MICHELLE DILHARA INTERNAYIONALLY ACCLAIMED ,ENVIRIONMENTALIST, AUTHOR, PHILONTHROPIST,ACTRESS ALREADY A CELEBRITY IN AN EFFERVERSANT VOYAGE SINCE SHE WAS FIFTEEN – By Sunil Thenabadu
Image Source : Michelle Dilhara Facebook
Hatharasinghege Michelle Dilhara born on 1 May 1996 is a Sri Lankan actress, social worker ,philanthropist and an Environmentalist. One of the most widespread television actresses in Sri Lanka, Dilhara is best known for playing the role of “Ayoma” in the popular television series Sudu Andagena Kalu Awidin Apart from acting, she also engrosses in various philanthropic events and is a social activist and an author.
In 2019 Dilhara received the National Youth Icon Award at the World Youth Summit held in New Delhi, India for her book “Social Invisibility is not a Fiction, it Exists” and for her “Theory of Alternative Social Cogwheel”. In 2020 Dilhara won the Best Upcoming Actress award at the Raigam Tele’es awards ceremony for her role in the critically acclaimed serial Sudu Andagena Kalu Awidin. For the same role, she also won the Best Upcoming Actress award at the 2019 Sumathi Awards, as well as won the State Award at 15th Television State Award festival in 2021. In 2020, Dilhara was nominated as the Best Actress at the 26th Sumathi Awards for her role “Mahimi” in the television series Can You Hear Me . In 2021, she was nominated as the Best Supporting Actress at the Raigam Tele’es awards ceremony for the television series Pork Veediya. In 2022, she was once again nominated for the best Supporting Actress award at the Raigam Tele’es for the serial Lokaa.
Currently, she performs her role as the Earth Day Network Ambassador for Sri Lanka. She is also an advocate and advocate of Net zero and Carbon neutrality. She collaborated with the Korean Ambassador Santhuth Woonjin Jeong to create a framework to implement Sustainable Development Goal 13, the net zero initiative within the Korean Embassy in Sri Lanka.
She was born in Ragama as the eldest of three siblings. She has two younger sisters: Mishen Prasadika and Rochelle Fiona. Her father, Hatharasinghege Premawardena, is a businessman and her mother, E. Jean Stella Fernando, is a housewife. She started her education from Negombo South International School and then moved to Newstead Girls College, Negombo for G.C.E O/L and A/L
During school times, at the age of 11, Dilhara started practicing martial arts and Karate-do-Shitokai under Sensei Rohan P. Udayakumara. Meanwhile, she also participated in several local and international Karate championships and won several medals. In 2010, she won the gold medal at the 2nd International Gōjū-ryū Karate Open Championship. She had jested that it is for self defense she had learnt the art. She is now a Karate black belt had learnt not to be a Karate trainer but fundamentally for her self-protection. In school Dilhara had studied in the English medium .At home too the medium of speech has been English. In her advanced level class, she had studies English Literature for practical’s too but had not studied acting as a subject though with innate talent had taken part in school dramas.
Dilhara possess an External Degree in IT and the Higher National Diploma in Psychology. She has also followed a course on Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development under the Senior Lecturer Duminda Guruge, at the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.
Dilhara was a member of the school’s drama team at Newstead Girl’s College where she started to act on the school stage on several occasions having had innate talent but not hereditary. After completing the A/L examination, she joined Abhina Academy conducted by veteran artist Anoja Weerasinghe in July 2016. According to Dilhara, Anoja Weerasinghe was her first mentor in acting, where she learned yoga as well as voice controlling and facial expressions. Later in October 2016, she had joined Damayanthi Fonseka’s acting Academy for further knowledge based on emotional balancing and character adaptation in drama. Then she joined Abhiranga Art Center Negombo, conducted by Randika Wimalasooriya in June 2017 to further learn Drama and Theater. During this period, she got the opportunity to study art from the Indian Theater Director, Ujjwal Singha.
In 2016, Dilhara made her first teledrama appearance in Dedunnai Adare directed by Saranga Mendis. Then she acted in the popular television serial Salsapuna directed by Nalan Mendis and telecasted on Sirasa TV, which made her breakthrough in the acting career. She was selected for the role “Preethiwa” popularly known as “Podi Paththarakari” by Sandhya Mendis, Chairman of Susila Productions. After her role she was addressed as ‘Podo Paththarakari’ in public. Even though the character was introduced in the middle of the serial, it was highly popularized among the public. During the same period, she then appeared with the leading role in the first Mobile drama ‘Dhara’, produced by Susila Productions.
