Senesh Dissanaike Bandara Ph.D, MA, BA (Hons.) සෙනේෂ් දිසානායක බණ්ඩාර is a

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and a

television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...

director in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. His first film

Aadaraneeya Wassaanaya ''Adaraneeya Wassanaya'' () is a 2004 Sri Lankan romantic musical film directed by Senesh Dissanayake Bandara. It is produced along with Bandula Weerackody co-produced for Telestar Private Limited and produced by Vinod Arosha, Nalin Aponsu, Nihal ...

(Love in Autumn) in 2004 was screened for more than 100 days island wide. Senesh is a member of the State Television Arts Panel of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka. Former Secretary, Executive Committee Member and Editor of Telemakers Guild of Sri Lanka, Executive Committee Member and Editor of Film Directors Guild of Sri Lanka.

Early life and education

Senesh was educated at

Nalanda College, Colombo ''Āpadāna Sobhinī Panñā'' , motto_translation = Character Illumines Wisdom , established = , founder = Patrick de Silva Kularatne , type = National , grades = ...

.Senesh is a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication graduate with

honors Honour (or honor in American English) is the quality of being honorable. Honor or Honour may also refer to: People * Honor (given name), a unisex given name * Brian Honour (born 1964), English footballer and manager * Gareth Honor (born 1979) ...

from

University of Kelaniya Pannaya Parisujjhati , mottoeng = Self-purification is by insight , established = 1875 Vidyalankara Pirivena1959 Vidyalankara University , type = Public , endowment = , adminis ...

Postgraduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

of Masters in Mass Communication

University of Sri Jayewardenepura ''Vijja Uppattam Setta'' , mottoeng = Among all that arise, knowledge is the greatest , established = , undergrad = 14,750 , postgrad = 3560 , administrative_staff = 3950 , cit ...

, Doctor of Philosophy

Ph.D A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

University of Peradeniya The University of Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය, ta, பேராதனைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a Public research university, public university in Sri Lanka ...

and

New York Film Academy New York Film Academy – School of Film and Acting (NYFA) is a private for-profit film school and acting school based in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. The New York Film Academy was founded in 1992 by Jerry Sherlock, a former film, t ...

in the United States,

National Radio and Television Administration The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) is a ministry-level executive agency controlled by the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Its main task is the administration and supervision of state-owned enterp ...

in China,

Korean Broadcasting System The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

in South Korea.

Career

Television

Senesh started his media career as a television program producer at

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා රූපවාහිනී සංස්ථාව; ta, இலங்கை ரூபவாகினி கூட்டுத்தாபனம்), also known as Jathika R ...

(National television) in 1991 as a teenage school leaver. Senesh produced musicals, talk shows, sports coverage, documentaries, entertainment and television magazine programs such as The News Station, Udaa Vikashaya, Rasa Kalasa, Visi Ekveni Peya and a current affairs magazine program called 9.05. Senesh was one of the pioneer

music video director A music video director is the head of music video production. The director conceives of videos' artistic and dramatic aspects while instructing the musical act, technical crew, actors, models, and dancers. They may or may not be in collaboration ...

s in Sri Lanka, with his musical/magazine program called Yaathra(Voyage)(1995–1997). Senesh has also been a television presenter and a host since 1997 of television talk shows, entertainment and music programs such as Gee Hatha, Ayubowan, Rividina Sithumina, Rhythm Chat, Watts 33000. In 2000, Senesh directed a television drama series named ''Fantasy Avenue'' for Sirasa TV. It led him to direct a made-for-TV or

telefilm A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

for national television during 2001 called ''Sulanga Wenna Numba Ethakota'' for the World Habitat Day 2001. His other television drama serials are ''Pulina Praasaada''(Sand Castles) 2003, ''Arunoda Kalaapaya'' (Twilight Zone) 2005, ''Rala Bindena Thena''(Breakwater) 2007, ''Wehi Pabalu Seala''(Raindrop Satin) 2010. ''Rala Bindena Thena'' won the maximum number of awards in all three national television based award festivals that was held in Sri Lanka in 2008 and also ''Rala Bindena Thena'' awarded him the Best Director Award in the festivals.

Film

was released in May 2004 with his own screenplay based on a Sri Lankan Novel "Wassaana Sihinaya". The debutante's film

romantic musical Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

was a commercial success and brought the youth-oriented film audience in

back to film watching, while achieving appreciation from film critics. Senesh commenced his film career with a rebellious film making technique and technology, which is shooting the film by video and screening the film by celluloid. This is the evident trend now, but then it was an experiment, a decade ago. ''"Aadaraneeya Wassaanaya"'' won 14 awards including for direction, music, camera, editing, acting and film was nominated for 15 Categories in Presidential Awards,

Sarasaviya Awards ''Sarasaviya Awards'' (Sinhala:සරසවිය සම්මාන) is an award bestowed to distinguished individuals involved with the Sinhala cinema, each year by the Sarasaviya weekly newspaper in collaboration with the Associated Newspapers ...

, and

SIGNIS SIGNIS (official name: World Catholic Association for Communication) is a Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement for professionals in the communication media, including press, radio, television, cinema, video, media education, internet, and new ...

Awards Film Festivals in Sri Lanka. Senesh was invited for his second movie Heart FM (Film) venture by EAP Films and Theaters in mid-2006 and the movie Heart FM (Sihina Mandaakini) was released in January 2008. This

35mm 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film, a type of motion picture film stock * 35MM 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format ...

Cinemascope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

/ DTS film had the earliest experience of DI (

Digital Intermediate Digital intermediate (typically abbreviated DI) is a motion picture finishing process which classically involves digitizing a motion picture and manipulating the color and other image characteristics. Definition and overview A digital intermediate ...

), DO (Digital Optical) involvement in Sri Lankan popular cinema.

Print

Senesh has published a handbook on Single Camera Television Techniques ''Roopalekha – Aadhunika Television Nishpaadakawarayage Athpotha'' the Sinhala translation of Prof Wayne Levy (Australia) and Asian Mass Communication and Information Center (Singapore) publication in 1994 and he is the initial editor of ''Mawbima – Sandaeliya'' the Sunday tabloid since 2006 to 2007.

Selected filmography

Film

* 2009: ''Living with Hope'', director,

Music video

(selected from 30 entries) * 2008: ''World's Aids Day'', music video, Rupavahini, concept/director'

Reality show

* 2008: ''Innovator '08'', ''Innovations in Sri Lanka'', reality television series on inventors, Rupavahini, concept writer/scriptwriter/production designer/director'' (6 episodes)

References

External links

Senesh Dissanaike Bandara in Sinhala Cinema Database

Interview with Senesh in the Sri Lanka Daily News

Romance with a different tune

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bandara, Senesh Dissanayake Living people Sri Lankan music video directors Sri Lankan film directors Alumni of Nalanda College, Colombo Alumni of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Year of birth missing (living people)