Anantha Rathriya

Anantha Rathriya

Year: 1996

Runtime: 82 mins

Language: Sinhalese, Sinhala

Director: Prasanna Vithanage

Drama

Suwisal, now forty, drifts through life as a forgetful businessman and philanderer, indifferent even to his young fiancée. A visit to his childhood home awakens memories that surface when he serves on a jury for a murder trial. The defendant, Piyum, is the servant he seduced and abandoned twenty years earlier, now a prostitute facing the charge.

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Timeline – Anantha Rathriya (1996)

Trace every key event in Anantha Rathriya (1996) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Arrival at the ancestral house amid blackout

Suwisal arrives at the old family house in the middle of the night. The housekeeper explains that rebels have told everyone in the village to keep lights off and that times are hard. He recalls a piano and a shy girl peering from behind the drapes, hinting at memories from the past.

Night of arrival; village blackout Ancestral family house
2

Flashback: decades earlier, youth and a servant

Decades earlier, Suwisal returns to the village to work on his thesis, 'The Possible Result of Disillusioned Rural Youth and the Impact of the Free Education Policy.' He meets the servant woman at his aunts' home and sleeps with her, then leaves for the city. The relationship ends abruptly, sowing seeds of guilt that will linger for years.

Decades earlier Village, at his aunts' home
3

The pregnancy and the silent barrier

Through letters, he learns that the servant woman is pregnant. He makes no effort to maintain contact, choosing distance over responsibility. The secret becomes a quiet burden he carries into the present.

After his return to city City and village memory
4

Fiancée calls about jury duty

In the present, Suwisal's fiancée phones to remind him of jury duty. He is told he will spend the next three days listening to a theft/murder case. The setup for the courtroom drama underscores the pull between personal guilt and public duty.

Present day; jury duty notification Home
5

The murder trial is introduced: Piyum

The defendant, Piyum, is charged with murdering John Wijesinghe after an adulterous encounter gone wrong. The case centers on a prostitute and a client, exposing social stigma and moral ambiguity. The courtroom atmosphere hints at the weight of judgment outside the law.

First day of trial Courtroom
6

Details of the crime emerge

Wijesinghe dies after Piyum allegedly slips sleeping pills into his drink. Piyum leaves the room, and the circumstances are framed around money and dependence, complicating the moral lines between victim and offender. The facts set the stage for questions about truth and culpability.

During the trial Courtroom
7

Second day: Suwisal confides in Vicky

On the trial's second day, Suwisal visits his lawyer friend Vicky and admits that he knows Piyum from the past. Vicky advises him to stay quiet and let the trial run its course. The advice deepens the film's tension between confession, conscience, and the law.

Second day of trial Vicky's office
8

Piyum's demeanor fuels Suwisal's doubt

Piyum does not indicate that she recognizes Suwisal, which unsettles him and makes him question his own role in the events. He wrestles with whether his past could ever justify or condemn the present verdict. The moral ambiguity intensifies as he confronts his own memory.

Second day of trial Courtroom
9

Verdict and sentencing

The jury convicts Piyum and sentences her to 10 years in jail. The verdict lands with a heavy sense of punishment, while questions about guilt and responsibility linger for Suwisal. The courtroom mood shifts from speculation to a definitive judgment.

End of trial Courtroom
10

Guilt drives a redemptive visit

Overwhelmed by guilt, Suwisal goes to the jail to help Piyum in some way. The act marks his attempt at redemption, even if it is imperfect and personal. The encounter forces him to face the consequences of past choices.

After verdict Jail
11

Revelation of the boy and the plea for distance

Piyum reveals she gave birth to a boy who lived only a week, and who tried to find Suwisal in the city before 'losing his way.' She asks him to stop contacting her, signaling a painful boundary between them. The moment layers past secrets onto present consequences.

After the visit Jail
12

Closure by departure

The film closes with Piyum walking out of jail, leaving Suwisal in a state of unresolved guilt and memory. He is left to reflect on responsibility, desire, and the tangled web of their lives. The final image emphasizes the lasting impact of actions across time.

Post-visit Jail exit

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:06

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