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Yohani: I want to learn Hindi, work in Bollywood
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, September 25: Sri Lanka’s singing sensation Yohani Diloka de Silva says she wants to learn Hindi and work in Bollywood with India’s top music-makers such as A R Rahman. She expressed this desire in a series of interviews she gave leading Indian newspapers and television channels during the last fortnight.
“I don’t know Hindi at all, I want to learn it. I am a big fan of Bollywood music. A lot of music in Sri Lanka is inspired by Bollywood,” she said. “I love doing new things. If I ever get to work with A R Rahman, it would be a dream come true. I’m a big fan of all of his works.”
Apart from AR Rahman, Yohani named Honey Singh, Divine and Neha Kakkar as well. She also referred to Jacqueline Fernandez, the Sri Lanka-born actress who has learnt Hindi and has made a success of her career in Bollywood.
She also said she wants to perform live in front of massive crowds. This week she will be doing just that: perform with her band at Gurugram near New Delhi and in Hyderabad, capital of the southern Indian state of Telangana.
The shows are being sponsored by ZEE LIVE of the ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited, pioneer of the television entertainment industry in India. She and her nine-member band will be performing in Gurugram near here on this Thursday (September 30) and in Hyderabad on Sunday (October 3).
According to ZEE LIVE, the live entertainment and IP vertical of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., (ZEEL) is organising the event ‘Supermoon now trending ft. Yohani’ and has invited Yohani along with her band manager to perform at the two concerts. She will address a press conference in Mumbai before returning home.
Hindi or Hindustani as a mixture of Hindi and Urdu spoken in Bollywood films, is the fourth most-spoken language in the world with 544 million speakers, after English (1.5 billion speakers), Mandarin Chinese (1.3 billion), and Spanish (661 million).
But, thanks to Bollywood films and movie music, it is possibly the most understood language on the planet. In South Asia alone, it is understood by over a billion people in India, 220 million in Pakistan, over 160 million in Bangladesh, and many more millions in Nepal and elsewhere.
Then there is also the 50-million-strong South Asian diaspora across the globe who flock to Bollywood films. Besides, OTT (Over The Top) platforms such as Amazon Prime Videos, Netflix, Disney+hotstar etc are taking Indian cinema in general and Bollywood films in particular to all corners of the globe.
Yohani’s ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ has already reached over 116 million viewers on YouTube alone in India. It all began with an effusive tweet by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan. On the evening of August 15, he tweeted to his 40 million followers: “But truly an ode to that incredible Sri Lankan song ‘Manike Mage Hithe’..edited here to my KALIA song by the genius NAVYA NAVELI..BUT honestly Manike.. playing in loop whole night .. impossible to stop listening.. SUUUPPEEERRRBBB.”
When her manager called Yohani up to say that Amitabh Bachchan had shared her song, ‘Manike Mage Hithe’, the singer couldn’t believe it. “I had thought he was pulling a prank on me and I went back to sleep. The next morning, I had many calls and messages from so many people congratulating me. It still feels unreal. I’m humbled by the recognition,” she said.
Overnight, the rest of Bollywood and India tuned in to watch and listen to the song on YouTube, Instagram and a host of other social media platforms. The song garnered top Bollywood stars’ praise, and now boasts of versions in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, Bhojpuri and several other languages. Those who shared it with millions of their fans included Priyanka Chopra, Madhuri Dixit, Parineeti Chopra, Tiger Shroff, Krystle D’Souza, Rannvijay Singha, Neha Kakkar, Yashraj Mukhate, and a host of others.
And the Indian High Commission in Colombo greeted Yohani in a tweet that said: “A proud moment as the Newest Cultural Ambassador @yohanimusic is feted by national TV networks in India. #manikemagehithe has captured millions of Indian hearts from celebrities to common people.”
“I am humbled to see the love it has received from India, and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of something as incredible as this event. I am thrilled and look forward to performing live amongst my fans and connecting with them in-person,” she added.
A fan of Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone and Jacqueline Fernandez, Yohani also listens to a lot of music from India. Thanking all her Indian admirers, she said: “I can’t wait to perform live for you. I want to make friends and do collaborations with many of you. I also look forward to learning more about the culture and possibly speaking your language too. I love you all.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
