About the Drama: Oru Urula — Tamil Short Play

The Tamil short drama Oru Urula was written and directed by Sachini Kaushalya Walikala, under the artistic guidance of Suresh Madhushan Perera. It represented the Tamil Short Drama category at the 43rd National Youth Drama Festival in 2023 and had its public premiere on October 20, 2023, at the Elphinstone Theatre. The production was later staged for a second time on November 3, 2023, at the same venue, representing the same category at the 50th State Drama Festival. The drama explores the tragic fate of a woman who travels to the Middle East in search of employment as a domestic helper.

Oru Urula follows a young man and woman from Kandy who travel to Colombo to stage a play. To raise funds, they join a gas cylinder company's promotional campaign. While working, they rehearse their play and select a script based on real cases from a police complaint book. In the first dramatization, the man plays a police constable and the woman a complainant. In the second, they re-enact a case about a Sri Lankan domestic worker in the Middle East who faces sexual harassment from a driver, is deceived into undergoing surgery to remove a kidney, and ultimately dies by suicide. Her body is hidden in a suitcase, and the cycle ominously restarts as the driver announces a new job vacancy.

The drama unfolds in three key scenes:

1. The promotional campaign setting.

2. Selecting a script from the police station.

3. The dramatization of the domestic worker’s tragic story.

All characters are portrayed by just two performers—one actor and one actress—who change costumes onstage. The set design is minimalist, using only four gas cylinders and a suitcase, which the actors rearrange to create different spaces. The drama begins with Papara music, and sound is used creatively to enhance transitions and emotional intensity. Blending narrative theatre and minimalism, Oru Urula relies heavily on music as a dramatic force behind its success.

Awards at the 50th State Drama Festival:

• Best Direction: Sachini Kaushalya
• Best Production (2nd Place): Sachini Kaushalya
• Best Stage Composition: Sachini Kaushalya
• Best Set Design: Sachini Kaushalya
• Best Actress: Induni Nilanka
• Best Actor (2nd Place): Bhaskar Krishan
• Best Music Direction: Nuwan Gunawardhana
• Best Lighting Design: Anuradhi Nivarthana
• Best Costume Design: Jeeva Maheshi

Awards at the 43rd National Youth Drama Festival:

• Best Script (2nd Place): Sachini Kaushalya
• Best Production (2nd Place): Sachini Kaushalya
• Special Jury Mention – Best Actress: Induni Nilanka
• Best Actor: Bhaskar Krishan
• Best Music Direction: Nuwan Gunawardhana
• Best Set Design: Sachini Kaushalya
• Best Costume Design: Induni Nilanka
• Best Lighting Design: Anuradhi Nivarthana
• Best Stage Management: Dulanya Jayatilaka

Oru Urula Team

Cast

Baskar Krishan

Induni Nilanka Abayasena

Creative Team

Producer / Director – Sachini Kaushalya

Artistic Advisor – Suresh Madhushan Perera

Music Director – Nuwan Gunawardhana

Scriptwriters - Sachini Kaushalya

Technical Team

Stage Management – Dulanya Jayathilake

Lighting Design – Anuradhi Niwarthana & Suresh Madhushan Perera

Costume Design – Jeewa Maheshi

Musicians

Nuwan Gunawardhana 

Chamithu Nenuka

Chanuka Sandeep

Anuja Chamath 

Rehan Fernando 

Dasun Sandeepa

Make-up Artists

Randika Tishan

Ayesha Gamage

Backstage Crew

Hiruni Kapilarathna

Umasha Jayasundara

Hasarinda Hirushan

W.V.D. Niranga

Sithuni Edirisooriya