BIOGRAPHY

Being born on the 21st of March 1976 Nuwan had his primary education at Carey College and then entered Nalanda College after an year in 1983. Nuwan associated art being an infant and sharpened his writing skills after entering Ananda College in 1988 (1988 – 1995). Being a school boy at Ananda, Nuwan obtained the best writer award in poem and prose at the Ediriweera Sarachchandra Felicitatation Nirmana Padma award ceremony. Further he was selected the best poem writer in 1994 and awarded Cyril C. Perera Felicitatation Nirmana Padma Award. After considering his performance in school he was selected for the P.De S. Kulerathne Memorial Scholarship which was given for the most disciplined and best achievers in the advanced level art stream. He completed his BA degree in Art in the year 2001 at University of Sri Jayawardenepura and completed Master’s degree in Mass Communication at University of Kelaniya. Nuwan’s name is written in golden letters at University of Visual and performing Art as the first to be registered and complete a research thesis and first to obtain a Ph.D by submitting a thesis on cinema from a local university.

 

Nuwan stepped into art field as a child actor in “Mihikathage Daruwo” directed by Dhamma Jagoda in 1986 and in year 1988 he became a vocalist in Guwanwiduli lama pitiya. He became very popular among Sri Lankans with the duet he sung with his mother DamayanthiJayasooriya “Aa manga ketiyi”.


Nuwan stepped into writing by publishing articles in Nawayugaya newspaper and later he published many articles on literature, cinema. Also he published reviews, translations and featured articles in many newspapers such as Janatha, Sarasaviya, Sarasi, Silumina,Lakbima, Nidahasa, Diwaina, Sunday Observer, the Independent and Boudhdhalokaya. Further he was selected as a supervisor at the teledrama supervising committee at Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.


Nuwan started writing books in 1999 by writing the book titled Sex Tendency in Modern Cinema and in 2004 he wrote Gamini: The Asian Pioneer in Universality of the Art of Acting a research book. In year 1999 Nuwan claimed the OCIC Jayawilal Wilegoda memorial award and in 2002 he also claimed Cyril B. Perera memorial award.


Nuwan published “Sri Lanka’s Film Chronicle" book written on Cinema after spending 19 long years on researching the Cinema industry. In year 2006 he was awarded Borelasgamuwe Wimalsiri Perera Memorial award and in year 2008 he obtained Cine Media Vison Cinema Writers’ award.  Currently Nuwan works as the Deputy editor at Sarasaviya newspaper. Also he works as visiting lecturer at Fine arts faculty, University of Kelaniya for the past years.


As his fourth book Nuwan wrote A Collection of Lester’s Essays and it also became his first translation. Some of the books written by him are The world of undiscerning (2008), The Humane Director and Editor (2009), Reading criticism and insight (2010), Discourses of the New Path (2011), Nihalsinghe: Pioneer of the Third Eye (2012), Discourses on Art and Literature (2014) Amaradewa: The greatest Musician and the sage (2015) and "Serene Joy" (2016). He also rendered his services as a member of the Reforms Committee at Ceylon Radio Corporation and as a lecturer for journalism and communication studies at Press Council. Also Nuwan successfully completed the one-year Tamil language course organized by Lake House.


Nuwan also claimed the Signis Cyril B. Perera memorial Award which was given to the artists who have done a great service to film literature in year 2007 and thereby became the youngest to obtain such an award. After considering his great service to Cinema industry and pioneering Ph.D degree in cinema, he was chosen to be awarded with Massco award for journalists and Gunadasa Liyanage memorial award in year 2016. He also falls into the category of youngest artists who have obtained a doctorate in the field of art.

 

He is the only son of well known media personality Mr. A.D. Ranjith Kumara and veteran songstress Mrs. Damayanthi Jayasooriya. In 2013, Nuwan got married with Miss Nadeeka Pushpawimala who was a IT Teacher of Musaeus College Colombo. They have twin sons Niraash Damrusi and Nirwaan Damrusi.

 
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