GAADI
2 nd day
by - Tharindi Dilshika
"GAADI", children of the sun, is the name they made up to call them. The OUTCASTE, or in Sinhala 'RODEE', is the name the other civilians called them. They lived in a small area all together, which was like a one-house area for a high-class family. They ate what they could beg that day. With all the punishments and tortures they try to end the day; however. The movie GAADI by Dr.Prasanna Withanage has done a great job creating this masterpiece by giving the exact visuals from that era in Sri Lanka.
At first, I hated to watch this movie because the unfair rudeness and torture made me really frustrated about humanity. But I said to myself, whether I watch this film or not, it doesn't change the reality. So I must face it, not escape it. And maybe someday I will come up with a solution for a beautiful society. Now I'm happy about that decision I made because I got some courage to face reality.
The session was more than just watching a film. First, Dr.Prasanna Withanage introduced his self to us. Without further delay, the film started. in our everyday lecture hall.
The film goes on like this: There's an Disawe who worked closely with the king, and he had a newly-wedded wife, maybe 20 years old or younger than that. named Tikiri. Them two and their family had a good status. Suddenly, an unexpected thing happened. Disawe did something territory and ran away, and as a result, his whole family had to face the punishment. Usually, if someone made a huge mistake, the king had the power to remove them from their caste. (Out from the cast - Outcast). So the women in Disawe's family had to take the punishment, but as a refinement, they could die by jumping into the river with a big stone hung around their neck. So it was like death is better than being an outcast. So silly, but as the story goes further, we may also think dying is much better than living like dust. So everyone killed themselves in Disawe's family but Tikiri. She decided to join the outcasts. That's the climax of the film. Where all the dramas became visible. Every unfairness she saw that outcasts suffer, she started to experience those. She tries so hard to join back to the high class, but no one cares about her. While Vijayaa, the guy who saved her when people threw stones at her, tries so hard to keep her safe and satisfied. Vijayaa and Tikiri moved to the village to give Tikiri a better surrounding to Tikiri. Vijayaa is really having a battle just to satisfy Tikiri, as their connection grows, Tikiri starts to feel secure around him. They had to face many troubles one after another. In their endless ride, once they met their friends again, they had to move out because the place they lived was taken over. Then again, they all try to survive. One day, the English leader wanted to see the outcasts' dances. Every outcast got ready, and the dances started. The English leader and the few Sinhala leaders came. Vijayaa and Tikiri were sitting calmly behind until Tikiri saw her previous Husband also came to see the dance. She stood up and came front and looked at disawe. That's where the most irritating thing happened. Disawe didn't care about her at all. He gave a signal to the guards by hand to remove her from that place. She became an outcaster because of him, but now he rejects her. At that time, a little but rude battle happened between Wijayaa and the guards while the guards tried to harm Tikiri. That time we saw the difference in people by their hearts, not by their casts. The dance stopped, and the English leader was unsatisfied. The King also shows his disagreement by blaming engaging with outcasts only gives trouble. That time, the older man from the outcast helped Vijayaa and Tikiri run away. And by chance, they had they away just to keep away from the problem they had. That time, Tikiri hugged Vijayaa like realizing what love really feels like. The next day, when they arrived at the spot again, what they saw was so traumatizing. All of their friends were killed. All the children, women, men, and elders. Vijayaa and Tikiri were so shocked and cried so hard. At the end of the movie shows Tikiri completely accepted herself as an outcast and decided to stay with Vijayaa and continue their cast further.
That was the story in brief without any symbolizations and aesthetic views.
HIS INSPIRATIONS...
After that, Dr. Prasanna Withanage and we had a discussion session. He told us how he was inspired and how he got the urge to make this movie. He was collecting ideas and researching for a decade to make this film.
How are Sri Lankan people divided by their religions...How those differentiations are used by politicians to make arguments and battles and to win elections, how we people have some parties without other nations' people allowed to come ... these things have led him to produce a film. After doing much research, he could get a clear and obvious visual how what Sri Lanka was like in that era. Because those little details directly help the audience to live in the film by giving the exact experience.
Life was much different back then.
- Outcast people could not be seen when high-class people walked by. They hid behind trees and bushes. If they do show up, there will be punishments for all outcasts.
- Outcast females were not allowed to cover their breasts. It's illegal, and if anyone sees an outcast female wearing a breast cover, they have the right to remove it.
- Even in the high class, when husband and wife sleep, the wife can only sleep in bed if the husband invites her. Unless she sleeps on a mat next to bed.
- If normal village people see an outcast doing something they were not allowed to do, they were tied to trees and had ants' nests onto them.
Even watching this film was so hurting to my heart, so how those people survived back then. No doubt that Dr. Prasanna Withanage really took us to that era through his film.
THE QUESTIONS WE HAD...
One of our peers asked an interesting question.
"We saw Vijayaa was trying so hard to secure Tikiri. And move out with her to the village just to protect her. Was that only for Tikiri, or did he want to move too and live like village people? Is there some egoistic expectation, too?"
That question was unexpected to me as I completely believe in what true love can do. But Dr. Prassanna got that question naturally and gave out every point one by one, proving it was true love. Vijayaa could live partially peacefully in his Rodee area. He threw himself also into danger to protect her. Without any expectations. He didn't misuse her weakness. So I thought that one friend got his answer.
I'm gonna finish this article with another question asked by a third-year sister.
"At the end of the movie, Tikiri accepted her life and decided to live like an outcast with Vijayaa. But knowing their problems isn't gonna end. They will continue further. But still, she moved out with Vijayaa. What is your opinion about that decision she made?"
And he replied It's true that their problems will continue. They will have to fight every day to survive. But finally, at least she found her true love in that cruel world.
