Whirlwind

Podi Eka, a village teenager without any education living with his poverty-stricken mother and sister. He cannot even write Amma (mother) Akka (sister) mama (me). Instead he draws three crosses on the wall in charcoal depicting the threesome. He works for his stepfather carrying water to the illicit brewery and experiences the rape of his sister by the stepfather, the bootlegger and the consequent suicide of his sister. He murders his stepfather in vengeance and spends 17 years in jail, returning to the village as an adult to help his uncle in farming and cattle rearing. He is still called Podi Eka. His attempts to start a new life fail on account of the tragic death of his mother and his own brutish desires.

Directed by Athula Liyanage, Whirlwind leans on a strong ensemble — Athula Liyanage, Damitha Abeyratne, Mahendra Perera — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about thriller titles of 2009.