Debutant Ilango Ram’s Sri Lanka-set Sinhala language “Tentigo” (“Nelum Kuluna”) is set for a Tamil language Indian remake.
The film is produced by Hiranya Perera for Silent frames Productions, Sri Lanka, Sanjay Gulati and Neeraj Pandey for Crawling Angel Films, India, Kaarthekeyen Santhanam for Stone Bench Films, India, Navaneethan Nachimuthu and Pon Umapathy Kailash.
Perera is selected at the Asian Producers Network, an initiative of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) Film Academy, as an emerging producer.
In “Tentigo,” after finding their father dead, to their dismay, his sons discover that something in him is still alive, well and standing tall – his erect penis. What should have been a day of somber mourning breaks down into bedlam as the two sons try, as discreetly as possible, to bend his organ before the funeral. In their quest to cover up the truth to save face, the brothers are forced to confront their own troubled relationship and deal with their dead father’s secret love life.
“Tentigo” participated at India’s Film Bazaar co-production market in 2018. In 2021, it was pitched at Busan’s Asia Content and Film Market.
The film bowed this year at the Black Nights Film Festivalin Tallinn, Estonia, where it won the special jury award. It was shot in Sri Lanka at the height of the country’s economic crisis. The production faced 10-hour power cuts every day while production vehicles queued for four days for refuelling.
“Any form of art should connect with the audience. ‘Tentigo’ is one such film which connects with audiences, as well as being awarded by the juries, which is a rare combination in our part of the world,” said Ram, who also wrote the film and served as cinematographer.
Perera added: “Navigating the challenges of producing our debut feature film as a woman producer in demanding conditions was an ambitious undertaking. With the unwavering support of Ilango Ram and our incredible team, we’ve overcome the hurdles. The honor of being recognized by an A-list film festival and being awarded is not only a personal achievement, but a significant milestone for our team and the entire Sri Lankan film industry.”
While several Indian films have been remade in Sri Lanka, this is believed to be the first time that the reverse is happening. The Tamil language remake will also be helmed by Ram, with the original film’s co-producer Santhanam producing for Stone Bench Films, which is known for the works of filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj (“Jigarthanda Double X”). Perera will also serve as a producer in the remake.
Santhanam said: “It’s such a great honor to work with an interesting storyteller and director. From the moment I watched ‘Tentigo,’ I was blown away by the thought process. His film was an evident transformation of his craftsmanship and skill set. We decided we have to remake this film in an Indian language as it can resonate well to Indian audiences.”
