Thina wants to be the Netflix for Sri Lankan movies

The advent of streaming platforms have revolutionized the entertainment industry. When it comes to movies and TV series viewers from around the world are spoiled for choice with a plethora of content to choose from, largely thanks to the likes of Netflix. But often times, these choices come at the expense of localized content, particularly in smaller markets. Sri Lanka’s Tissa Nagodavithana Films, or better known as Thina (ති.නා.), hopes to change that as far as local cinema is concerned.

Tissa Nagodavithana was best known as the island’s leading film preservationist who purchased and renovated many old films for Sri Lankans to watch on TV and DVD formats. Viewers may be familiar with the “ති.නා.” watermark in old Sinhala movies. In a move to step in to the streaming era, the company behind the collection has a streaming platform that exclusively hosts its movies and series, dubbed Thina.

Old hits with a modern touch

The service includes a range of old (and some relatively new) Sinhala films under comedy, drama, thriller, and several other common themes. Viewers can access content via its site, Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Thina currently offers an unlimited streaming package at LKR 399 per month (plus taxes). However, the service will cost international customers USD 3.99 per month.

While it does offer local film buffs the convenience and accessibility of modern streaming, Thina doesn’t exactly replicate the Netflix experience. For instance, don’t expect features like AI generated content recommendations on your homepage, offline access or the ability to adjust streaming quality. Thina hasn’t specified if users can expect such functionalities on the platform in the future. Though it should be noted that technologies like Digital Rights Management (DRM) and video compression come with a fair bit of bandwidth and engineering requirements.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Sinhala movie content went online. Back in 2021, Evoke International Limited announced that it acquired exclusive mobile licensing rights to Tissa Nagodavithana’s catalogue of films. This meant that the collection was available for streaming via Hungama Play, a popular platform in South Asia.

As to the future of Thina, Tissa Nagodavithana Films is looking to an ambitious road ahead. The company states that it will not only bring eight decades of Sri Lankan movies, but also offer new and exclusive TV series and movies on the platform.