By Susitha R. Fernando Filmmaker, writer and senior journalist Rodney Widanapathirana was recently honoured for his outstanding contribution to cinema, arts and journalism at the ‘Chinnaswamy Hindustan Gagan Festival’, organised by the ‘Open University of Karnataka State’. The honorary award was presented at the Mysore Open University in recognition of Widanapathirana’s long-standing and multifaceted contribution [...]
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Filmmaker, writer and senior journalist Rodney Widanapathirana was recently honoured for his outstanding contribution to cinema, arts and journalism at the ‘Chinnaswamy Hindustan Gagan Festival’, organised by the ‘Open University of Karnataka State’.
The honorary award was presented at the Mysore Open University in recognition of Widanapathirana’s long-standing and multifaceted contribution to Sri Lanka’s arts landscape, spanning cinema, teledrama, documentary filmmaking, travel literature and media reportage. The selection committee cited his extensive work in newspapers and television, alongside his cinematic creations and travel books, as key factors in conferring the honour.
Rodney Widanapathirana receiving his award from Vice Chancellor of Kodagu University Prof. Ashok S.Alur. Standing behind is chief organiser of Hindustan Gagan awards festival, Dr. Chinnaswami Jaganatha.
Widanapathirana was among a distinguished group of recipients from the South Asian region, which included Pradeep Khanal of Nepal and Shereen Vanshuk of Bhutan. The ceremony itself was a vibrant cultural affair, enriched by traditional dance and music from the Mysore region, and attended by an eminent gathering of chancellors, vice chancellors, professors and academics from universities across the region.
A respected name in Sri Lankan teledrama, Rodney Widanapathirana began his directorial journey with ‘Udawediya Mal’ and has since directed six teledramas, including ‘Sapa Nokaraw Dharuwane’, ‘Wanapasa Mal’, ‘Hathe Wasama’, ‘Hemanthaye Wasanthayak’, ‘Ridi Tharaka’ and ‘Hima Piyali’. His early exposure to cinema saw him working as an assistant director on Sena Samarasinghe’s ‘Chanchala Rekha’ and Shirley P. Wijeratne’s ‘Welle Thenu Maliga’.
He later ventured into filmmaking with his own feature film ‘Shilpa Denu Mena’, which unfortunately had to be halted midway due to unavoidable circumstances. Beyond directing, Widanapathirana is widely recognised as a multi-talented creative force, particularly for his versatility as a lyricist.
Award Recipients Rodney Widanapathirana (Sri Lanka), Shereen of Bhutan and Pradeep of Nepal.
His evocative and memorable lyrics have been brought to life by many leading singers, resulting in several popular songs such as Vijaya Kumaratunga’s ‘Karamba Yaye’, Jagath Wickremasinghe’s ‘Sagara Tharanga’, Nirosha Virajani’s ‘Sanda Rajini’ and Nimal Gunasekara’s ‘Prema Maya Dele’.
Rodney Widanapathirana is currently working on his latest film project, ‘Hemantha Sihinayak’, continuing a creative journey that has left an indelible mark on Sri Lanka’s cultural and artistic narrative.
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Print Edition – The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
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