Year: 2017
Runtime: 133 mins
Language: Sinhalese, Sinhala
This 2017 Sri Lankan Sinhala film is a comedic action movie directed and produced by Ranjan Ramanayake. It follows the story of a man who unexpectedly finds himself pursuing a career in medicine, drawing inspiration from the Bollywood film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. The film stars Ranjan Ramanayake and Ruwangi Rathnayake in the leading roles, supported by Rex Kodippili, Sriyani Amarasena, and Sarath Chandrasiri.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Dr. Nawariyan (2017), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Nirwan Senanayake, nicknamed Nawariyan, is a Colombo crime boss who wraps a criminal life in the veneer of legitimacy. He builds the faux Senanayake Hospital and pretends to follow his parents’ dream of him becoming a doctor, keeping up the appearance whenever his father and mother visit him in the city.
One year, his carefully crafted ruse begins to fracture. His father runs into an old acquaintance, Dr. Wickramasinghe, and the two men decide to deepen their friendship by arranging a union between Nirwan’s life and his colleague’s daughter, Dr. Bhagya, who Nirwan knows by the nickname Pinki. The truth about Nirwan’s real life is exposed by a servant in Wickramasinghe’s household, and the revelation shatters Nirwan’s parents. They are insulted and humiliated, and soon depart for their village, overwhelmed by disappointment and heartbreak.
In the wake of this humiliation, Nirwan vows to redeem himself and to avenge his parents’ dishonor. He resolves to become a real doctor and enrolls in medical college, guided and supported by his loyal right-hand man, Circuit, along with a crew of allies who help him secure admission. At the private hospital’s dean, Dr. Wickramasinghe, Nirwan’s ambitions face the crucible of real medicine, with crucial, showy support from the college’s faculty, notably Dr. Roshan, whose complicity helps Nirwan along the path.
The campus becomes a stage for Nirwan’s unorthodox methods. Though his practical medical skills are limited, he cultivates an aura of empathy and warmth that clashes with the school’s cold, impersonal approach. He introduces a gentler, more holistic touch—treating patients with personal attention, challenging the harsh routines, and even using a “Magic Kiss” (a compassionate hug learned from his mother) to comfort those in need. He champions patients’ voices, questions routine constraints, and even praises a janitor who’s long overlooked, while encouraging others to make meaningful changes in their lives rather than relying solely on drugs or surgery.
Wickeramasinghe, who already sees Nirwan as a disruptive force, grows increasingly irrational and angry at the ways Nirwan unsettles the college’s order. He laughs in moments of shock, a sign of his slipping grip on reality. Meanwhile, NirwanFinds himself drawn to Wickramasinghe’s daughter, a growing affection that complicates his mission. The two become entangled—though Nirwan remains largely unaware that Dr. Bhagya and Pinki are one and the same person, a twist that Bhagya expertly exploits to keep Nirwan off-balance.
As the story unfolds, Nirwan’s influence reaches a poignant peak when a cancer patient named Anushka dies in his care, a tragedy that weighs heavily on him and contributes to the decision to leave the college. In a dramatic turn, Ananda Ayya, the brain-dead patient Nirwan had tried to treat with dignity, suddenly awakens from vegetative state, which becomes a turning point for the school and its people. Bhagya delivers a heartfelt critique of her father’s harsh rejection of Nirwan, insisting that banishing Nirwan would also banish hope, compassion, and happiness from the college community. The dean begins to recognize the folly of his rigid stance.
Nirwan returns home late, intoxicated, and is embraced by his parents. His father reveals a secret wish fulfilled—Pinki is waiting for Nirwan at home. Driven by love and guilt, Nirwan goes to confront his past and discovers, in a twist of identity, that the woman he loves—Dr. Bhagya—also goes by Pinki.
The tale closes on a note of revelation and reconciliation, emphasizing how genuine care and moral courage can redefine a life that began in shadow and crime, and how love and empathy ultimately reshape the future.
Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:05
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Stories where unconventional outsiders bring compassion and chaos to rigid institutions.If you enjoyed Dr. Nawariyan's story of a fake doctor making a real difference, you'll like these movies. This thread gathers comedies and dramas featuring unlikely heroes who use unconventional methods to bring warmth and healing to rigid, cold institutions.
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