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

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...

director in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. His first film Aadaraneeya Wassaanaya (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.

Career

Television

Senesh started his media career as a television program producer at

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation (; ), also known as Jathika Rupavahini (lit. National Television) or simply as Rupavahini, is the national television network of Sri Lanka. The term Rupavahini literally means "purveyor of images" in the ...

(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, overseer or facilitator 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 ...

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, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrestr ...

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

'' Aadaraneeya Wassaanaya'' was released in May 2004 with his own screenplay based on a Sri Lankan novel, ''Wassaana Sihinaya'' by Upul Shantha Sannasgala. This romantic musical was a commercial success. ''"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 ecclesial movement of the Faithful for professionals in the communication media, including press, radio, television, cinema, video, media education, int ...

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: Film * 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, a "musical exhibition" by Ryan Scott Oliver that features music ...

Cinemascope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, 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 cr ...

/ DTS film had the earliest use of digital intermediate (DI) and digital optical (DO) 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 2089 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)