In an appreciation letter, Mr. K. Gunaratnam, a pioneer film producer dedicated to the development of cinema in Sri Lanka.

For the first time in the history of President’s Film Awards ceremony, an award in the name of  ‘Yugabhimani has been awarded. This award is dedicated to a pioneer film producer, who contributed to build and enhance the film industry of the country. Mr. K Gunarathnam is the first film producer who is felicitated with the award. Mrs. Priya Gumnarathnam King and Vijaya Gunarathnam, daughters of late Mr. Gunarathnam were presented this award by Hon. Ranil Wickramasingha, President.  Daughters of this veteran film producer have extended their gratitude to Hon. Bandula Gunawardhana, Minister of Media, Mr. Depal Chandrarathna, Attorney At Law and Chairman of the National Film Corporation for awarding this award to their father. They state that selecting their father for ‘yugabhimani’ award for the first time is an appreciation of the state for their father, who would be hidden in the pages of the movie history. 

Mr. K. (Kanakasabe )  Gunarathnam established Cinemas Company Limited in 1947 opening a new avenue for a competitive local cinema industry. He is the third person, who entered the cinema industry representing Northern area of Sri Lanka and all the features of popular cinema of the country were shaped with the arrival of Mr. Gunarathnam.  He made his intervention by way of participating for dubbing the Sinhala movie ‘ Mana Prayathnaya’, of which the original movie was Graha Pravesham, and then entered the field of film production after working as an importer of films as well as an owner of film theaters. ‘Valgeyi’, the first Tamil film imported by him was a great success and it established his name in the industry.  Making challenges to the cinema industry, which was during that time looking forward at monotonous rhythm, he joined with the industry as a distributor by introducing the Sinhala movie ‘ Hadisi Vinishya’.  Later he transformed National Theater at Maradana as a main movie theater for Sinhala movies and named it after Gamini Fonseka, the king of Sinhala cinema, with great expectations in local cinema industry. Mr. Cunarathnam became a pioneer of film industry of the country screening the movie ‘Seedevi’ at Gamini Theater in 1951 and thereby establishing a film circuit centering a group of film theaters. His next contribution for the industry is the movie ‘Sujatha’, which is considered as the turning point of movie history of the country as well as the movie enriched the industry with number of new concepts to the fascinating world of movies. Turning the cinema from the route of producing films as adaptations of stage dramas, he established a popular cinema culture introducing Perm Jayantha and Florida Jayalath as main actor and actress of the time. The movie Sujatha is considered as the first movie, which established film star concept and introduced trailers and different cinematic styles. Movies such as Varada Kageda, Radala Piliruwa, Duppathage Duka, Suraya, Vana Mohini, Sandeshaya, Veera Vijaya, Adata Vediya Heta Hondai, Udarata Menike, Dheevarayo, Chandiya, Allapu Gedara, Oba Dutuda, Sura Chauraya, Ataveni Pudumaya, Athma Puja, Hondai Narakai, Apsara are among the movies produced by this veteran film producer and he made his name contributing to produce number of films, which are in the film history as turning points of Sinhala cinema’. He joined with the famous film company in India, AVM Company for the production of  Dostara. Angulimala, Pathivatha, Weera Putha, Sudu Nangi, the Sinhala dubbed movies were also screened as his productions. In the meantime he contributed to make Kaha Balallu, which is an international film and Ranmuthuduwa facilitating for the production. Hendala Studio has been built in 1961 and he successfully presented this studio to the industry as one of the fully equipped studio in South Asia. The laboratory of Hendala Studio was one of the best black and white laboratories of the region. He, who introduced many film stars such as Kanthi Gunathunga, Alfred Edirimanna, Sandhya Kumari, Jeewarani Kurukulasuriya, Vijitha mallika, Veena Jayakody to Sinhala movie industry, made a tremendous contribution to bring Gamini Fonseka and Joe Abeywickrama to the pedestal of Sinhala movies. The cinema paper ‘ Kala’ was his strategy for making publicity for his movies. He is the only entrepreneur in the film industry of Sri Lanka, who can be named in the true sense of words as the professional film producer, and during his time he fully intervened in every section of film making from script writing to screening. He never released his movies to theaters until the production was not to his utmost satisfaction.  Many movie theaters including Gamini, Lido, Saffair, Kingsly, Capitol in Colombo, Raj in Negambo, Vijaya in Ampara, were among the movie theaters under his ownership. This veteran film producer, who was born on 30 July 1917 and marked his name in the film industry as the real architect of the golden era of our cinema displaying his talents in the fields of production, importation, distribution and studio services, left the arena of life on 09 August 1989.

ARUNA GUNARATHNA