Winners all the way ...

Semini Iddamalgoda and Sumith Ratnayaka are the award winners of the State Stage Drama Festival held this year. They won the Best Actor's and Actress' awards for their excellent performance in the stage drama 'Punchi Aadara Balakirimak', produced by Buddhika Damayantha. Jubilant in their triumph the duo spared a few minutes with the Sunday Observer Magazine sharing their bliss of happiness with our readers.

by Lakmal Welabada

Sumith - Best Actor

Hailing from a remote village , Tambuttegama, Anuradhapura, Sumith has come a long way with grit. "Village dramas which are staged with back ground dialogues played separately were the first inspiration I got when I was a little boy. My father was a Teeter actor and he also liked me coming up in acting.

In fact he tried to teach me dancing, though it was not successful," he says.

After sitting for A/Ls in Arts subjects Sumith toured to Colombo looking for opportunities in the drama field. "I had some sort of a exposure to stage drama as I have been taking part in drama competitions and festivals in school levels such as of North Central Province school drama competitions since I was in grade five.

I have even won awards for acting and producing school stage dramas," he says. "But this achievement is great! just great!.. as it's a rare fortune an actor can ever achieve," he elates.

Sumith later followed the workshop in acting and stage drama conducted by Jayalal Rohana and Shelton Payagala at Subodhi Human Skill Development Centre, Piliyandala.

He also took part in one-year Diploma course in stage drama at Youth Centre, Maharagama. He has followed a course at Nisco video centre at the same place where he got the chance to study technical field as well.

" 'Punchi Aadara Balakirimak' is a translation of Indian drama 'Friends' produced by Vijaya Tendulkar. And it was a novel experience for all the actors and actresses as well as the audience," he says. Sumith learnt stage administration when he got the chance to work with the stage drama 'Davasa Thama Gevune Ne'.... 'Swarnamalee', produced by Bandula Jayawardana was his first appearance for the public on stage.

Sumith comes on Swarnavahini everyday at 9.00 pm as 'Dilum' in Sanath Abeysekara's tele 'Sanda Yalith Evith'... The young actor hopes to go on a long way.

"Our people should improve their artistic appetite. It's sad to say that it is in a very low profile at present, he concludes.

Semini - Best Actress

While at a shoot for 'Yes Boss', comedy on Sirasa TV of Suranjan Wijenama telecast on Rupavahini on Saturday , Semini shared her victory with our readers.

Semini's first stage drama was 'Mama Ipadune Eeye Nove' produced by M.Safir. And so she won the best actress award in her very second stage drama 'Punchi Aadara Balakirimak'. "It's a great achievement. This is because cinema is Director's media and tele field is script writer's media.

And stage drama is the only media of the actor and actress. So I think I endeavoured it really successfully," she cheers.

"My first appearance was Shriyani Amarasena's tele 'Ira Batu Tharuwa'. Since then I have been lucky and played main roles in all the teles I did. At present Piyal Yatawara's 'Kammiththa' and Sanjaya Nirmal's 'Divya' on Rupavahini are the present two teles I appear in.

Other than that I present 'Mathaka Mawatha - Semini Samaga' (Memory lane with Semini) on Derana TV in which renowned and young talent mingle with their delightful past memories.

Semini has taken part in 17 - 18 teles. But still the cinema has not yet extracted her skills, it seems. Only four films have derived her talents. But even out of that this bold start was able to win a Merit Award for the role she played at 'Yakada Pihatu' produced by Udayakantha Warnakulasuriya.

Semini has no high aspirations in her career, though she wants to do 'the best' what she does.

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