kkf
actors & theatre co’s
Chamara Guruge
Chamara Guruge is a versatile creative professional—a playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, stand-up comedian, communicator, and social activist. Professionally, he serves as an Associate Creative Director at an advertising agency.
His body of work—including the acclaimed plays Premaya Nam, Pem Yuwalak saha Pem Yuwalak, What a Nice Couple, and his 2025 masterpiece Apa Athara Uu—is distinguished by a profound and consistent exploration of “Love.” Guruge’s original scripts have earned him the highest honors in Sri Lankan theatre, notably winning Best Drama at both the 2015 National Youth Drama Festival and the 2025 State Drama Festival. He is noted as a significant voice in contemporary Sinhala theatre.
Chalaka Ranasooriya’s “Maraka Lindey Sawaariyak” is the first stage play he created based on a Sinhala novel, and won several awards at the State Drama Festival 2016. Chalaka is the Writer and Director of several short plays such as “Box” (Winner of 7 awards at State Drama Festival 2010), “Dinosaur Premaya”, “Hello”, “Bermuda”, and “Joint” (Award winner State Drama Festival 2023). His play “Sanduda Wetenne Sikuradata” won 7 awards including Best Play at the State Drama Festival 2023. Chalaka has also written screenplays for several television series such as “Vihanga Geethaya”, “Alu Paata Heena”, “Yakada Pahanthira, “Deyyange Ratey”, “Thrailoka”, “Eka Raney Kurullo”, “Kolamba Ithaaliya”, “Once Upon A Time In Colombo”, “Flat Nowana Plat” and “Situwara Puwatha”. He has also written the screenplays for upcoming films “Mayi Maara Prasangaya” and “Hello”
Chalaka Ranasooriya’s
Dr. Chamika Hathlahawatta
Dr. Chamika Hathlahawatta, the director of Apurwa Theatre Group, has been producing dramas since 1997, with an impressive portfolio of over 10 short dramas, 06 full-length dramas, 12 children’s dramas, and 15 school dramas. Many of his productions have won awards at international stage drama festivals and have been presented globally. He is a recipient of the prestigious Bunka Award (2019) for his outstanding contribution to theatre. Dr. Hathlahawatta holds a PhD in Drama and Education from the University of Colombo, along with a Master’s and BA (Special) in Drama and Theatre from the University of Kelaniya, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Special – Drama) from the University of Colombo. Currently, he serves as a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Indika Ferdinando is a national and international award-winning Sri Lankan theatre practitioner and a filmmaker. In 2002, he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Drama and Theatre from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka and he received his PhD in Theatre and Performance from Monash University, Australia in 2017. Indika is highly active in the fields of theatre and film as a writer, actor and a director. His debut feature film “The Singing Pond” (Ho Gaanaa Pokuna) was selected by prestigious film festivals in the United States, Germany, Czech Republic, China, India and Vietnam (2014 and 2015) and won several international accolades including Best Feature Film. In Sri Lanka, Ho Gaanaa Pokuna thrice received the title of Best Film of the Year in 2016 and also won the award for Most Popular Film of the Year. Indika’s second movie “Vedi Novadina Lamai” (Bulletproof Children) was premiered at the Bangalore International Film Festival, India (2020) and won the award for the Best International Debut Film (FIPRESCI Award) at the 18th Thrissur International Film Festival, India (2023).
He currently works as a professor in Theatre and Film at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo.
Indika Ferdinando
Mind Adventures Theatre Company
Mind Adventures Theatre Company creates stories inspired by Sri Lankan people and events. Since 1999, the company has consistently produced thought provoking work that is theatrically cutting-edge. It engages with socio-political questions and discussions, and creates intimate performances that bring the audience closer to the action. We are proactive in our community, and have created plays in all three languages with actors and companies from around the country. Our productions and workshops have toured Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Rwanda and Mongolia. Find out more about us on mindadventurestheatre.com
Pujitha De Mel is a Sri Lankan theatre director, actor, educator, and researcher whose work bridges artistic practice, education, and community engagement. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts at the Sri Palee Campus, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Trained in Dramatic Arts at ‘Play House’ Sri Lanka and The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, he has over two decades of experience in theatre, film, and
television. His directing work includes site-specific theatre, children’s musicals, and socially engaged productions, most notably the award-winning Asanimali, which received Best Director and Best Adapted Script at the National Drama Festival. De Mel’s artistic practice often explores themes of identity, social transformation, and youth empowerment through
performance. He has represented Sri Lanka at international theatre festivals and is the co-founder of SHAILI, an educational theatre initiative promoting creative learning through the performing arts.
