Dilanjan Seneviratne Directs the Pictures Behind a Decade of Yohani
Satellite cover, 1 March 2016 | Sitha Dawuna and Merry Christmas Baby, 2020 | Haal Massa and Moving On, 2021 | Sirakariya | Prima KottuMee Raban Mashup | Kella title video | brand films for Sri Lanka Tourism, Royal Cashew, DIMO Retail and more
Today, Dilanjan Seneviratne's work behind the camera runs from Yohani's first YouTube cover in March 2016 to brand films across Sri Lankan tourism, retail, food and education. He has produced and directed nearly all of Yohani's music videos, the exceptions being those made in India.
On 1 March 2016, Theewra Worldwide published Yohani's acoustic cover of Above & Beyond's Satellite / Stealing Time, her first YouTube video. A 2017 Sunday Observer interview records that Dilanjan proposed the cover and brought in Nuwan Wijesinghe, who had named Theewra; Dilanjan was behind the lens.
At Pettah Effect he photographed the first round of artists' press kits himself. He then directed and served as primary videographer on a continuous shoot of more than 36 hours that recorded 42 covers live, of which 13 were publishable.
Highlights include:
Sitha Dawuna, 8 September 2020: Yohani with Hiyum. Dilanjan wrote the rap, and shot, colour-graded and edited the video.
Merry Christmas Baby, 21 December 2020: Yohani's first original English music video, which he wrote the lyrics for, directed and shot.
Haal Massa, 30 January 2021: Yohani's baila single, written and arranged by Rajiv Sebastian. The video was produced by Theewra and directed by Dilanjan, with Charith Rodrigo as assistant director.
Sirakariya, 9 February 2021: Medhavi J's debut single on the Pettah Effect label. Dilanjan wrote the lyrics and directed the video, which Theewra produced.
Moving On, 11 November 2021: released through Red Bull Records. Dilanjan wrote and directed the video, a collaboration between Pettah Effect and production partner Theewra, and also produced it and wrote the song's lyrics.
Kella, December 2023: the title-track video for Yohani's debut album, which he wrote, produced and directed.
The Prima KottuMee Raban Mashup of April 2020 was made during the COVID-19 lockdown, when crews could not move. TBWA\Sri Lanka was the agency and Redfox Audio Productions made the audio; Dilanjan shot the video himself on an iPhone. The campaign was among 134 Asia-Pacific winners in the Social Media category at The One Show 2020, made the top 20 at Ad Stars 2020, and was named People's Advertisement of the Year at the SLIM-Kantar People's Awards 2022.
His brand film work includes:
Sri Lanka Tourism: You're My Paradise
Royal Cashew: Moments Made Magical, 18 April 2023, which he directed for Burketch Media House with WYLD Global as the creative agency
DIMO Retail: Switch On Happiness
NEXT Campus, Wichy, Clifton Tea and Tech Pacific
He has photographed Pettah Effect and Yohani shows since the earliest days, and keeps an archive of that work.
