Actress Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is set to make her debut in Sri Lankan cinema with the upcoming international film Rizana – A Caged Bird, where she will star alongside Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, best known for voicing Scar in The Lion King. The film will be directed by renowned Sri Lankan filmmaker Chandran Rutnam.Chandran Rutnam brings decades of international experience to the project, having served as a line producer on Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He also gained recognition for directing the English remake of Neeraj Pandey’s A Wednesday!, starring Ben Kingsley as The Common Man — a role famously portrayed by Naseeruddin Shah in the original and by Kamal Haasan in the Tamil version Unnaipol Oruvan.
Rizana – A Caged Bird is based on the harrowing true story of Rizana Nafeek, a young Sri Lankan domestic worker in Saudi Arabia. In 2005, while employed as a caretaker, the child in her care tragically died. In a deeply controversial case, Rizana was convicted and executed in 2013, despite widespread international condemnation. The film will feature newcomer Vidhushika Reddy in the titular role of Rizana, with Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Jeremy Irons playing key supporting characters.
The film is being produced by Jagath Sumathipala under the banner of Sumathi Studios. With its powerful subject and international cast, Rizana – A Caged Bird is expected to draw significant global attention, shedding light on migrant worker rights and judicial injustice.
Varalaxmi was last seen in the courtroom drama The Verdict, alongside Suhasini Mani Ratnam and Sruthi Hariharan. She is also set to appear in Police Complaint. Jeremy Irons, who recently starred in The Beekeeper with Jason Statham, will next be seen in Palestine 36.