Umali Thilakarathna
Contents
Background
Irudini Umali Thilakarathna known as Umali Thilakarathna is a cinema, television, and theatre actress, a dancer, lyricist and a singer in Sri Lanka, who was born on 16 March 1987. She studied at the President’s College, Rajagiriya, and the Museaeus College, Colombo 07.[1] Umali is previously married to an actor, producer, and media personality, Saranga Disasekara.[2]
She contributed to films from year 2001 to date, namely: 2001 “Rosa Vasanthe”, 2003 “Mother Theresa of Culcutta” English, 2007 “Asai Man Piyabanna”, 2012 “Final Judgement” Japanese, 2015 “Maha Raja Gemunu”, 2015 “Equals” English, 2017 “Nino Live”, 2017 “Heena Hoyana Samanallu”, 2017 “A Level”, 2020 “Rookada Panchi” and “Thanapathilage Gedera”. The teledramas were a fewer in number, namely 2016 Bohimyanuwa”,2021 “Sakarma”, 2021 “Mahapolowa” and 2022 “Pithruu”.[3] She has also acted in Japanese drama and theatre. [4][2]
Umali received Best Actress Award in 2017 and 2021 at Sumathi Awards and in 2017 at Raigam Tele Awards.[2][5] She received the Best Supporting Actress Award in 2018 at Derana Film Awards and Hiru Golden Film Awards.[6]
Umali played the main role of the short film ‘Miss You’ directed by Nalin Lusena in 2022. This short film contained multiple cigarette smoking scenes played by Umali and her co-actor Prauda Buwaneka.[8]
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.[9]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.[10]
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
- Saranga Disasekara
- National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act
The local language translations
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Notes
- ↑ IMDb. Umali Thilakarathna, 2024, accessed June 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wikiwand. Umali Thilakarathna, undated, accessed June 2024
- ↑ eLanka. Umali Thilakarathne A Versatile Actress, Dancer, Lyricist, Vocalist At Summit Of Fame – by Sunil Thenabadu, 7 April 2022, accessed June 2024
- ↑ SR Fernando. Sri Lankan talent in Japanese cinema ‘Final Judgment’, 19 August 2012, accessed June 2024
- ↑ Rode. Sumathi Awards 2023 | Umali Thilakarathna | Best Actress 2021 | උමාලි තිලකරත්න | සුමති සම්මාන, 10 February 2023, accessed June 2024
- ↑ Films.lk. Umali Thilakarathna, 2020, accessed June 2024
- ↑ IU Thilakarathna. Facebook, 2 September 2015, accessed June 2024
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Nalin Lusena. MISS YOU (2022) | Short film by Nalin Lusena, 14 February 2022, accessed June 2024
- ↑ M Bennett et all. Exposure to tobacco content in episodic programs and tobacco and E-cigarette initiation, October 2020, accessed August 2024
- ↑ A. Charlesworth, S. Glantz. Tobacco and the Movie Industry, 2006, accessed August 2024
