Randika Gunathilake

Background

Randika Gunathilake is a Sri Lankan actor in the fields of theatre, television, and film. He was born on 10 April 1991 in Colombo. He Studied at the Henry Olcott College, Kolonnawa, and the D. S. Senanayake College, Colombo 7. He is a graduate of the University of Visual and Preforming Arts, Sri Lanka. Gunathilake acted in many films and teledramas that gained popularity including Happy Birthday, Earth (පාංශු), U Turn, Podu (පොදු), Thanamalwila Kollek (තණමල්විල කොල්ලෙක්), Thumpane (තුම්පනේ), Bio, Ado (අඩෝ), Rosa (රෝස), Rella Weralata Adarei (රැල්ල වෙරළට ආදරෙයි), Alu Pata Dedunu (අළු පාට දේදුනු), Kodi Gaha Yata (කොඩි ගහ යට) and Lalai Lilai (ලලයි ලිලයි). He received the awards for Best Upcoming Actor-teledrama at Raigam Tele awards 2019 and Best Teledrama Supporting Actor for the year 2022 and 2023 at Sumathi Awards 2024. He received the Best Actor in a video Award at the Derana Closeup Music Awards 2023.

Image 1: Randika Gunathilake.

Tobacco Related Activity

Promoting tobacco smoking through his acting

Randika Gunathilake played the main role in the ‘Podu’ tele series. Seven out of ten episodes of the Podu series featured smoking scenes, featuring him smoking in all of them. Additionally, the following teledramas, mini-series and movies contained tobacco smoking scenes acted by Randika Gunathilake as depicted in the Gallery 1.

• Gallery 1
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  Image 2: Excerpt from tele drama ‘Podu’

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  Image 3: Excerpt from the trailer of ‘Agosha’ mini-series

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  Image 4: Excerpt from the movie ‘Happy Birthday’

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  Image 5: Excerpt from the trailer of the movie ‘Sihina Sameekarana’

Portraying smoking on his personal social media profiles

The following photographs of portraying cigarette smoking, as shown in the Gallery 2 were displayed on his public Instagram and Facebook timelines. It is observed that it was the same photographs promoting cigarettes that were published on both social media profiles.

• Gallery 2
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  Image 6: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 26 November 2023

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  Image 7: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 19 July 2023

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  Image 8: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 9 October 2022

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  Image 9: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 1 September 2022

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  Image 10: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 1 May 2022

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  Image 11: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 2 March 2022

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  Image 12: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 18 October 2021

Alcohol Related Activity

Promoting alcohol in his acting

‘Rathu Eli’ music video cast by Gunathilake contained alcohol drinking scenes (Image 13).

Image 13: Excerpt from ‘Rathu Eli’ Music video.

Promoting alcohol on his personal social media profiles

The following photographs of portraying alcohol use, as shown in the Gallery 3 were displayed on his public Instagram and Facebook accounts . It is observed that it was the same photographs promoting alcohol that were published on both social media profiles.

• Gallery 3
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  Image 14: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 31 May 2024

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  Image 15: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 25 February 2024

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  Image 16: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 18 October 2023

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  Image 17: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 14 June 2023

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  Image 18: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 7 December 2021

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  Image 19: Excerpt from Instagram profile published on 22 May 2021

Implications

Multiple research studies have shown that exposure to portrayal of tobacco products or their use in television and in movies is associated with initiation of smoking among viewers, especially among adolescents and youth, and sustenance of smoking among current smokers.A large body of evidence suggests that tobacco industry is known to have commissioned celebrities to promote tobacco and related products in media and through entertainment activities.

National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act No 27 of 2006 is the main legal framework for tobacco and alcohol control in Sri Lanka. Section 35 of the NATA Act prohibits tobacco and alcohol advertisements and promotion in media including ‘the internet’. NATA Act defines tobacco advertisements as, “any writing, still or moving picture, sign, symbol or distinctive colours or other visual image or any audible message or any combination of the aforesaid that promotes or is intended to promote – smoking, the purchase or use of a tobacco product, a trade mark registered in respect of a tobacco product or articles that include tobacco products, a brand name associated with a tobacco product, the name of the manufacturer of a tobacco product.”

Thus, portrayal of tobacco products and their use has a negative effect on tobacco control measures in the country and violates the NATA Act.

TobaccoUnmasked Resources

• National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act