Michelle Dilhara

In 2016, Dilhara made her first teledrama appearance in Dedunnai Adare directed by Saranga Mendis. Then she acted in the popular television serial Salsapuna directed by Nalan Mendis and telecasted on Sirasa TV, which made her breakthrough in the acting career. She was selected for the role "Preethiwa" popularily known as "Podi Paththarakari" by Sandhya Mendis, Chairman of Susila Productions. Even though the character was introduced in the middle of the serial, it was highly popularized among the public. During the same period, she then appeared with the leading role in the first Mobile drama Dhara, produced by Susila Productions.[19][20]

In 2017, Dilhara was selected to the television serial Poori directed by Ranil Kulasinghe, which was telecasted on Independent Television Network.[5][21] In the serial, she played the role of a village girl named Maali.[22] In the same year, she was cast for the fantasy teledrama Bodhi, directed by Sanjaya Nirmal. It was telecasted on Sirasa TV, where Dilhara played the role "Goddess Kali".[13] In late 2017, she appeared in the serial Emy as the titular character "Emy". It was directed by Sanjaya Nirmal and telecasted on ITN. Her character was highly popularized.[23][24]

In 2018, she acted in the popular serial Sidu telecasted on TV Derana and directed by Thilina Boralessa. She acted as the "daylight angel", who helped and protected Sidu during his journey with the little monk Soratha.[4] During the same period, she acted in the science fiction television serial Thuththiri, with the role "Urmila" directed by Sanjaya Nirmal.[25][20] The drama is also considered to be the first Sifi comedy mega drama in Sri Lanka.[26][27]

In 2019, Dilhara acted in several television serials across many genres. She acted in the popular serial Sudu Andagena Kalu Awidin aired in Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, directed by Sunil Costa. The serial was critically acclaimed and won several awards at local television award festivals.[28][29] In the serial, Dilhara played the role of "Ayoma", who is a teenage girl facing the hardships of life. This marked her first major role in the television screen.[30][31] Later she acted in the serial Haratha Hera directed by Chandika Wijayasena. She played the role of a wealthy girl named Pabasara.[32][33]

In mid-2019, she portrayed the character "Kaweesha" in the television series Dadayam Bambaru directed by Sanjaya Nirmal, which was aired in Swarnavahini.[34] Later during same the year, she acted in the television serial Kisa, which was her second main role, directed by Nimal Rathnayake.[8][35] Then she was cast for the serial Sihina Kumari directed by Roshan Weerasinghe where Dilhara played a dual character of two sisters, "Amaya and Himaya".[10] In 2020, she started to act in the comedy thriller serial Sihina Samagama which is currently aired on Swarnavahini. In October 2020, she appeared in another thriller serial Can You Hear Me currently aired on National Television. The series is the first ever attempt to take Sri Lankan teledrama to international audience via social media where it is airing with English subtitles.[36]

Dilhara made her film debut in the 2018 sports film, Udumabara, as a supporting role,[37][38] that of "Michelle", a talented athlete who competed against the lead character.[39]

In 2019, she wrote the book “Social Invisibility is not a Fiction it Exists”.[49] The book explains about the people affected by social invisibility due to race, negligence, discrimination, age and language barrier, and how to minimize social invisibility and social exclusion.[49]

Since 15 years of age, Dilhara wanted to be a humanitarian. She started to conduct free English scholarship programs for the financially challenged students in Sri Lanka with the support of the English lecturer Danushka Clark.[50][51] In 2013, she completed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test as well. In 2018, Dilhara initiated "The invisible to visible movement" for the people who are affected by social invisibility and social exclusion.[52][53] Started with 200 students in Divulapitiya town, the program has now grown up to 1000 students eventually. The scholarship program was initiated as a sub-project of The Invisible to Visible movement.[54][53] The project was highly praised by the people island wide which enhances them to develop their communication skills with the world and to create a path for them to approach the international job market through online jobs.[9][52][53]

In 2020, Dilhara founded the community center called Senehas Arana for the retired citizens who are affected by Social invisibility and Social exclusion in Divulapitiya area.[55] With the community center, she released her first theory "The Theory of Alternative Social Cogwheel", which is a sociological theory of how people are affected due to factors such as the elderly, people with a disability, educational status, barriers for senior citizens in getting new jobs, discrimination, and violence.[8][56][35]

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In 2016, Dilhara organized a campaign with Manusha D. Navarathna, an active environmental activist, to reduce Environmental Degradation concerning climate change. The campaign was taken place at the Negombo beach premises for three consecutive days from 26–28 February 2016 to remove all the plastic objects that were circling on the beach.[57] In May 2017, she organized a campaign for her 22nd birthday to change the focus of the youngsters to support the poor to stand on their feet rather than wasting time on video games. During her campaign, she along with many youngsters collected more than one thousand kilos of rice and gave them to the needy families in Pinnakalewattha village.[58][59] Later in August during the same year, she along with Navarathna organized another project to plant 1000 trees as a solution to minimize the ongoing climate crisis that has taken place due to global warming and climate change. The trees were planted in Katana, Gampaha district of Sri Lanka.

In January 2020, Dilhara conducted multiple awareness programs on climate change and social invisibility in universities, schools, newspapers, and television programs.[8][9] In July 2020, Dilhara organized a three day climate change camp for children, youngsters and teenagers along with Navarathna and Clark. The initiative encompasses to involve the youth to restore the earth and make a better place to live in the future. The camp included activities to reduce the Environmental Degradation and organized beach cleanups, awareness programs and campaigns like planting trees.[60]

Dilhara conducted an awareness program on Climate Change and Social Invisibility at the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka with Najith Guruge, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Health Promotion. The awareness program was conducted for the undergraduates in Faculty of Applied Sciences. On July 2, 2020 she conducted another awareness program along with Rasika Devundara at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. The program was based on Climate Change and Personality Development for the students in Faculty of Management Studies.[60]

In November 2018, Dilhara was the official host for the 2nd South Asian Youth Summit held in Sri Lanka.[61][62] The event taken place with the participation of SAARC observer nation and personalities from across Asia. During the event, she won the Asia Inspiration Award 2018 for her contribution towards the South Asian philanthropy.[63]

In November 2019, she hosted the World Youth Summit which was held in New Delhi, India.[60]

On 22 April 2020, Dilhara was invited by the Earth Day Network to feature in their My Future My Voice campaign. As the world's largest recruiter to the environmental movement, the campaign was an environment platform for the youth to “Restore our earth”. She featured along with 50 other youths from around 17 countries on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, where she addressed the meeting on how to reduce the carbon footprint, aim for zero waste, development of renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save natural resources and educate the less fortunate.[60]

Meanwhile, on 11 May 2020, she was appointed as the Earth Day Network Ambassador to Sri Lanka.[64][65][66]

On July 29, Dilhara participated in the World Rain Day virtual fest which was organized by the Earth Day Network.[67] She featured with other celebrity Earth Day Network ambassadors such as British Indian musician and composer Soumik Datta, Thai actor Alex Rendell, Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, Indian classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty, Indian composer Ricky Kej, Sonam Wangchuk and Filipino actor Dingdong Dantes.[68]

• Nugasewana Rasawindana 2018-09-07
• Nugasewana Pilisadara 2020-01-17
• Wanitha Waruna: Social Invisibility