Desa Nisa

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Desa Nisa
Directed by	Lester James Peries
Produced by	Lester James Productions Northwestern Enterprises
Written by	Gunasena Galappathi
Starring	Joe Abeywickrema Sriyani Amarasena Ravindra Randeniya
Music by	Premasiri Khemadasa
Editing by	Gladwin Fernando
Release date(s)	1972
Running time	97 min
Country	Sri Lanka
Language	Sinhala
Budget	Approx. 200,000 rupees

Desa Nisa (Sinhala, The Eyes) is a 1972 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries. The film stars Joe Abeywickrema as Nirukada, an ugly man who worries that his blind wife will leave him if she regains her sight.

Peries made the film as a vehicle for Joe Abeywickrema. The source material was a Gunasena Galappatti play which was made more accessible to a lay audience by Galappatti on Peries' urging. Critics were puzzled by the film and wrote that it was Peries' most mysterious.

[edit] Plot

Nirudaka (Joe Abeywickrema) is an ugly man who is only loved by his mother (Denawaka Hamine) and taunted by others. He falls in love with blind Sundari (Sriyani Amarasena) and they get married.

The mother then feels obliged to cure Sundari's blindness much to Nirudaka's chagrin and takes her to a hermit (Ravindra Randeniya) with healing powers. In the climatic scene the hermit cures Sundari's blindness on a large rock. She laughs at Nirudaka and tries to leave, but is captured by the hermit. Nirudaka begs the hermit to let her go and takes off to not offend her.

The hermit realizes his folly and lets Sundari go. She again finds Nirudaka and they reconcile.