Sri Lankan contestant, Megha Sooriyaarachchi, not only captivated hearts on the global stage at the prestigious Mr. World 2024, but also went on to represent the country with grace and excellence.
These qualities won him the People’s Choice Award and the National Costume People’s Choice Award at the pageant, which was recently held in Vietnam. He was also among the finalists for the Talent Show round and reached the top 30 for Beauty with a Purpose. He imprinted his name in history by being the first Sri Lankan to reach the top 10 at the 11th edition of this globally acclaimed event which saw around 70 contestants representing their nations on a common platform.
“It was truly an honour representing Sri Lanka and its people at such an event. I believe that I presented the best version of myself to bring pride to my country. Winning these accolades was just a side effect of that effort. It is not just my achievement, but something that my nation too accomplished. Many people worked hard to reach this goal alongside me. I underwent rigorous training. Therefore, this achievement is a result of a lot of preparation and hard work,” Megha shared his thoughts with the Sunday Observer.
He said that from the moment he sent his application for the Mr. Sri Lanka competition he has been laying the groundwork for his achievement. This took nearly a year because he has always had his sights on representing the country on the international platform.
“I prepped myself physically and mentally as well as armed myself with all the soft skills needed to enhance my personality to become a contestant who is worthy to represent Sri Lanka at such a competition. The fine-tuning that went into the preparation process was the reason behind the success. I am especially grateful to Model Shop Sri Lanka for putting together an event with transparency for every contestant. A warm thank you also goes to Sangeetha Weeraratne, Dhananjaya Bandara, Shereen Kumaratunga and my trainers Kumar de Silva and Louching Wong. Aruni, Lashni and everyone in the team were supportive too.
The national costume was designed by the creative team: Wedage Namal Lakshantha of NL Creations along with Sanka Abeysinghe and Sakun de Silva. It was a representation of the ‘Athkanda Lihiniya’, a mythological creature in Sri Lankan culture which symbolises strength. I am also thankful to all the other contestants who competed alongside me in the Miss Sri Lanka for World and the Mr Sri Lanka for World pageants. I believe all of that added up along with the blessings of the people in Sri Lanka and across the world. It was not just me on that stage at that moment but all of Sri Lanka represented there,” he explained the key to his success.
He says that the most passionate thing about his life is giving back to the society, the people of Sri Lanka and the motherland we owe so much and are in debt to. He strives to achieve this through ‘The Foundation of Change’, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to strengthening grassroots communities throughout Sri Lanka by promoting children’s education and nurturing households.
“We came through free education and medical care, through the money, tears and blood of the people. I believe that a better Sri Lanka can only be achieved through people-to-people. It is a group effort rather than a lone fight. I attempt to gather people together to serve our motherland in a much better way. We strive to raise societies and communities as a whole. We believe that the children’s education is the key to a better Sri Lanka,” he said adding that this vision was instilled by his parents since his school days. These teachings inspired him to establish ‘The Foundation of Change’ which is currently in its sixth year.
Reflecting on his experience at Mr. World 2024 Megha says that it has been a ‘flawless’ three weeks in Vietnam. The contestants were received with warmth and amazing hospitality.
“That allowed us to give our best for the competition. A big thank you goes to Vietnam for that warm welcome. I was close to all 70 contestants, especially Mr. Philippines, Mr. India, Mr. Turkey and Mr. Italy who worked together with me on the same team. We developed relationships as friends and I think these will remain for a lifetime.”
Facing challenges
One of the most memorable moments of the whole tour for him was when they were taken to a special needs school in Vietnam. He especially bonded with the moment as it relates to the work he does with ‘The Foundation of Change’. The bonds he developed with the other contestants too are dear to him. The finale on stage as well as the mere fact of being on that stage was something he enjoyed wholeheartedly. He says that these experiences are some of the things he would take forward in his life.
Queried on the challenges he faced in breaking into what is largely perceived as a women-centric industry, Megha says that he does not personally believe in that ideology.