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In 2017, Dilhara was selected to the television serial Poori directed by Ranil Kulasinghe, which was telecasted on Independent Television Network. In the serial, she played the role of a village girl named Maali. In the same year, she was cast for the fantasy teledrama Bodhi, directed by Sanjaya Nirmal. It was telecasted on Sirasa TV, where Dilhara played the role “Goddess Kali”.] In late 2017, she appeared in the serial Emy as the titular character “Emy”. It was directed by Sanjaya Nirmal and telecasted on ITN. Her character was highly popularized and acclaimed.
In 2018, she acted in the popular serial Sidu telecasted on TV Derana and directed by Thilina Boralessa. She acted as the “daylight angel”, who helped and protected Sidu during his journey with the little monk Soratha. During the same period, she acted in the science fiction television serial Thuththiri, with the role “Urmila” directed by Sanjaya Nirmal. The drama is also considered to be the first Sifi comedy mega drama in Sri Lanka.
In 2019, Dilhara acted in several television serials across many genres. She acted in the popular serial Sudu Andagena Kalu Awidin aired in Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation via which she really came to fame, directed by Sunil Costa.Dilhara atrributes the success of the teledrama was purely for the script made by veteran Professor Sunil Ariyaratne with abundance of familiarity. The serial was critically acclaimed and won several awards at local television award festivals. In the serial, Dilhara played the role of “Ayoma”, who is a teenage girl facing the hardships of life. This marked her first major role in the television screen, winning three Best Upcoming Actress awards at the Raigam Tele’es and State Television Awards. Later she acted in the serial Haratha Hera directed by Chandika Wijayasena. She played the role of a wealthy girl named Pabasara. Later she acted in the serial Haratha Hera and played the role of a wealthy girl named “Pabasara”.
In mid-2019, she portrayed the character “Kaweesha” in the television series Dadayam Bambaru directed by Sanjaya Nirmal, which was aired in Swarnavahini. Later during same the year, she acted in the television serial Kisa, which was her second main role, directed by Nimal Rathnayake. Then she was cast for the serial Sihina Kumari directed by Roshan Weerasinghe where Dilhara played a dual character of two sisters, “Amaya and Himaya”.] In 2020, she started to act in the comedy thriller serial Sihina Samagama which is currently aired on Swarnavahini.
In October 2020, she appeared in another thriller serial Can You Hear Me aired on National Television. She played the role of a young teenage girl named “Mahimi”. She was nominated as the Best Actress at the 26th Sumathi Awards for the performance in Can You Here Me. The series is the first-ever attempt to take Sri Lankan teledrama to international audience via social media where it is airing with English subtitles.[40] In 2021, Dilhara was cast for the role “Chenugi” in the serial Pork Street where she portrayed the character of a middle-class girl who was struggling financially with her husband. This role earned her a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress at the 2021 Raigam Tele Awards. During the same year she appeared as Dewani in the television series Race, which was aired on Siyatha TV.
In 2022, Dilhara was cast for the character Dushi in the popular TV series Podu Season 2 which was aired on TV Derana. The TV series was directed by Sharmila Dharmarasa. Dilhara portrayed the character of a wealthy teenage girl who was in the middle of a love triangle. During the same year, she appeared in the television series Looka which was directed by Jayaprakash Sivagurunathan. The TV series was aired in the Independent Television Network. Dilhara portrayed the character “Navya” and her performance in Looka earned her a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress at the 19th Raigam Tele Awards.
In 2023, Dilhara was cast for the television series Kaasi, directed by Iresh Lokubandara and is currently airing on Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. She portrays the character Sagarika, a middle-class girl who is enforced by her parents to marry a man who is twice her age as solution for their financial issues.
Dilhara made her film debut in the 2018 sports film, Udumabara, as a supporting role, that of “Michelle”, a talented athlete who competed against the lead character.
Apart from acting, she was also involved in several television commercials including popular the Maliban tea advertisements in 2017 and 2018. Later in 2018, she hosted the musical program 16+ telecasted on Sirasa TV in triumphant fashion been a novice presenter. This 16+ was a concept of Susara Dinal had produced new singers Charith ,Surith and Kanchana the songs of who had become you tube trending too.
In 2019, she hosted the entertainment program Weekend Vinode along with Udith Abeyrathne and Rukshana Dissanayake which aired every Saturday on Swarnawahini. In 2018, she acted in the music video Hitha Mage Nokiyama sung by a newcomer Dilani Kasthuriarachchi.[47] In 2019, she acted in Nilan Hettiarachchi’s music video Adara Belman. She also collaborated for the music video Umathu Prema Kumara sung by Sashika Nisansala in 2019.
