New chapter in tele-history with Sudarma

By Zanita Careem

Sudarma Jayewardena’s , TV serial on the small screen, the much hyped ‘Ganga Addara’ opened a new chapter in Sri Lanka’s tele history not only in terms of a quality production, but also brought to the forefront a new teledrama producer ‘She is no stranger to Sri Lanka’s entertainment landscape but she was also well known in the glamour and fashion scene.

An ardent lover of arts and culture, noted for her unique, directional prowess, started her company called ‘Star Events Management ‘ to promote local entertainment

Her penchant for entertainment propelled her to start her own company. eventually led her to kick off with a first teledrama production on the small screen, bringing out a quality end product.

Her first debut on the small screen, Ganga Addara shot in HD format gave her a platform to kick start with many other TV series.

Her directorial style in this first tele series was characterised by its realism, emotional depth and portrayal of human relationships which made her to win wide acclaim and also many accolades. In “Ganga Addara’ she explored themes like love, identity and societal norms, weaving them into compelling narratives.

Sonu Nigam in concert in Colombo

‘Ganga Addara’ on the small screen was directed by Saranga Mendis, and produced by Sudarma, created the milestone in entertainment, making her extremely popular in the local entertainment industry. She also produced other popular tele dramas like Baryawo, Diya Matha, ‘Liyami’ which were big hits at that time. Her name became the talking point in the entertainment ciccles.

The other popular TV serial scripted by Hemantha Prasad, produced by Sudarma Jayewardena was a gripping story of good and bad side of human lives ,

Sudarma Jayewardena

A lover of music, she learnt music under maestro, Premasiri Khemadasa She also acted in a maiden Russian Opera ‘Yallah’ when she was young. She mastered to play the violin under Edward Jayakody.

Your secret of being a successful entrepreneur?

Success is building positive contacts and cultivating excellent rapport with the audience She has a great work ethics which has held her in good stead.

Your journey in the local entertainment industry?

In 2010 I started a company called Star Events Management Ltd, through this event company, I leveraged my diverse talents to create social awareness through short films on the small screen, organised major musical events with artists from here and abroad. Significantly “Ganga Addara” created a milestone in the country, Her love for culture, drama, and her foray into the entertainment industry inspired other women to pursue their dreams and break barriers, She was a true testament to power of female leadership.

Some of her major achievements are, Amaradeva’s live in concert in 2013 at Nelum Pokuna. It was a tremendous success and had many positive vibes ‘My company was also responsible for many musical events in Colombo. To mention a few are Sonu Nigam concert in 2012, Nirosha live in concert called ‘Adaraya’ at the BMICH, Wayo at Hotel Lakeside, and a few others were some of her benchmark achievements in the entertainment landscape The shows organised by Star Event Ltd were of extra ordinary quality , mesmerising the audience and leaving an incredible mark on the minds of the people. She was also in partneship of a company called the three Ss. The three Ss were Sudarma,

Sangeetha and Shereen Kumaratunga . ‘We curated major successful events and fashion shows.

Now with numerous projects, collaborations and musical endeavours on the horizon, Sudarma is poised to shape the future of the entertainment industry to a global scale.