Dharmayuddhaya

Dharmayuddhaya

Year: 2017

Runtime: 166 mins

Language: Sinhalese, Sinhala

Director: Seiyaru Ravi

DramaFamilyThriller

A self-made businessman, Harishchandra, enjoys a peaceful life with his wife and two daughters, cherishing moments watching films as a beloved figure in his community. Their world is unexpectedly disrupted by the arrival of a stranger, leading to unforeseen consequences for the entire family. This 2017 Sri Lankan Sinhala family drama film is directed by Cheyyar Ravi and serves as a remake of the Indian Malayalam film Drishyam, originally written by Jeethu Joseph.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Dharmayuddhaya yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Dharmayuddhaya (2017)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Dharmayuddhaya (2017). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Contemporary (early 21st century)

The events occur in modern Sri Lanka, with cellphone videos, social media, and contemporary policing shaping the investigation. The timeline revolves around a murder on August 2 and the family’s attempts to maintain a timely alibi during August 4–5. The narrative uses current technologies and media scrutiny to build suspense and reveal truth.

Location

Manudampura, Matale

The story unfolds in Manudampura, a local Sri Lankan town centered on Harishchandra's real estate business. Key scenes also touch Matale, where a meditation program hints at a calm, cultural backdrop before the plot spirals into crime. The setting blends everyday urban life with rural Sri Lankan landscapes, highlighting the tension between normalcy and hidden danger.

🏡 Real estate town 🗺️ Sri Lankan setting 👪 Community dynamics

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:27

Main Characters – Dharmayuddhaya (2017)

Meet the key characters of Dharmayuddhaya (2017), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Harishchandra (Jackson Anthony)

A withdrawn real estate businessman and family man who tries to shield his wife and daughters from a brutal crime. His calculated decisions reveal a pragmatic, ruthless side as he choreographs an alibi and manipulates perceptions to avoid suspicion. Beneath the protective veneer, he weighs the consequences of truth versus loyalty.

🎭 Complex Protagonist 🕵️ Mastermind 🧩 Moral ambiguity

Rani (Dilhani Ekanayake)

Harishchandra's wife who becomes entangled in the crime, torn between protecting her family and facing the consequences of her actions. She confronts Shane, but is pulled into a web of coercion and fear. Her decisions illuminate female agency within a patriarchal crisis.

👩‍👧‍👧 Family matriarch 🗝️ Hidden loyalties

Achinni (Thisuri Yuwanika)

Harishchandra and Rani's daughter who witnesses the events and endures the fallout of her family’s actions. She is caught between danger and family protection, showing resilience amid trauma.

👧 Young witness 🧭 Moral conflict

Sachini

Achinni's sister who also witnesses the events and is pressured by authorities and family to stay quiet. She is a key anchor for the family’s alibi and experiences emotional strain under police pressure.

🧪 Witness 🫶 Family tension

Shane

The spoiled MP Vishaka Samaranayake's son who triggers the conflict by blackmailing Achini and introduces the modern menace of social media exposure and coercion. His actions set the chain of events in motion.

🧒 Teen antagonist 🌀 Social media catalyst

Vishaka Samaranayake

The MP who investigates Shane’s disappearance and pressures the family, exposing institutional power dynamics and abuses of authority.

🏛️ Power & authority 🕯️ Social responsibility

Constable Vimal

The rival cop who pushes hard on Harishchandra, using brute force to extract a confession. His aggression accelerates the plot’s danger and reveals corruption within law enforcement.

👮 Authority 💥 Brutality

Inspector

The authority figure who ultimately leads the case and must confront the truth behind the family’s alibi. He represents the system’s attempt to balance skepticism with law.

🧭 Law & order ⚖️ Investigative pressure

Thera

The monk who holds a meditation program and becomes a pivotal source of information that influences the case, demonstrating how religious spaces intersect with crime investigations.

🙏 Spiritual influence 🧭 Information source

Damith

Shane's friend who reveals Shane's actions, contributing essential background that changes the investigation's direction.

🗨️ Informant 🔎 Revealer

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:27

Major Themes – Dharmayuddhaya (2017)

Explore the central themes of Dharmayuddhaya (2017), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Law & Justice

The film explores how law enforcement and private families collide when a crime is committed to protect loved ones. Alibis, evidence, and pressure from officials drive the investigation, exposing flaws in the system. The confrontation between truth and deception drives the dramatic tension, culminating in unresolved guilt and moral compromise.

💔 Family Loyalty

Harishchandra uses calculated moves to shield his family from the law, revealing the depth of filial loyalty and the lengths a parent will go to preserve a household. The siblings and spouse bear the emotional weight of a violent act, facing fear, coercion, and the strain of secrecy. The story questions whether loyalty can justify wrongful acts when love overrides honesty.

🔍 Truth vs Deception

Deceptive alibis, planted evidence, and strategic storytelling show how appearances can mask a hidden crime. The characters’ versions of events are repeatedly tested by forensic details and social scrutiny. The twist—whether the father’s misdirection is a self-preserving tactic or a calculated crime—explores the gray area between guilt and innocence.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:27

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Family Protection Thrillers like Dharmayuddhaya

Ordinary families make dark moral compromises to survive an existential threat.If you liked the tense, high-stakes survival of Dharmayuddhaya, you'll find similar movies here. These are gripping thrillers where ordinary families are pushed to their limits, crafting intricate alibis and facing moral dilemmas to protect their own from a powerful outside force.

tenseanxiousmethodicalclaustrophobicfearfulsuspensefulmorally complex

Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a peaceful domestic life violently disrupted by a crime or a threat. The protagonists, often parents, must then orchestrate a complex and methodical plan to conceal the truth, leading to a prolonged cat-and-mouse game with investigators or antagonists who are closing in.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a heavy emotional weight and a tense, claustrophobic tone. They explore the extremes of parental love and the psychological toll of living a lie, creating a cohesive experience of anxiety-driven storytelling where the family unit is both the victim and the perpetrator.

Movies about Methodical Crime Cover-Ups like Dharmayuddhaya

Clever protagonists meticulously construct the perfect alibi under intense pressure.Fans of the clever alibi construction in Dharmayuddhaya will enjoy these films. Discover stories centered on a protagonist's meticulous plan to evade capture, where the puzzle-like plot and rising tension as the investigation closes in are the main attractions.

methodicalsuspensefulclevertensepuzzle-likeanxiouscalculating

Narrative Summary

The narrative is driven by a protagonist who reacts to a catastrophic event by designing a detailed, often genius-level, plan to掩盖 the evidence and create an unbreakable story. The plot unfolds as a dual timeline, juxtaposing the execution of the plan with the investigation slowly piecing together the truth.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their focus on intellectual suspense rather than action. They share a methodical pacing, a moderate complexity from the plot's clever twists, and a tense tone that builds as the cover-up's integrity is tested, offering a specific, puzzle-solving viewing experience.

Unlock the Full Story of Dharmayuddhaya

Don't stop at just watching — explore Dharmayuddhaya in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Dharmayuddhaya is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Dharmayuddhaya Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Dharmayuddhaya, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Dharmayuddhaya Summary

Dharmayuddhaya Timeline

Track the full timeline of Dharmayuddhaya with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Dharmayuddhaya Timeline

Dharmayuddhaya Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Dharmayuddhaya that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Dharmayuddhaya Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Dharmayuddhaya

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Dharmayuddhaya: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Dharmayuddhaya