේමදාස ) (25 January 1937 – 24 October 2008) also known as "Khemadasa Master" was a Sri Lankan music composer. Explorin ...

. It is the 712th Sri Lankan film in the

Sinhala cinema Sri Lankan cinema encompasses the Sri Lankan film industry. It is a fledgling industry that has struggled to find a footing since its inauguration in 1947 with '' Kadawunu Poronduwa'' produced by S. M. Nayagam of Chitra Kala Movietone. Sri Lan ...

. The film is based on the life of Jesus Christ until

crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...

. It was the first Sinhala film based on Christianity and directed by a Buddhist.

Production

The script of the film was written by Sunil Ariyaratne in 1980 under the guidance of film producer Alerik Lionel Fernando. They both agreed to choose Vijaya Kumaratunga as the lead role. The film shooting was started in 1981 under several controversies. However, after in July 1982, the Sri Lanka Catholic Council appointed an Advisory Committee consisting of four priests. The Sinhalese section of the Catholic doctrine of the Chilaw Padaviya has sent a memorandum to the President and requested that the work of the Christian character be stopped immediately. Finally, on March 23, 1983, the cabinet bans the producing of the film. In the meantime, after the film began, threatening letters were ordered to stop the film. The principal character, Vijaya Kumaratunga, who was suspected of being a Naxalite, had been remanded by the then government, his image was shown on television and the publicity of his voice and name on the radio had been banned. Post production of the film was started in mid-1982 at Hendala Vijaya Studios. The screenplay of the film was first released as a Sirisumana Godage publication. It was re-released with 22 color photographs.

Plot

Cast

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

* Stefan Abeyesinhe as Baby Jesus * Menik Kurukulasuriya as

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

Rex Kodippili Rex Joseph Kodippili ( Sinhala:රෙක්ස් කොඩිප්පිලි; 6 October 1938 – 24 December 2023), was a Sri Lankan film actor and producer. Primarily acting as a villain for most of his career, Kodippili appeared in more t ...

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

* Neil Alles as

Judas Judas Iscariot (; ; died AD) was, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane, in exchange for thirty pieces of ...

* Nathali Anne Greet as

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

* Prasanna Wickramasinghe as

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

* Rosy Senanayake *

Roy de Silva Chathurartha Devadithya Gardiyawasam Lindamulage Roy Aloysius Felix de Silva, popularly known as Roy de Silva (රෝයි ද සිල්වා; 30 August 1937 – 30 June 2018), was a Sri Lankan actor and film director in Sri Lankan cinema. ...

Caiaphas Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) was the High Priest of Israel during the first century. In the New Testament, the Gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John indicate he was an organizer of ...

* Sathischandra Edirisinghe as Peduru * Inoka Amarasena as Veronica * Vishaka Siriwardana as

Martha Martha (Aramaic language, Aramaic: מָרְתָא‎) is a Bible, biblical figure described in the Gospels of Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John. Together with her siblings Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is descr ...

* Dayananda Jayawardena as 1st Herod *

Sumana Amarasinghe Denipitiya Vithanage Sumana Amarasinghe (; 21 February 1948 – 5 June 2022) was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Performing in drama to comedy, she is usually known as the ''Sweet girl'' in Sinhala cinema. She also worked as an ...

Herodias Herodias (; , ''Hērōidiás''; c. 15 BC – after AD 39) was a princess of the Herodian dynasty of Judea, Judaea during the time of the Roman Empire. Christian writings connect her with the Beheading of John the Baptist, execution of John the Ba ...

* Samanthi Lanerolle as

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

girl *

Hyacinth Wijeratne Threeris Hyacinth Wijeratne (; 3 October 194631 July 2021) was an actress in Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television. In a career spanned more than four decades, she was known for her breakthrough roles in ''Karumakkarayo ...

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...

* Mervyn Jayathunga as 2nd Herod * Lakshman Mallawarachchi as Thomas * Baptist Fernando as

Annas Annas (also Ananus or Ananias;Goodman, Martin, "Rome & Jerusalem", Penguin Books, p.12 (2007) , ; , ; 23/22 BC – death date unknown, probably around AD 40) was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High Priest of the newly form ...

Alexander Fernando Joseph Manuel Alexander Fernando (; 25 August 194029 April 2020) was a Sri Lankan actor and stunt director in Sinhala cinema. Considered one of the best villains in Sinhala cinema, Fernando acted in over 120 Sinhala films, six Tamil films, and o ...

as Nikandevumas *

Ananda Wickramage Ananda Wickramage (, born August 4, 1953) is an actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatr ...

Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea () is a Biblical figure who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion. Three of the four Biblical Canon, canonical Gospels identify him as a member of the Sanhedrin, while the ...

Tissa Wijesurendra Don Bhathiyatissa Wijesurendra (තිස්ස විජේසුරේන්ද්‍ර 3 April 1949 – 11 May 2020), popularly as Tissa Wijesurendra, was a Sri Lankan actor. One of the most popular actors of the 1970s, Wijesurendra played ma ...

Simeon Simeon () is a given name, from the Hebrew (Biblical Hebrew, Biblical ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Šimʿôn''), usually transliterated in English as Shimon. In Greek, it is written Συμεών, hence the Latinized spelling Sy ...

Vijaya Nandasiri Ilukpitiya Mudiyanselage Vijaya Nandasiri (6 May 1944 – 8 August 2016 as විජය නන්දසිරි) was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. Considered a leading dramatist in Sri Lankan cinema, he was also a ...

as Shadipathiya *

Vincent Vaas Andara Vaas Patabedige Vincent (7 November 1922 – 6 May 2004 වින්සන්ට් වාස්), popularly known as Vincent Vaas was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema. Often considered one of the best character actors in Sinhala cinema, ...

as Vandana Nadaya leader *

Somy Rathnayake Somi Nanda Ratnayake (born October 27, 1946, as ) inhala, also known as Somi Ratnayake, is a Sri Lankan actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. A highly versatile actor with a career spanning more than four decades, Rathnayake is ...

as Snawaka Juwam * Sumana Gomes as Salomi * Piyatillaka Atapattu * Senaka Perera * Arthur Gunawardena as Kireniye Simone *

Ranjan Ramanayake Sadda Vidda Rajapakse Palanga Pathira Ambakumarage Ranjan Leo Sylvester Alfonso (born 11 March 1963) (රන්ජන් රාමනායක), popularly known as Ranjan Ramanayake, is a Sri Lankan actor, film director, singer, script writer ...

* Nimal Pallewatte as Soldier *

Wilson Karunaratne Wilson Karunaratne, popularly known as Wilson Karu (28 October 1942 – 3 May 2022) was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, and stunt director. Considered one of the best villains in Sinhala cinema, Karunaratne acted in more than 240 films across ma ...

as Left side thief * Premasiri Kalpage * Suneetha Wimalaweera

References

1990 films 1990s Sinhala-language films Films set in Sri Lanka (1948–present) {{SriLanka-film-stub