“I think it is the perspective of the industry, how it is marketed and how the culture behind pageantry is embraced by the world. Getting into an industry which you are new to is always a challenge. Proper research, study and preparation always go into a successful campaign of a new or old industry. Since you are exploring unknown lands, this is especially helpful and this helped me hand there with my feet running. I hope this opens more pathways to people in Sri Lanka,” he added.
The 29-year-old has always had a passion for filmmaking and acting. He has already worked in more than six film productions. The latest film, in which he plays one of the main roles, ‘Mandara’, is currently screening in theatres across the island. He is also a visiting lecturer for Film Studies at universities.
“I was never a model though I have modeled for some brands in the past. The main reason I got into that sector was to compete for Mr. Sri Lanka as modelling was one part of it. I had to train hard to present myself as a ramp model as it was something entirely new to me. This is a one-off for me as I consider this as the first and last pageant I would take part in my life,” Megha said.
He said that any disciplined profession comes as an added advantage when one competes on a global platform. Since he is related to acting, directing and the media, he got a diverse perspective on the Mr. World pageant.
“The discipline which goes with committing oneself to a role in acting or directing is similar to taking part in a pageant. These features played a huge role in me and how I am in my perspective on how I am to represent Sri Lanka. You need to have a strategy because you are up against 70 well-chosen personalities and representatives across the world to put up a fight for a title. You need to have all your assets sorted and organised to be worthy to fight for that title,” he pointed out.
Speaking about his acting career Mega said that he entered acting during childhood. However, his first moment in front of a film camera was alongside the late veteran Joe Abeywickrama in the 2012 movie ‘Prathiroo’ which was shot around 2009. His next venture was ‘CineMa’ (2022). After ‘Mandara’ five more movies, each presenting a different version of Megha, will be released in the future. The first feature film he has directed is ‘Marine Drive’ which is due to be screened next year.
Butterfly effect
He said that he does not have any regrets about anything that has happened in his life. Therefore, he does not wish to go back and do anything in a different manner.
“Everything in the past made me who I am now. If I change anything in the past, I would not be the person I am today as that would have a butterfly effect on who I would be right now. I believe in embracing the future while learning from the past—correcting my mistakes, building on lessons learned, and amplifying the good I have achieved.I look to the future to make it a better future,” he pointed out.
He said that fame is temporary but if he has the power to change anything in the world today it would be the way we are going about regarding climate change.
“Earth is the only planet we have and if we are not taking care of it, who would do it? It is essential for our generation as well as the future generations to come. Providing the children with a better education is also necessary for a better future world,” he said.
Megha’s parents, Kalipa and Umanga Sooriyaarachchi are doctors. He has a brother and sister who are twins. His brother, Kakindu, is in his final year at Medical College while his sister, Kavya, is pursuing her PhD in the UK. Megha hails from Kandy but settled in Colombo with his family. He is a product of D. S. Senanayake College. He did his BA at Kelaniya University and is currently reading his Masters at the Mass Communication Department at Colombo University under Media Research.
He said that the foundation has been laid in the work he does, as an actor and director. Hence, it is time to double down and focus on enhancing, fine-tuning and refining.
“I will be doing that a lot in the coming years. I will also be teaching and giving back what I know while serving through ‘The Foundation of Change’. My ambition is to leave this world a better place than I found it, to serve my motherland that I am in debt to and to follow my passion to where I will feel the satisfaction of fine-tuning myself as a person by getting rid of the bad of it and enhancing the good of it. It is all about the journey rather than the destination.”
He advises youth who are inspired by his achievements to study themselves and the industry and do their own research on where they want to go.
“You need to set up millstones and commit to it.
Make sure you are prepared for those goals and work towards them rather than just letting them be mere milestones because where you achieve them is where you set your goals further. I wish them luck and remind them that I am here to help in whichever way I can. Reach out whenever you want. Go for the stars, my friends!” he said with a smile.