In 2020, she acted in the music video Nethra along with Damitha Abeyratne. The song was voiced by Abhisheka Wimalaweera and dedicated for the Mother’s Day.
In 2019, Dilhara authored the book, in the English vernacular “Social Invisibility is not a Fiction it Exists” with her experiences after a grueling four years’ research with emeritus Professor Antonette Perera, Dr. Parakrama Warnasuriya and Dr. Shiromi Fernando. The book explains about the people affected by social invisibility due to race, negligence, discrimination, age, backwardness, and language barrier, and how to minimize social invisibility and social exclusion which exists predominantly in society. By reading this book people could avoid ailments, deceases and to take precautions. Dilhara explains how a bitch brings up the pups by feeding till they grow up,But when the pups grow up they are not concerned about their mum.But the humans are different as once the child becomes an adult he feels for his elderly parents.Dilhara’s book is published in the Amazon and in retail book shops.She also had made some of the incidents made practical too. One major issue was the English language barrier as if one required to find employment English was very essential. In 2019 received the National Youth Icon Award for her book at the World Youth Summit held in New Delhi, India selected from authors in many countries.
What had made Dilhara launch on her journey as since 15 years of age.One day when she was only fifteen years old had been accompanied by her father to the hospital to see her maternal uncle who was to be operated on. Within the hospital she had heard a big commotion like a fight between two factions never heard in a hospital, perhaps claiming two dead bodies. As any fifteen-year-old Dilhara was inquisitive to know what was going on as any fifteen-year-olds wished to be inquisitive. When she had gone out and come back in half an hour there was one dead body was laid unclaimed. She happened to visit the hospital again after two weeks had enquired from a nurse as to the reason for that commotion. She was told it was an issue in claiming the dead bodies. One dead body had not been claimed hence had to be cremated on hospital expenses. At that moment she was speculating why two human beings born in same village, died in the same hospital have had different types of funerals. She believes it is we who have differentiated as ugly, beautiful, rich, poor who have made this diversity. She too had been somewhat of a backward charisma. She had thought she also would be subjected to such variation as this was human invisibility category. This incident had paved the way for her to be a humanitarian. She from then onwards ,she had started to conduct free English scholarship programs for the financially challenged students in Sri Lanka with the support of the English lecturer Danushka Clark. In 2013, she completed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test as well. In 2018, Dilhara initiated “The invisible to visible movement” for the people who are affected by social invisibility and social exclusion. Started with 200 students in the Divulapitiya town, the program has now grown up to over 1000 students eventually. The scholarship program was initiated as a sub-project of The Invisible to Visible movement. The project was highly admired by the people island wide which enhances them to advance their communication skills with the world and to generate a track for them to approach the international job market through online jobs.
In 2020, Dilhara founded the community center called Senehas Arana for the retired citizens who are affected by Social invisibility and Social exclusion in Divulapitiya area. With the community center, she released her first theory “The Theory of Alternative Social Cogwheel”, which is a sociological theory of how people are affected due to factors such as the elderly, people with a disability, educational status, barriers for senior citizens in getting new jobs, discrimination, and violence. At the community centre the senior citizens who gather have many hobbies to attend to reading, indoor games, viewing television programs, exchanging common issues with each other. This enable the senior citizens to be occupied totally forgetting their isolated feelings ,to be happy mentally which averts depression which many senior citizens are subjected to after retirement mainly due to isolation not getting the usual telephone calls and losing the friends who were much younger .
In 2016, Dilhara organized a campaign with Manusha D. Navarathna, an active environmental activist, to reduce Environmental Degradation concerning climate change. The campaign was taken place at the Negombo beach premises for three consecutive days from 26 to 28 February 2016 to remove all the plastic objects that were circling on the beach. In May 2017, she organized a campaign for her 22nd birthday to change the focus of the youngsters to support the poor to stand on their feet rather than wasting time on video games and loitering aimlessly . During her campaign, she along with many youngsters collected more than one thousand kilos of rice and gave them to the needy families in Pinnakalewattha village. Later in August during the same year, she along with Manusha Navarathna an environmental colleague organized another project to plant 1000 trees as a solution to minimize the ongoing climate crisis that has taken place due to global warming and climate change. The trees were planted in Katana, Gampaha district of Sri Lanka.
In November 2018, Dilhara was the official host for the 2nd South Asian Youth Summit held in Sri Lanka. The event taken place with the participation of SAARC observer nation and personalities from across Asia. During the event, she won the “Asia Inspiration Award” 2018 for her contribution towards the South Asian philanthropy. In November 2019, she hosted the World Youth Summit which was held in New Delhi, India.
