Daily NEWS Srilanka

Though a censorship order was given on public screening over the film 'Usaviya Nihandai' directed by well-known cinematographer Prasanna Withanage, as a result of a case filed by a former judge on the understanding that the story in the said film includes his own story, the censorship was called off today. 

Attorneys-at-law who appeared for Mr. Prasanna Withanage the respondent and 6 others in the presence of Colombo District Judge Mr. M.U. Gunawardena had presented the necessary points at length for a period of close upon 2 hours, having taken into consideration the sanction given by the Public Performance Board at cinema halls for public screening and the censorship which was in force
for only 16 days was taken off. Many years ago the Ravaya Newspaper exposed 2 incidents where former Magistrate Lenin Ratnayaka had during his tenure at courts in order to grant bail to prisoners whom he had imprisoned had in the meantime gone to bed with wives of the said prisoners by force and during the time those cases were being being heard, since this was a legal case against a judge himself, justice was not carried out in the case of the victimised party and they were subjected to various pressure and influence. 

At a time the film based and produced on these happenings did not draw much publicity, Lenin Ratnayaka the former judge came forward saying that it referred to him and then proceeded to file action against this cinematic creation. As a result of his action what transpired was that a large section of the public came to know about this incident and on the other hand the publicity gained indirectly under those circumstances reached its apex. As such, the 'Usaviya Nihandai' film which was censored from screening had once again received the opportunity to be released to the public from today the 21st. 

Previous Gossip Lanka article relating to this story with Judge Lenin Ratnayaka linked to it, from here