The screen adaptation of Funny Boy with Deepa Mehta

About the film

Funny Boy film posterFunny Boy is the highly-anticipated dramatic feature from Oscar nominee Deepa Mehta. Widely known for her trilogy films, Fire (1996), Earth (1998) and Water (2005), Mehta’s latest film is based on the best-selling Canadian novel by Shyam Selvadurai. Mehta co-wrote the screenplay with Selvadurai, with David Hamilton producing. Three-time Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore created the film score.

Shot on location and set in Sri Lanka in the 1970’s and 80’s, Funny Boy explores the awakening of sexual identity by a young boy named Arjie (portrayed by Arush Nand and Brandon Ingram). As political tensions escalate to a boiling point between the minority Tamils and the majority Sinhalese, a young boy comes of age in a society and family that doesn’t embrace difference outside of societal norms. The film chronicles Arjie’s struggle to find balance and self-love despite the absence of empathy and understanding.