Deepa Mehta spotlights SL’s versatility for global filmmaking

By Pranavesh Sivakumar

Deepa Mehta Pic by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe

Sri Lanka was hailed as a unique and versatile film destination by acclaimed director and producer Deepa Mehta who highlighted the island’s distinct appeal.

Mehta, known for her award-winning films shot in Sri Lanka, praised the country’s ability to represent diverse settings and narratives.

“Sri Lanka should be the next destination of White Lotus (A TV series). It is so obvious that it’s completely unlike the ones I have seen. One was in Hawaii and the other in Thailand. This is what I love about Sri Lanka, that it appeals to completely different times, completely different regions and all come together,” said Mehta, addressing a press briefing in Colombo yesterday.

The director is in Sri Lanka for a special cinematic collaboration hosted by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts that will kick off this weekend.

She added that Sri Lanka is “very particular” as far as her experience is concerned.  “We have made three completely different kinds of films (Midnight’s Children, Water and Funny Boy). All of them, at some point or the other, have won big awards, mostly for production designing. How is it all possible? These are all diverse and are so right. That is Sri Lanka’s great gift.”

Further, Mehta also shared that Sri Lanka will be the location for her latest project ‘Sher’, a hilarious twist on the Sherlock Holmes universe, reimagining the legendary detective’s legacy through an unexpected Indian connection.