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Chairman, ANCL Nalin Ladduwahetty presiding over the meeting held at the Lake House Boardroom to mark the launching of the ‘Sarasaviya Film Artistes Benevolent Fund’ yesterday. Stella Marapana, ANCL Director Editorial and Marketing Bandula Padmakumara, Workng Director D. K. Somasiri, General Manager B. A. Jinadasa, film director Bennett Ratnayake, actresses Malani Fonseka and Sangeetha Weeraratne, Sarasaviya editor Anura Bandara Rajaguru and Kumudu Madugalle were also present. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage

A special fund to assist film artistes who contributed for the uplift of the Sinhala cinema called the 'Sarasaviya Film Artistes Benevolent Fund' was launched by Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. at a ceremony at Lake House, Colombo presided over by its Chairman Nalin Ladduwahetty yesterday.

Film director Bennet Ratnayake and actresses Malani Fonseka and Sangeetha Weeraratne attended the ceremony as representatives of the film artistes.

Addressing the gathering ANCL Chairman Ladduwahetty said the heartrending story of her present plight revealed by Mabel Blythe, a popular actress of yesteryear, when she received the Ranathisara lifetime award from a wheelchair at the 27th Sarasaviya Film Awards ceremony recently, spurred the Company to launch this special Fund.

He said this Fund will be utilised to help all deserving artistes who are in a similar plight in the future. ANCL Director (Editorial and Marketing) Bandula Padmakumara said the Fund will initially concentrate on helping Mabel Blythe by renovating her dilapidated house.

The programme will be later extended to assist other deserving artistes as well.

Malani Fonseka said Mabel Blythe through her forthright speech at the Sarasaviya awards night had evoked public interest in all colleagues in the film world leading difficult lives.

The launching of this special fund would be a boon to both film stars and technicians and she thanked ANCL Chairman, the management and staff for this noble service.

Sangeetha Weeraratne said she considered it a privilege to participate in this historic event which would benefit local film artistes.

ANCL contributed Rs. 100,000 as a nucleus for the Fund by opening a special bank account in the name of the Fund at the Bank of Ceylon, Lake House Branch.

ANCL General Manager B. A. Jinadasa was appointed Secretary of the Fund. Two special committees were also appointed to oversee the working of the Fund.

Malani Fonseka, Ranjan Ramanayake, Stella Marapana, ANCL Working Director D. K. Somasiri and Sarasaviya Editor Anura Bandara Rajaguru will serve in one committee while Sangeetha Weeraratne, Bennett Ratnayake, Kumudu Madugalle, ANCL Director Editorial and Marketing Bandula Padmakumara and General Manager B. A. Jinadasa will serve in the other committee.

Sarasaviya Deputy Editor Deepthi Fonseka and Sub Editor Hemali Wijeratne will co-ordinate the activities of the two committees.