Cinematic Crossroads: Negotiating History and Religion in Sri Lankan Historical Films

Abstract

Cinema in Sri Lanka has become a vital platform for negotiating issues of history, religion, and cultural identity. Yet, despite the growing body of scholarship on individual historical films, there remains limited discussion of how these cinematic texts collectively construct and sometimes contest the relationship between religion and nationhood. This study responds to that gap by offering a comparative and theoretically integrated analysis of three key films: Maharaja Gamunu (2015), Aloko Udapadi (2017), and Gaadi (2019) to explore how Sri Lankan historical cinema functions as a site of cultural negotiation. These films serve as cultural texts that both reflect and shape discussions about nationhood, belonging, and inter-religious coexistence (Silva, 2018; Hautin, 2024). Rather than treating them merely as nationalist artefacts, this paper interprets them as dialogic spaces where competing visions of identity, memory, and belief intersect. Maharaja Gamunu highlights the legendary conflict between Dutugemunu and Elara, embedding themes of nationalist pride and Buddhist triumphalism within its narrative. By employing visual grandeur and moral positioning, the film portrays Dutugemunu’s victory as a significant religious and political achievement (Rathnayake, 2017). In contrast, Aloko Udapadi dramatizes King Walagamba’s struggle to preserve the Pali Canon during a time of political upheaval, positioning Buddhism at the core of cultural survival (De Silva, 2022). Gaadi, directed by Prasanna Vithanage, breaks away from nationalist narratives by examining issues of caste, gender, and marginalization during the Kandyan era. Instead of glorifying kings or religious leaders, this film questions the social hierarchies that shape Sri Lankan history (Warnapala, 2025). Together, these films offer different but complementary approaches to negotiating cultural memory. Scholars have recognized the role of postcolonial cinema in producing ideological discourses about religion and culture (Shohat & Stam, 2014). In Sri Lanka, films often embody tensions between celebrating Buddhist heritage and acknowledging pluralistic traditions (Ganegoda, 2022). However, the intersection of historical reconstruction and religious representation remains an underexplored area. Research on Maharaja Gamunu and Aloko Udapadi typically frames them as nationalist projects associated with Sinhala-Buddhist identity (Silva, 2018; Perera, 2019). In contrast, Gaadi has primarily been analyzed as a critique of caste oppression (Warnapala, 2025). There is a lack of scholarship that examines these films collectively to understand how Sri Lankan cinema negotiates inter-religious and intercultural identities. While prior studies (e.g., Silva, 2018; Perera, 2019; Warnapala, 2025) analyze these works separately, this paper’s originality lies in its comparative framework and synthesis of postcolonial theory, cultural memory studies, and ideological analysis. It seeks to reveal how cinematic narratives both sustain and subvert the myth of a homogeneous Buddhist nation. Hence, this research contributes new insight by positioning Sri Lankan historical cinema as a hybrid cultural form one that simultaneously participates in state ideology and provides counter-hegemonic space for marginalized identities. This research gap highlights the need for a comparative study that situates these films within a unified analytical framework. Such an approach allows for a better understanding of how cinema alternately reinforces and destabilizes dominant narratives of Buddhist cultural hegemony while also providing space for marginalized voices. The research problem addressed here is the limited understanding of how Sri Lankan historical films collectively mediate religious and cultural negotiations. The aim is to critically analyze how these films represent religion, identity, and cultural conflict in shaping historical consciousness. The objectives are: 1. To examine the narrative strategies used in Maharaja Gamunu, Aloko Udapadi, and Gaadi. 2. To explore how these films negotiate the role of religion in cultural memory. 3. To identify whether these cinematic texts reinforce or challenge dominant historical narratives.