In January 2020, Dilhara conducted multiple awareness programs on climate change and social invisibility in universities, schools, newspapers, and television programs. In July 2020, Dilhara organized a three-day climate change camp for children, youngsters, and teenagers along with colleagues Navarathna and Clark. The initiative involves involving the youth to restore the earth and make a better place to live in the future. The camp included activities to reduce Environmental degradation and organized beach cleanups, awareness programs, and campaigns like planting trees.
On 22 April 2020, Dilhara was invited by the Earth Day Network to feature in their My Future My Voice campaign. As the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, the campaign was an environment platform for the youth to “Restore our earth”. She featured along with 50 other youths from around 17 countries on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, where she addressed the meeting on how to reduce the carbon footprint, aim for zero waste, development of renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save natural resources and educate the less fortunate.[65] The event witnessed the participation of renowned global personalities including Pope Francis, Denis Hayes, Albert II, Prince of Monaco, Al Gore, Patricia Espinosa, John Kerry, Zac Efron and Anil Kapoor. Meanwhile, on 11 May 2020, she was appointed as the Earth Day Network Ambassador to Sri Lanka.
On 2 July 2020, she conducted another awareness program along with the senior lecturer Department of Accountancy and Finance Rasika Devundara at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. The program was based on Climate Change and Personality Development and was conducted for the students of the Faculty of Management Studies. The awareness program was conducted to make the students aware of the impacts of climate change as well as how to develop their personality and self-confidence as university students.
On 7 March 2021, she conducted an awareness program on Climate Change and Global Warming at the GreenCon 2021 event which was organized by the Interact Club of Wycherley International School where the event was held at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo. Meanwhile, on 29 April 2021, she conducted an awareness program on Food Wastage and Its Impacts on Environmental Pollution collaborating with Food For All Kadamandiya Food Bank. She mainly focused on raising awareness of reducing food wastage which is a large contribution towards climate change and global warming and how to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger by saving food that is wasted under her theme “Social Invisibility is not a fiction it exists”
Dilhara has conducted an awareness program on Climate Change and Social Invisibility at the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka with Najith Guruge, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Health Promotion. The awareness program was conducted for the undergraduates in Faculty of Applied Sciences.
On 6 April 2021, Dilhara collaborated with Uva Wellassa University and organized a tree planting program in the university premises along with an awareness program. The program was initiated by the Career Guidance Unit Director Dr. Janaka Siyambalapitiya and Career Guidance Unit Counselor, Akila Aushada Bandara. The real focus of the event was to encourage the university to fight climate change and global warming. On 21 March 2021, she joined with University of Peradeniya and distributed rice bags and dry rations to elder homes who had not received food due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
Dilhara organized a tree planting program with University of Sri Jayewardenepura on 12 March 2021. Six different types of trees were planted in the university premises during the program. Dilhara also held an awareness program to the participants during the event as to how university students could subsidize and contribute towards minimizing climate change and global warming. On 28 February 2021, she conducted a lecture on climate change “Hear Earth” which was organized by AIESEC in University of Moratuwa. The program was presented with the aim of raising awareness on minimizing climate change, global warming, and contamination.
On 8 June 2021, Dilhara conducted an awareness program on Ecosystem Restoration at the University of Colombo along with Senior Professor Chandrika Wijerathna – Vice Chancellor, Professor Erandathie Lokupitiya, and Professor Siril Wijesundara. On the 12 September 2021, she conducted an awareness program on Deforestation and Global Warming at the University of Jaffna. In December 2022, Dilhara collaborated with the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka and launched the “Tree for Life” society, followed by an awareness program and a tree plantation package.
She collaborated with the IEEE WIE Student Branch affinity Group of General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University and conducted the program “EmpowHer” along with Professor Wasana Maithree Herath. The conference was organized with regard to celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021.
On July 29, Dilhara participated in the World Rain Day virtual fest which was organized by the Earth Day Network. She featured with other celebrity Earth Day Network ambassadors such as British Indian musician and composer Soumik Datta, Thai actor Alex Rendell, Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, Indian classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty, Indian composer Ricky Kej, Sonam Wangchuk and Filipino actor Dingdong Dantes.
On 1 July 2021, she collaborated with the Korean Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Santhush Woonjin Jeong, and initiated the ‘Go Green Embassy’ program. The program was initiated with the aim of converting the Embassy to a Green Embassy thereby achieving Carbon Neutrality and net-zero with respect to the P4G Seoul summit. During the program, a Mesua ferrea tree was planted at the Embassy premises symbolizing the Sri Lanka Korea friendship.
