Principal photography has begun in Melbourne on Fawzia Mirza’s Written in the Stars , a romantic comedy adapted from Su Dharmapala’s novel The Wedding Season and set in Melbourne’s Sri Lankan community.
Written by Menik Gooneratne, who also leads the cast alongside Nikesh Patel and Saagar Shaikh, the film is an official Australian-Canadian co-production that is predicted to inject more than $4 million into the Victorian economy and create an estimated 300 jobs for local crew, cast and extras.
The supporting cast includes Maria Thattil, Leah Vandenberg, Georgina Naidu, Shapoor Batliwalla, Sunny S Walia, Sharon Johal, Vidya Rajan , Shamita Siva , Who Gives A Crap Co-Founder Jehan Ratnatunga, along with Yasmin Kassim, Canadian actor Swathi Umesh and newcomer Kiana Scire . Filming will take place at locations including Keilor, Keilor East, Pascoe Vale, East Melbourne, South Melbourne and Melbourne CBD.
The creative team features director of photography Michael Lincoln, production designer Paddy Reardon, costume designer Shauna Lovisetto and makeup and hair designer Lizzie Sharp, with Australian casting by Alison Telford and Kate Leonard.
Written in the Stars is a Sense & Centsability, Baby Daal Productions and Shut Up & Colour Pictures production, with Leanne Tonkes, Melissa Russo, Jenni Tosi, Andria Wilson Mirza, Marc Tetreault, and Jason Levangie producing. The film has major investment from Screen Australia in association with Telefilm Canada and is financed in association with VicScreen. Maslow Entertainment will distribute locally, with international sales handled by Blue Fox Entertainment.
It comes more than seven years after Gooneratne optioned Dharmapala’s novel, about a 32-year-old singleton whose mother arranges a parade of 101 potential grooms for her to coincide with the Sri Lankan wedding season, leading to the discovery that love can come in many disguises.
While writing the early drafts, Gooneratne came under the mentorship of writer/director Gurinder Chadha, known for Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice .
In 2021, the screenplay was chosen as one of ten scripts for the third annual CAPE List, an initiative from the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) and storytelling platform The Blacklist, designed to draw attention to unproduced scripts about Asian and Pacific Islander characters and experiences from writers from Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Tonkes said Sense & Centsability and Baby Daal Productions were united by a commitment to authentic storytelling, innovation, and amplifying diverse voices.
“The production of Written in the Stars marked the realization of a bold vision that began with Sense & Centsability – a vision to bring a powerful female-led story to audiences around the world,” she said.
“Along the journey, we were fortunate to find creative partners who shared that belief and recognized the opportunity for this story to resonate far beyond borders.
“Together with the creative expertise and support of Shut Up & Colour Pictures, this collaboration is a testament to what can happen when like-minded partners come together with a shared purpose and passion.”
Screen Australia director of narrative content Louise Gough said the film offered “a sparkling, warm and witty take on the romantic comedy genre.”
“Under Fawzia Mirza’s direction and with Menik Gooneratne’s sassy screenplay, the film centres Melbourne’s Sri Lankan diaspora while deftly exploring the universal tensions between tradition and modern life across love and family,” she said.
Victorian Creative Industries Minister Vicki Ward said bringing stories like Written in the Stars to life in the state for a global audience was a “wonderful tribute” to the depth and breadth of Victorian creatives and their talent.
“Home-grown talent creates home-grown jobs and a strong economy, and hundreds of jobs will be created through Su Dharmapala’s skills as a writer, alongside our fantastic local film crews and excellent film locations,” she said.
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