Rodney honoured in Karnataka, India View(s):By Susitha R. FernandoFilmmaker, 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. 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’. 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.

Source: Sunday Times January 17, 2026 19:33 UTC