Pujitha De Mel
Rajitha Dissanayake
Rajitha Dissanayake, one of the major voices in the Sinhala theatre scene today, started his career as a playwright while he was studying at the University of Colombo in early 1990s. Today, he ranks at the top of the few talented original playwrights to emerge in the last three and a half decades. His scripts expose the burning socio-political realities of the day, while retaining the aesthetic and human appeal. Not only was he prolific and focused, he was able to prove that one can straddle both box office success and national awards, charm and impress audiences, critics and panels of judges equally. In that sense his contribution to Sri Lankan theatre culture is outstanding. A diploma holder in Drama writing from Radio Netherlands Training Centre, Rajitha was a visiting scholar at Ball State University in Indiana in 2006. He has staged his plays in India, Egypt, Australia and Europe. He is also a visiting lecturer at several Sri Lankan Universities.
M. Ajanthan is a Sri Lankan theatre lighting designer, playwright, and educator. He has designed lighting for numerous stage productions and is recognized for his creative contribution to contemporary Sri Lankan theatre. He has collaborated with the Janakaraliya Drama Company and contributed lighting design to several productions, including the renowned play Kuweni by Henry Jayasena.
He has received several state awards for theatre lighting and has participated in international theatre platforms such as the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) and programs at the National School of Drama (India). He recently published a Tamil-language book on theatre lighting and currently serves as a visiting lecturer at the Department of Drama and Theatre at the University of Jaffna.
television. His directing work includes site-specific theatre, children’s musicals, and socially engaged productions, most notably the award-winning Asanimali, which received Best Director and Best Adapted Script at the National Drama Festival. De Mel’s artistic practice often explores themes of identity, social transformation, and youth empowerment through
performance. He has represented Sri Lanka at international theatre festivals and is the co-founder of SHAILI, an educational theatre initiative promoting creative learning through the performing arts.
M Ajanthan
J M Kirutharshan Nicholas
J M Kirutharshan Nicholas is a theatre artist currently pursuing his master’s degree at DAS Theatre in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Working across acting, lighting design, and art direction, his practice explores how bodies, light, and space come together to create poetic stage worlds. He began his artistic journey with a BA in Drama and Theatre Arts from the University of Jaffna, where he developed a deep engagement with performance and visual storytelling. His work often moves between performance and design, searching for ways theatre can hold memory, emotion, and collective experience within a shared space.
Stages Theatre Group (STG), founded in 2000 by Sri Lankan playwright and director Ruwanthie de Chickera, to take cutting edge original Sri Lankan theatre to the world, is arguably the most stable and far-reaching contemporary theatre company in Sri Lanka right now. With over 50 original plays to its name, it comprises three ensembles (professional, youth & junior), offers free rehearsal space and accommodation to local artists, provides weekly island-wide, free theatre training for children and youth, and is respected (both locally and internationally) for producing high quality, socially and politically conscious plays. STG is run by a nucleus of about 12 artists, around which is a vibrant, intergenerational ensemble of about 50 more artists who mobilize an extended community of about 400 youth and child artists. The company creates work in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages.
Featured Directors by Stages for KKF 2026 include Nipuni Sharadha Pathirage, P. Pragash, and Akalanka Prabhashwara
Stages Theatre Group (STG)
Nilanka Nisalanjal
Nilanka Nisalanjal is an award-winning theatre director and playwright recognized for redefining contemporary performance through bold and innovative storytelling. In 2020, he achieved a major milestone with Atharamediya, securing Best Writer, Best Director, and Best Play at national-level competitions.
He is also the founder of Kolonbiya, a YouTube sitcom series where he serves as the showrunner, expanding his storytelling into the digital entertainment space.
His work is driven by a deep exploration of the human condition, often blending traditional stagecraft with modern digital elements to create immersive theatrical experiences. Nilanka’s approach challenges conventional narratives, positioning his productions at the intersection of theatre and evolving media.
Based in Toronto and Sri Lanka, he continues to build a cross-cultural creative presence while advocating for collaborative storytelling. This vision is reflected in projects like the crowd-funded Water Snake Staccato, where community and creativity merge. Continuing to push artistic boundaries, Nilanka remains a key voice in shaping the future of independent theatre and digital storytelling.
Sugathapala de Silva, the subject of the KKF 2026 Retrospective is a self-taught visionary and a founding member of the “Ape Kattiya” group, steering Sri Lankan theatre away from the stylized traditions of the past toward a hard-hitting, dialogue-driven realism. Known as the “Lovable Dictator” (Sonduru Aknyadayakaya), his work, including masterpieces like Dunna Dunu Gamuwe and Marasad, remains a cornerstone of political and social commentary in the arts. In an era of cautious expression, the exhibition highlights the necessity of boldness. Through interactive elements and discussion, the festival aims to stimulate a dialogue on why de Silva’s “intellectual defiance” is more relevant now than ever.
“In honoring Sugath and his work, we celebrate the collective synergy and fearless defiance that defined Apey Kattiya. His approach serves as a vital blueprint for the boldness and collaboration needed in today’s creative landscape.”
Sugathapala de Silva
