Udara Palliyaguruge
Udara Palliyaguruge is a Sri Lankan film director who has established himself in Sinhala cinema as the director of Super Six – a movie based on the trials and tribulations of a group of friends who dream of playing in a six-a-side cricket tournament. Shot on locations across Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and the Andaman Nicobar Islands, it is the Sri Lankan film shot on the largest budget to date.
U A Palliyaguru(Udara Palliyaguruge) | |
|---|---|
 Filmmaker | |
| Born | 7 April 1981 Borella, Sri Lanka |
| Occupation | Advertising Strategist and Creative Director /marketing lecturer/ Film director |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Spouse(s) | Uththara Palliyaguruge (2008–present) |
| Website | www |
Super Six premiered on 17 May 2012, achieved one of the best tickets sales to date in Sinhala commercial cinema, during its first week of screening. A Hindi version of Super Six also premiered simultaneously in Mumbai, India.
Early life and career
He was born to a family of two being the younger child of the family.
Udara was involved in stage drama at Gurukula College, Kelaniya and acted in dramas such as Oedipus (Sinhalese translation), Ratnawali, and No Kabuki plays (Sinhala translation). Later he was involved in the National Theatre as a stage manager, costume designer and actor in productions such as 'Bansi Marila Nehe', 'Ape Panthi Kamare' and 'Queenie'. After his schooling, Udara joined the National Film Institute in Pune, India, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Film Making.
Udara later worked at Sirasa TV and MTV in Sri Lanka, where he produced and directed TV programmes such as Hindi Top Ten, Lasama, Subasiri, Eye-to-Eye, and Style.
Career
Udara has produced 4 full-length films: Super Six in 2012, 'Pani Makuluwo' in 2017, 'Sama Kumaru Kathawa' in 2019 and 'Soosthi' (yet to be released). He has also worked on two Teledramas as the producer: 'Thuthiri' (2018) and 'Crime Scenes' (2018). As managing director of Aristo Films, Udara has produced over 180 TV commercials (brands), 400 TV commercials (non-brands), 40 documentaries and profiles. He is currently working as CEO of Guththila Strategic Solutions (Pvt) Ltd.
Filmography
| YEAR | MOVIE | ROLE |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Super Six | Director |
| 2017 | Pani Makuluwo | Director, Lyricist |
| 2019 | Sama Kumaru Kathawa | Producer, Lyricist |
| 2019 | Soosthi | Producer (release late 2019) |
| YEAR | TELEDRAMA' | ROLE |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Thuthiri | Producer, Writer |
| 2018 | Crime Scene | Director, Writer |
International exposure
Udara has participated in numerous international advertising and communications programmes and awards ceremonies over the years, including:
Academic career
- Visiting Lecturer – University of Kelaniya, Faculty of Marketing Management
- Director – Sri Lanka Television Training Institute – http://www.slf.lk
- First to conduct film workshop in Jaffna in Association with Tharunayata Hetak, organised by the Government of Sri Lanka