On 14 May 2022, Dilhara was invited as a guest speaker by the Korean Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Santhush Woonjin Jeong to the opening ceremony of “Korea Week 2022” which was held at the Colombo City Centre. The event was launched by the Korean Embassy in Sri Lanka in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Sri Lanka. Veteran actor Ravindra Randeniya, several Ambassadors and other representatives from Korea participated in the event.
On the 9 September 2022, Dilhara was invited as a delegate and speaker for the 4th ICSE Global Conference which was held in New Delhi, India. She addressed the gathering regarding Climate Literacy and Sustainable Education.
Dilhara had commenced her teledrama career when she was just twenty plus in Salsapuna of Nalan Mendis where she portrayed the role of Preethiva also well known as Podi Paththara kari, a role portrayed was of a journalist .Then she portrayed a role in Sunil Costa’s Sudu Awidin Kalu Andagena a role mixed as a village and city girl , then in Thuththiri a role of a outer world life and Dankodu Banda it was a warden in a children’s home. Dilhara had been fortunate to portrayed different roles instead to been used to portray the same role. Dihara acted in many teledramas v.i.z. Bodhi, Can you hear me, crime scene , Dadayam Bambaru,Dankudu Banda, Dedunne Adare, Emy, Harath Hera ,Kanthoru Moru, Kassi,Kisa, Lokaa, Mati kandulu, Podu 2, Poori, Pork Veediya,Salsapuna,Sidadiya Samanalayo, Sidu, Sihina Samagama, etc.
However perhaps owing to the non-availability of time Dilhara has portrayed a role in a solitary film Udumbara in telecast in year 2018.
Among the many awards and nominated Dilhara received Abdul Kalaam Memorial excellence award in year 2019 termed Youth Peace Ambassador award…Had beem nominated for the best upcoming actress at Raigam awards in year 2020 also for Sudu Andagena Kalu Avidin. Pork Veediya, Can You Hear Me.Won the best supporting actress award at Raigam Awards 2020 for her portrayal in Kalu Andagena Kalu Avidin, also at the Sumathi awards in same year 2020.Dilhara had won the merit award at State Television awards for the same role in Kalu Andagena Kalu Avidin.
Apart from Dilhara’s above awards at international and local award festivals including, at the South Asian Youth Summit and World Youth Summit. She also received an award from the Minister of Youth and Sports government of Malaysia, Mr.Syed Saddiq. In 2018 Dilhara won the Asia Inspiration Award at the South Asian Youth Summit for her contribution towards Social invisibility . In 2019 she won the National Youth Icon Award at the World Youth Summit for Philanthropy.
It is pertinent to mention that on many occasions her achievements have been published in the local print media extensively. Dilhara is often invited for discussions in all television channels in native Sri Lanka where she has spoken extensively on her social and philanthropic work.Dilhara also could sing well. Recently in a chat program she sang fluently two songs on of CT Fernando and the other of Rookantha Goonetilleke, the latter as a duet with the present leader of the Gypsies Piyal Perera.Her singing talents were proved beyond any doubt.Also very recently Dilhara participated as a guest in the Swarnavahini channel’s My Friends along with Manush her childhood friend and Shehan who helps and joins in her projects. At this program too she sang a song of Visharada Deepika Peiris “Wesi Diya” very fluently showing her singing prowess too.Dilhara had participated in many television programs particularly in the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation mainly in many Nugasevena morning programs.
In year 2023, Dilhara was cast for the television series Kaasi, directed by Iresh Lokubandara and is currently aired on Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. She portrays the character Sagarika, a middle-class girl who is forced by her parents to marry a man who is twice her age as solution for their financial issues.
In a television dialog Dilhara admitted that as all other female artistes she too is active with her Face Book page as she uploads all her latest activities for her followers to know. She has had many likes and posts from her beginning of her career.There have been many face book likes for many artistes.Once she has had the most likes for Facebook fan likes exceeding three lakhs twenty thousand along with many comments too.
Dilhara presently is a sought-after actress is very busy while attending to her other so much of social involvements, Once in a television dialog added that she acts in five tele dramas concurrently in addition to finding time for her social activities. She said once she receives her scripts, she studies her portrayal very intimately and after shooting is completed in one she cross refers to the other scripts, achieves her targets with proper time management. Michell Dilhara continues her social work balancing with her shooting word to emerge triumphant. All her followers would wish her strength to continue all her activities in the same vein.
