Pahandi Nethara Walpita, who was given the title of ‘Child Star of 2021’ at the Sumathi Awards recently, is a nine-year-old from Ratnapura. So far, she has played over 15 roles in teledramas and movies and is one of the most popular Sri Lankan child artistes. In an interview with The Sunday Morning Little Stars, this award-winning child artiste said that it is the feedback that she receives that encourages her to do more good work.

Tell us more about yourself.

I am nine years old and I currently study in grade five at JMC International School, Ratnapura. I have a brother who is now 16 years old. His name is Vihanga. I love to draw and dance. While I continue my acting career, I would like to become an English teacher. I think I want to teach young children. However, I am not sure if this is my final ambition. I am still thinking about it. I have two pets; a cat and a dog. My cat is Kitty and it is orange and white in colour. My dog, Lassie, is black and white. I love playing with them and they are my best friends.

What kind of drawings do you like to do?

I mostly enjoy doing pencil art. I like them more than I like colouring. I learnt how to create art using pencil strokes on my own. No one taught me how to do it. But the drawing lessons in school help me to improve my skills overall. I think pencil drawings are neater.

Other than acting, do you take part in any extracurricular activities at school?

Yes. I do dancing and I have participated in many competitions. I actually say yes to any opportunity that comes my way.

How did you get your first opportunity to act?

I have to thank uncle Asanka Wijesuriya for the first-ever opportunity I received. He was the best nan at a wedding I attended as a flower girl. When he saw me, he thought I would be a perfect match for a commercial they were doing. He was working for a production house then. So, my parents were asked if I could be in an advertisement and they said okay. My first commercial was a milk advertisement and I was only four years old.

How many teledramas have you appeared in so far?

More than 12 teledramas. My 13th teledrama will be telecasted soon.

What are your top three teledrama roles from what you’ve done so far?

That’s a tough question. But I think the top three will be the roles I played as Singithi in the drama ‘Akshi’, Ano Haami in ‘Mahapolowa,’ and Minaya in ‘Kiya Denna Adare Tharam.’

Have you had any experience in the film industry?

Yes, I do. I played a role in Harsha Udakanda’s ‘Goree’ when I was four years old. Deepa Mehta’s ‘Funny Boy’ was a really nice experience for me and Sanjaya Nirmal’s ‘Praana’ (Seeds) was something I received a lot of positive feedback for.

Can you tell us about the feedback you have received?

It has been very encouraging to receive feedback. I didn’t receive a lot of feedback for ’Funny Boy.’ I don’t think a lot of locals watched the movie. But I received quite a lot of feedback for ‘Seeds’ and ‘Goree.’ Some people still call me ‘Goree patiya.’

The feedback I receive for the teledramas is never-ending. I love the feedback I receive and it makes me want to do more good work.

How did you feel when your name was announced at the Sumathi Awards?

I can still hear how my name was announced. I felt shy and very happy at the same time. They named me the Child Star 2021 for my contributions to the teledramas ‘Dham’, ‘Mahapolowa,’ and ‘Sakarma.’ This is the third award I’ve received during my acting career.  I have received a merit award at Raigam Tele’es and a special appreciation award from the jury at the Youth Film Festival 2020 for my role in ‘My father is a Dog.’ It was a film by Tharindu Lokuarachchi.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

I need to thank all my teachers including Miss Irfa, Ruwanthi, Dinesha, Tharushi, Nanduni, and Shashika for helping me keep up with my schoolwork. I miss school when I have to go for filming in Colombo. 

I would like to thank Danushka Rathnayaka, Harsha Udakanda, Asanka Wijesooriya, Sudath Rohana, Indika Dharmathilaka, Sanjaya Nirmal, and Shan Jayarathna and my aunt and uncles for all the opportunities given to me.

I also want to thank my entire family, especially my mother for always guiding me and taking care of me. My mother is the one who is always behind me, deciding on the roles I should take or not and managing my school work. I am grateful to all of them.

What was the toughest role you had to play?

I think it would be Ano Haami in ‘Mahapolowa.’ Since it was shot in a village setting and there were scenes in a jungle, I had to be very careful. Sometimes I heard them saying that there are wild elephants in the area, which made me feel scared. But I didn’t let this fear get to me.

The role of Gunadari played in ‘Manikkawatha’ was also challenging. Gunadari was a blind girl and I had to learn how to play this role. Usually, I am very quick to adapt to the character.

Do you have any role models in the field?

Umali Thilakarathna akki is one of my best friends in the field. I also love Shalini Tharaka. But I think my role model is the veteran actress, Malini Fonseka.