HR Jothipala
HR Jothipala (Image 1), popularly known as ‘Jothi’ was a Sri Lankan singer and an actor. He is reported to have sung more than 5,000 songs in his career of three decades. He was most popular as a playback singer in Sinhala cinema, singing in more than 200 films.[2][3]
Jothipala was born in Dematagoda, Sri Lanka, as the eldest of a family of six.[4] He studied at St. Lawrence College Maradana and St. John’s College Dematagoda.[3] He was a smoker and an alcohol user.[5] Father of four, he died at 51 years.[6] Media, quoting a nurse at the private hospital he died, reported that his death was from “kidney failure due to alcohol usage”.[7]
Tobacco Related Activities
Jothipala frequently featured in CEAC shows, a series of public concerts sponsored by the Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) and organised by CEAC entertainments in 1970s. As reported by a former CTC employee, these shows attracted his fans from rural under-developed areas in large numbers, who brought along their young children.[2]
Links with the Industry
Dr. Ajantha Ranansinghe, a renowned Sri Lankan song-writer, in an interview to a national Sunday newspaper (Image 2) declared that Jothipala was once approached by two agents from a tobacco company for a “photograph with a cigarette held in the lips”. According to Dr. Ranasinghe, Jothipala refused outright, stating “I don’t like to. Smoking cigarettes is a bad habit. I am finding it difficult to give it up. When young people see me smoking a cigarette in a photograph, they will also start smoking saying, if Jothi does it, we should also do it. I don’t like that to happen”. [5]
TobaccoUnmasked Resources
Other relevant TobaccoUnmasked entries:
The local language translations
Notes
- ↑ Google Images, HR Jothipala, 2017, accessed February 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dee Cee. Jothi: Making waves then and now, 15 August 2010, Kala Corner, Wijeya News Papers Limited, accessed February 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Uvais R. Jothi, always alive in our hearts, 29 July 2003, Daily Mirror Online, accessed February 2017
- ↑ Weerakkody K. He lives in the heart of his fans, undated, Leisure, Island.lk, accessed February 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Silva N. Jothi Kiyanne Puduma Manussakam Thibuan Gayakayek: Acharya Ajantha Ranasinhge, 7 July 2013, Rivira: Rivisarasi, accessed February 2017
- ↑ Jayawardana R. Immortal Jothi, 2 July 2008, Daily News Archives, accessed February 2017
- ↑ FMDerana.lk. HR Jothipala, Undated, accessed February 2017