Thilakshini Rathnayake
Contents
Summary
- Thilakshini Rathnayake is a Sri Lankan actress, dancer, and a theatre artist.
- She portrayed tobacco smoking and alcohol use in several of her roles in entertainment productions violating the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act.
Background
Antoinette Thilakshini Ratnayake is a Sri Lankan actress, dancer, and a theatre artist.[1] Born in Colombo, she was educated at the Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya. She has obtained a Bachelor of Information Technology - external (BIT) degree from the University of Colombo. Later she switched to Theatre Studies entering the University of Visual and Performing Arts.[2] She is married to Nalin Lusena, who is also an actor, playwright, screen writer, and theatre director.[3]
Thilakshini has acted in many films and teledramas including Doosra (2023), Mother Z (2022), Sunday Tamil (2021), Podu (2020), Thanamalvila Kollek (2020), The Other half (2019), Habib Wahid: Cholo Na (2018), Ordinary Lives (2017), Koombiyo (2017), Naked Among Public (2017), Eka Langa Kotu (2017), Kodi Gaha Yata (2023), Let Her Cry (2016).[4]
Thilakshini was awarded the “Best Actress” award at the Sarasaviya Awards in 2024 and the “Best Upcoming Actor” award at the Raigam Tele'es in 2020 – 2021.[5][6]
Tobacco Related Activities
Promoting Tobacco Smoking in her Acting
She portrayed tobacco smoking in the short feature film “A Covid Honeymoon” violating the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act. It was directed by Udan Fernando.
In her role in Thanamalvila Kollek, which was directed by Roshan Ravindra, she was involved in multiple scenes that promoted smoking. [8] The teledrama was telecast on the Independence Television Network (ITN) and was reported to contain scenes with cigarette smoking and alcohol use among adolescents and young women in 18 out of the 46 episodes.
- Gallery
Image 2 : Excerpt from ‘Thanamalwila Kollek’ teledrama- Episode 4[9]
Image 3 : Excerpt from the short feature film “A Covid Honeymoon” [10]
Alcohol Related Activities
Promoting Alcohol use in her Acting
Thilakshini depicted alcohol use in YouTube short films ‘A Covid Honeymoon’ and ‘Fly in the Jar’. ‘A Covid Honeymoon’ is directed by Udan Fernando and ‘Fly in the Jar’ is directed by Samanalee Fonseka, both violated the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act Gallery:
- Gallery
Image 4 : Excerpt from the short feature film “A Covid Honeymoon” [11]
Image 5 : Excerpt from the short feature film ‘Fly in the Jar’[12]
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.[13]A large body of evidence suggests that tobacco industry is known to have commissioned celebrities to promote tobacco and related products on media and through entertainment activities.[14]
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.
Tobacco Unmasked Resources
- Thanamalvila Kollek
- Roshan Ravindra
- Samanalee Fonseka
- National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act
The local language translations
 |  |
Notes
- ↑ Actor.lk. Thilakshini Rathnayake, 2023, accessed May 2026
- ↑ The Island Online. Revolutionising actor training through indigenous corporeal arts, 8 April 2021, accessed May 2026
- ↑ Nalin Lusena. Facebook, 2026, accessed May 2026
- ↑ IMDB. Thilakshini Rathnayake, 2026, accessed May 2026
- ↑ Sarasaviya. Facebook, 27 June 2025, accessed May 2026
- ↑ ITN Sri Lanka. Facebook, 26 March 2022, accessed May 2026
- ↑ Antoinette Thilakshini Ratnayake. Facebook, 21 August 2021, accessed May 2026
- ↑ Watch Lanka. Thanamalvila Kollek, 2022, accessed May 2026
- ↑ EVE by Roshan Ravindra. Thanamalvila Kollek | Director's Cut Epi 04, Youtube, 19 July 2020, accessed May 2026
- ↑ Udan Fernando. A Covid Honeymoon | A short feature film | By Udan Fernando, Youtube, 19 June 2021, accessed May 2026
- ↑ Udan Fernando. A Covid Honeymoon | A short feature film | By Udan Fernando, Youtube, 19 June 2021, accessed May 2026
- ↑ EVE by Roshan Ravindra. 'FLY IN THE JAR': "She exists beyond..." A short film by Samanalee Fonseka, Youtube, 26 June 2020, accessed May 2026
- ↑ 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
