The renovations of the official residence of the Colombo Mayor are done for the filming of an Indian movie!

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The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is among the most prominent and influential local government institutions, which consistently attracts the attention of the public. With the appointment of Ms. Vraie Cally Balthazaar from the National People’s Power (NPP) party as the mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council, viral claims questioned why the CMC building was being renovated, with some linking this move with the new Mayor. Let’s look at the claim first. 

Social Media Posts:

A social media post was shared with a video stating, “The Colombo Mayor’s official residence is being renovated for the mayor appointed by Anura”. The video mentions that the “Sirinivasa,” or the official residence of the Colombo mayor, is undergoing renovation. 

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According to the video frames, it is clearly visible that renovations are taking place at the official residence of the Mayor of Colombo.

Many other social media users had also posted on social media that the official residence was being renovated to accommodate the arrival of the Colombo Mayor.

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The Newshub website had published a story under the headline, “Vraei Balthazaar to reside at the Colombo Mayor’s Office? City Council employees are working very hard!” 

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However, through our investigation, we found out that these social media posts are misleading.

Fact Check:

Response from the Mayor’s Office 

We inquired about this from the Mayor’s Office of the Colombo Municipal Council. The Mayor’s Office stated that renovations have been taking place at the Mayor’s Official residence for the past few days, but it was not for the Mayor’s visit. According to their explanation, the renovations were made because the Mayor’s official residence had been rented for several days for the filming of an Indian movie at a daily rental rate of US$1,200. They further stated that it is expected to provide the residence for such filming opportunities in the future and gain revenue for the Colombo Municipal Council.

Response of Colombo Mayor.

We also inquired with the Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council, Ms. Vraie Calley Balthazaar, to confirm this. She stated that these renovations and preparations are being done for an Indian movie shoot.

The Mayor further stated that she will work in accordance with the policies followed by the President and the Prime Minister, and will continue to live in her rented house. The mayor also stated that in the future, the mayor’s official residence will be used as public property, allowing it to be utilised for children’s activities and artistic events in the city, without causing any damage to the structure or any other form of harm.

Response from the Film Corporation

We also inquired about this from the Film Corporation, and they stated that, with the corporation’s approval, the shooting of an Indian teledrama called Stepsons is taking place at the relevant location, and that this shooting will take place at the location for a period of 8 days.

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Conclusion :

Our investigation reveals that although a renovation is underway at the official residence of the Colombo Mayor, it is not due to the appointment of Ms. Vraie Calley Balthazaar as Mayor, but rather for the filming of an Indian movie.