Sinhala Movie "Maariya" Accused of Violating the NATA Act

From TobaccoUnmasked

Summary

Background

Maariya: The Ocean Angel (මාරියා: The Ocean Angel) is a Sri Lankan Sinhala movie released on 21 November 2025. This movie was directed by Aruna Jayawardana and who also wrote the screenplay and song lyrics. The movie was produced by Indrajith Silva.[1] The film featured an all-men cast including Mahendra Perera, Hemal Ranasinghe, Ashan Dias, Priyantha Sirikumara, Dasun Pathirana, Suran Dasanayake, and the late Darshan Dharmaraj.[1]

Jayawardana had directed four other movies named August Drizzle (2013), Happy Birthday (2022), 1970 Love Story (2024), and Darmayuddhaya 2 (2026), all of which included scenes depicting smoking and alcohol use.[2][3][4][5]

Direct and Indirect Promotions of Tobacco and Alcohol in the movie

This movie contained multiple scenes depicting tobacco use by four out of seven actors; Mahendra Perera, Hemal Ranasinghe, Ashan Dias, and the late Darshan Dharmaraj. The movie also contained multiple scenes depicting alcohol use by the entire cast of seven actors.

  • Gallery

  • Image 1: One of the main characters (Mahendra Perera) depicting smoking in ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’ movie, Excerpt from movie trailer ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’[6]

  • Image 2: One of the main characters (Ashan Dias) depicting smoking in ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’ movie, Excerpt from movie trailer ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’[6]

  • Image 3: One of the main characters (The late Darshan Darmaraj) depicting smoking in ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’ movie, Excerpt from movie trailer ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’[6]

  • Image 4: One of the main characters (Hemal Ranasinghe) depicting smoking in ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’ movie, Excerpt from movie trailer ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’[7]

  • Image 5: Two of the main characters (Mahendra Perera and Priyantha Sirikumara) depicting alcohol use in ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’ movie, Excerpt from movie theme song ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’[8]

  • Image 6: All the characters depicting alcohol use in ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’ movie, Excerpt from movie trailer ‘Maariya: The Ocean Angel’[7]

Complaints on Violating the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act

The Tobacco Unmasked Hotspots (TUHS) website received several complaints about multiple scenes from this moive promoting tobacco and alcohol use. They were forwarded to National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA).

Implications

Scientific evidence reveals that youth exposed to tobacco advertising and promotion hold positive attitudes towards tobacco use, increasing their risk of initiation and sustenance of the habit. Thus, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends complete ban on tobacco advertisements, promotion, and sponsorship. You can read more on our page FCTC Article 13: Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship.

National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act, the main legal framework on tobacco and alcohol, prohibits direct and indirect advertisements on tobacco and alcohol. According to the NATA Act, “tobacco advertisement” is “any writing, still or moving picture, sign, symbol or distinctive colours or other visual image or any audible message or any combination of the aforesaid that promotes or is intended to promote smoking, the purchase or use of a tobacco product, a trade mark registered in respect of a tobacco product or articles that include tobacco products, a brand name associated with a tobacco product, the name of the manufacturer of a tobacco product.”

Tobacco Unmasked Resources

The local language translations

TobaccoUnmasked_Sinhala
TobaccoUnmasked_Tamil



Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Film.lk. Maria, 2020, accessed April 2026
  2. ↑ The Movie Database. Arun Jayawardana, accessed April 2026
  3. ↑ TobaccoUnmasked. Jagath Manuwarna, October 2025, accessed April 2026
  4. ↑ Full Films. 1970 Love Story Sinhala Film Trailer, Youtube, 2 March 2023, accessed April 2026
  5. ↑ TobaccoUnmasked. Randika Gunathilake, August 2024, accessed April 2026
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Art Center SL. මාරියා | Maariya Official Trailer, Youtube, 24 October 2025, accessed April 2026
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 WATCH TRAILER. MAARIYA : THE OCEAN ANGEL (මාරියා) - OFFICIAL TRAILER (2024) WATCH TRAILER, Youtube, 25 March 2025, accessed April 2026
  8. ↑ Flicokoo. මාරියා චිත්‍රපටයේ නිළ තේමා ගීතය - Official theme song Mariya Movie, Youtube, 13 October 2025, accessed April 2026
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