Gayathri Khemadasa is a Sri Lankan composer and contemporary classical pianist. Born in 1976 in Colombo, she is the daughter of Premasiri Khemadasa. She was educated at Ladies College, Colombo and studied music at the Prague Conservatory and Masaryk University, Czech Republic. [1] She began performing in public in 2005, in order to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami. [2] In 2011, she was awarded a Fulbright Professional Scholarship and became a visiting scholar at Wesleyan University where she began writing an opera on Phoolan Devi. [3] In 2015, at the Derana Film Awards, Khemadasa became the first Sri Lankan woman to win a national award for Best Original Score with the film Thanha Rathi Ranga. The following year, she won the award for Best Music Director at the Hiru Golden Film Award for the same film. [4] In 2022, at the Ceylon International Film Festival in California, She became the first Sri Lankan to win an international award for Best Music with the film The Newspaper. [5] Two more additional awards followed in November 2023 at the Presidential Film Awards where she won Best Song Melody and Best Music Director. [6]
Hettiarachchige Reginald Jothipala, popularly as H. R. Jothipala, was a Sri Lankan playback singer in the Sinhala cinema as well as a film actor. Considered as the best playback singer in Sri Lankan film history, Jothipala lent his voice to all classes of actors ranging from Eddie Jayamanne to Ranjan Ramanayake. He also worked as an opera singer. He died in July 1987 at the age of 51 year from cardiac arrest.
Deshamanya Kala Keerthi Dr.Premasiri Khemadasa also known as "Khemadasa Master" was a Sri Lankan music composer. Exploring the various styles of music around the world Khemadasa endeavoured to develop a unique style of music. He combined Sinhala folk tunes, Hindustani music, Western music and many other streams of music in his compositions while adapting them to fit contemporary music.
Tennakoon Mudiyanselage Jayaratne, also known as T.M. Jayaratne (Sinhala:ටි.එම්.ජයරත්න) in Dodangoda, Sri Lanka is a popular Sri Lankan vocalist and a violinist.
Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda is an internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film director, producer and former Chairperson of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. In 2002 she received critical acclaim for her maiden effort Sulang Kirilli, which deals with the theme of abortion. The film won the highest number of awards won by a single film in the history of Sri Lanka's film industry. She is an active member of "Colombo Independents Cinema Forum" which works towards a "better and wholesome Srilankan cinema". After a highly productive maiden venture, she is regarded as one of the few successful female directors in Sri Lanka.
Dinesh Subasinghe is a Sri Lankan composer, violinist, and music producer. He composed Karuna Nadee, a Buddhist oratorio, and re-introduced a lost, ancient musical instrument known as the ravanahatha to Sri Lanka. He is also a film and television composer whose works integrate western and eastern classical music with electronic music, Buddhist music, folk music, traditional orchestral arrangements, and world music genres. From 2002 to 2009 he led the pop classical band, Dee R Cee Members.
Sisila Gini Gani is a 1992 Sri Lankan, Sinhala language film. It was the first film directed by Prasanna Vithanage. The film stars Sanath Gunathilake and Sabeetha Perera in lead roles along with Veena Jayakody and Asoka Peiris.
Deepanath Channa Perera, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and television as well as a filmmaker and screenplay writer.
Eththiligoda Vidana Gamage Pubudu Chathuranga,, popularly as Pubudu Chathuranga, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. He is also worked as a model, TV presenter and a screenplay writer.
Warnakulasuriya Uswaththa Liyanage Sabeetha Janaki Perera is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and old Lollywood cinema of Pakistan. She is the most successful female superstar during the '80s and '90s in Sinhala cinema. Sabeetha has received a number of awards for her acting, including the Sarasaviya, OCIC, Presidential and the Swarna Shanka.
Deshamanya Matharage Rita Genevieve Fernando, better known by her stage name Latha Walpola, is a Sri Lankan singer. Her fans refer to her as "The Nightingale of Sri Lanka"
Senadheerage Amarasiri Peiris is a Sri Lankan singer. One of the most honored singers of Sri Lanka, Peiris is a well known violinist and a vocalist.
Thanha Rathi Ranga (Between Yesterday and Tomorrow) (Sinhala: තණ්හා රතී රඟා) is a 2014 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama thriller film directed by Nilendra Deshapriya, in his directorial debut, and produced by Sunil T. Fernando for Sunil T. Films.
Hiru Golden Film Awards is an award bestowed to distinguished individuals involved with the Sri Lanka's silver screen, awarded by the Asia Broadcasting Corporation, Sri Lanka and organised by Hiru TV, in recognition of the contributions made by them to the Sri Lankan cinema industry. First commenced in 2014, is held every two years, Hiru Golden Film Awards ceremony is one of the most popular cinematic program events in Sri Lanka. The ceremony was held thrice with the participation of popular Bollywood film stars along with Sri Lanka's finest stars together.
Guerilla Marketing is a 2005 Sri Lankan Sinhala action thriller film directed by Jayantha Chandrasiri and produced by K.C.K Communications for Euroshian Consultancy. It stars Yashoda Wimaladharma, Kamal Addararachchi and Sangeetha Weeraratne in lead roles along with Jackson Anthony and Sriyantha Mendis. Music composed by Premasiri Khemadasa. It is the 1050th Sri Lankan film in the Sinhala cinema.
Kaushalya Fernando, is a Sri Lankan actress, director, producer and civil activist. Fernando is a five-time winner of the prestigious best actress award at the State Drama festival. She is the daughter of popular theatre director late Somalatha Subasinghe.
Wakunugoda Gayathri Irosha Dias [Sinhala]), popularly as Gayathri Dias, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Apart from acting, she is also a beauty queen, a presenter, a beautician and a entrepreneur.
Edna Kamala Yeromani [Sinhala]), popularly as Edna Sugathapala, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. She is also a pianist, vocalist and astrologer. She is the only artiste in the Sri Lankan cinema who worked as a professional astrologer. She is best known for the roles in films Miringuwa, Senehasa and Tharanaya.
Pothupitiya Kankanamge Pradeepa Nirmali Hemamali Dharmadasa,, popularly as Pradeepa Dharmadasa, is a Sri Lankan musician, playback singer and former stage drama actress in Sri Lankan theatre and television.
Morris Denzil Bernard 'Barney' Wijesinghe,, popularly known as Morris Wijesinghe, was a Sri Lankan musician and playback singer. One of the popular pop artists in 1980s of Sri Lankan music with a career spanning more than four decades, Wijesinghe has sung several popular songs including Doowillen Wathsunu Thawara, Nil Ahas Thale Aage, Oba Enna and Peradiga Ahase.
Herath Mudiyanselage Jayawardena, popularly as H. M. Jayawardena, was a Sri Lankan flutist, musician and composer. One of the most respected musicians in Sri Lanka, Jayawardena started his musical career as a flutist and later became a popular music director and composer.