Sunanda Mahendra

Kala Keerthi Sunanda Mahendra De Mel (සුනන්ද මහේන්ද්‍ර; born 28 January 1938), popularly known as Sunanda Mahendra, is an author, theater director, poet and Sinhala Radio Play writer in Sri Lanka.

Currently, he is a regular contributor to the Sinhala and English Press in Sri Lanka.

Mahendra was born on 28 January 1938 in Piliyandala as the third of the family with five siblings.

His father Martin Henry De Melwas was a Public Health Inspector by profession.

His mother, Lilliat Magaret Waidyaratne was a housewife.

His younger brother died in younger age.

He started primary education from Dharmaraja College, Kandy.

Then he attended to Ananda College, Colombo to complete studies from English medium.

His classmates at the school are, J. B. Disanayake, D.B. Nihalsinghe, Bandara Wijethunga, Asoka Ponnamperuma and Wijeratne Warakagoda.

After passing senior examination, Mahendra attended to Vidyalankara Pirivena (currently known as University of Kelaniya) and obtained BA degree.

After He was a visiting fellow in Mass communication attached to the University of Leicester.

After London visit, he returned Sri Lanka and worked as a visiting lecturer at Kelaniya University.

He published his maiden novel Hewaneli Eda Minissu which won State Literary Award for the best novel in 1964.

In 1965, he translated Henrik Ibsen’s play Heddar Gabler as Geheniyak to Sinhala.

During this period, he became a program producer in Radio Ceylon.

Then he became a professional broadcaster on the BBC World Service, based in London, where he also read for his doctorate.

He is the pioneer to bring BBC Sandeshaya to Sri Lankan listeners.

In 1965, a monologue called Pitastharayo was produced which was originally a radio drama.

His next stage play was Sayuren Aa Landa in 1967 starred by Malini Fonseka.

He wrote popular song lyrics for C.T. Fernando such as "Obage Thurulen Oba Dun Sihilen" and "Amathannata Heki Basak Soya".

He was a visiting Lecturer at Jaffna University from 1973 to 1977.

He started to write news columns which were published in daily and weekly papers.

He published the drama book Vineetha Hema becoming the first to publish a drama associated book in Sri Lanka.

In 1976, Mahendra made the play Jana Hathura.

However the songs were released through radio after the death of Fernando in 1977.

While in UK, he wrote the song "Kuda Devika" sung by Edmond Wickremasekera.

In 1979, he made the first autonomous play Pokuru Wessa.

Later Wilson Gunaratne produced the remake of the play.

In 1980, he made several children’s and media books.

In the meantime, he presented the popular radio program Vishwa Keerthiyata Pathwuuwo.

The program involved many foreign personalities such as Darwin, Socrates, Dickens, Plato, D H Lawrence, Beethoven, Checkov, Gallileo, Homer which were discussed under socio-political frame work.

Apart from that, he also presented the programs Geeyaka Rasa, Nirmana Vindana and Sahan Eliya.

After his return from Poland to Sri Lanka, he published a book on Polish folk tales, Polantha Janakatha.

In 1987, Mahendra went Poland to study folklore from University of Wroclaw where he obtained an honorary doctorate.

In 1987, he served as the Secretary Treasurer, National Chapter of Commonwealth Association for Education of Journalism and Communication (CAEJAC), Sri Lanka, where he later became the vice president as well.

Later in 1990s, he held the emeritus professorship at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.

In 1990, Mahendra produced the biopic stage play Socrates.

Since then, he became a full-time writer and made the newspaper series Second thoughts on Daily News.

The series was later published as a book by the same name.

In 1999, he made the plays Aesop and Checkhov Sandhyava.