By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe 

From ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ to ‘Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom’ Sri Lanka’s scenic locations have set the backdrop for some great cinematic masterpieces over time. Scenic backdrops from majestic rivers in Kitulgala to the thick jungles of Sinharaja forest to pristine beaches in Beruwala, remote villages in Kandy and the urban landscape of Colombo have been potential locations for widely acclaimed international films. Taking this trend forward, ongoing promotions aim at projecting Sri Lanka as a global film destination to attract foreign audiences and investments. 

International movies filmed in Sri Lanka 

Some of the greatest cinematic masterpieces filmed in Sri Lanka includes The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), filmed in Kitulgala, Elephant Walk (1954) filmed in Kandy and Beruwala, The Purple Plain (1954) filmed in Sigiriya and Koggala, The Planter’s Wife (1952) filmed in Negombo and Colombo, Tarzen the Ape Man (1981) filmed in Kandy and Sinharaja Rain Forest, Second Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo (1997) filmed in Kandy, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) filmed in Kandy, Mother Teresa: In the name of the God’s Poor (1997) filmed in Colombo, Water (2005) filmed in Colombo and Kandy and Monkey Kingdom (2015) filmed in Colombo and Kandy. 

Deepa Mehta in Sri Lanka

Three films of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta including Midnight’s Children, Water and Funny Boy were filmed in Sri Lanka in a bid to bridge global narratives and local landscapes. Taking place from May 30 to June 1, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts’ ‘Signature Weekend’ will honour the acclaimed work of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta and her long-time producing partner David Hamilton, founder of Hamilton–Mehta Productions. 

The event hosted by Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts in partnership with the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is a celebration of storytelling, cinema and Sri Lanka’s rising prominence as a global film destination. 

The Signature Weekend will take place at two special venues: Cinnamon Bentota Beach and Cinnamon Life - City of Dreams, Colombo. The programme promises an immersive blend of film screenings, panel discussions with Deepa Mehta.

Upcoming Indian movies filmed in Sri Lanka

Parasakthi (2026)

Indian-Tamil film ’Parasakthi’ directed by Sudha Kongara was recently filmed in Colombo. The political period drama film set in the 1960s features a stellar cast including Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa and Sreeleela. Some of its scenes were filmed at the Vihara Maha Devi Park and Colpetty Railway Station. Based on true events, the film revolves around the Anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu that happened in 1965.

Kingdom (2025)

The song sequence for the upcoming Telugu spy-action thriller movie Kingdom directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri starring Vijay Deverakonda was recently filmed in Galle, Sri Lanka. According to media reports the film will be released in July.

Mirai (2025)

High-budget Telugu fantasy movie ‘Mirai : Super Yodha’ directed by Karthik Gattamneni starring Teja Sajja of ‘HanuMan’ fame is a story about a warrior who is tasked with protecting nine scriptures that can turn any mortal into a deity. The film’s trailer which was released recently features a scene shot at the Demodara Nine Arch Bridge in Ella, Sri Lanka. 

Megastar 429 

Malayalam cinema legends Mammootty and Mohanlal will reunite on the silver screen after a hiatus of 11 years in an upcoming movie project directed by Mahesh Narayanan. Tentatively titled ‘Megastar 429’ the shooting of this star-studded film commenced in Sri Lanka in November 2024.