Sumathi Awards to bring tele talents to the spotlight
Ruwini Jayawardana
Once again the Sumathi Group had set a date to stage their much hyped
about Sumathi Tele Awards at the Sugathadasa outdoor stadium on October
24. The awards ceremony is set to unfold for the successful 14th year,
felicitates those who had shown exceptional talent in the mini screen.
The ceremony is not limited to artistes and those linked with
teledramas alone but also focus on aspects like commercials and
television program presentation. It had created much excitement and
speculations ever since the awards ceremony took to the stage in 1995.
This year renowned beauty product Nature’s Secrets together with
MassCom Limited had joined hands to enhance the glitz and glamour of
Sumathi Tele Awards.
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From left Director - Events A.D. Ranjith Kumara, Director
Marketing - MassCom Nihal Pathirage, Head of Sumathi Group
Thilanga Sumathipala, General Manager- Nature’s Secrets Rajesh
Ranasinghe and Marketing Manager - Nature’s Secrets Philip
Mullegama during the press briefing. Picture by Prabodhi Lanka
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Addressing the media at a press briefing Sumathi head and member of
Western Provincial Council Thilanga Sumathipala emphasized the
importance of felicitating artistes and mini screen personalities for
the sake and sustenance of the mini screen.
He said, “I had a link with the performing arts scene from childhood.
Television made a break into the entertainment scene when cinema was
flourishing. Yet, the mini screen had emerged as one of the favourite
forms of entertainment devices among masses today”.
The key organizer of the event, seasoned journalist A.D. Ranjith
Kumara, said that this time too the team had worked hard to present a
memorable experience to the viewers. He noted that he found it a
challenge to put together 15 grand award ceremonies for Sumathi Group
for continuous years even after the experience he had gained by
organizing the Sarasaviya Film Festival some years back.
Many teledrama icons too spoke up at the event revealing their
enthusiasm towards Sumathi Tele Awards. Seasoned actor Sathischandra
Edirisinghe said that he was one of the pioneers linked with the history
of the awards ceremony and had proposed the stage to be decorated as the
Nissanka Latha Mandapaya in the maiden awards ceremony. He dubbed the
event as a occasion which showcases cultural aspects of the island and a
space where debutants as well as veterans get together to be rewarded
for their contribution.
Buddhadasa Vithanachchi, the first recipient of the best actor award
of the maiden Sumathi Tele Awards expressed that the festival added a
novel experience to the field while Roger Seneviratne said that the
festival had taught him patience.
“I have been nominated for awards several times but it was only
recently that I was able to lay hands on the award,” he said.
Roshan Pilapitiya, Oshadi Hewamadduma, Jackson Anthony, Sriyantha
Mendis, Kusum Renu, Palitha de silva Sunil Ratnayake, Chandika
Nanayakkara, Nayana Kumari and Saranga Dissasekara also spoke. |
