Kopi Kade Explained

Creator:	Thevis Guruge Andrew Jayamanne
Director:	Janaka Mahalpath
Opentheme:	Composed by Chandana Welikala
Country:	Sri Lanka
Language:	Sinhala
Num Episodes:	2,002
Runtime:	30 minutes
Network:	ITN
First Aired:	^[1]
Last Aired:	present

Kopi Kade (Coffee Shop) (Sinhala:කෝපි කඩේ) is a popular Sri Lankan comedy-drama television series broadcast on the Independent Television Network.^[2] One of Sri Lanka's iconic television series in history,^[3] Kopi Kade remains the most popular program at its time-slot according to Survey Research Lanka.^{[4] [5]} The 1500th uninterrupted weekly episode was broadcast on January 17, 2017.^[6] It was telecasted on Sundays for a brief period, where the drama was starts back to telecast on every Wednesday which was later telecast on every Friday at 9.00 p.m.^[7]

Plot

ITN director Thevis Guruge developed the program as a platform to discuss social issues and convey them to the general public. The series would revolve around a village "kopi kade," because small shops that serve coffee, food and groceries generally serve as the center of town life. Women frequent such establishments to obtain the groceries they need, and men join to play games like draughts while discussing matters of interest.^[4]

Cast and characters

Current

• Rathna Sumanapala as Kopi Kade Hamine
• dimuthu chinthaka as amathi
• rathna lalani jayakodi as Sunimal wife
• K.D. Siripala as Dingi Mahaththaya
• Geetha Bulathsinghala as Geetha Naga
• Upasena Subasinghe as Pala
• Jayarathna Rupasinghe as Sirisena^[8]
• Saman Gunawardena as Banda
• Sena Gunawardana as Kiri Hoda
• Upali Silva as Sugathan
• Wasantha Kumarasiri as Sunimal
• Kapila Sigera as Shelton Mahattaya
• Ariyasena Handuwela as Village Officer
• Niluka Rekhani as Kamala
• roopa Gomes as Gramasevaka hamine
• shamadara ariyawansha as doti
• Boniface Jayasantha as Poottuwa
• Eddie Amarasinghe as Piyum Mahathaya^[9]
• Awantha Somasiri as Jason
• Udaya Kumari Ranasingha as piyawathi
• Geetha Kanthi Jayakody as amathi wife
• milinda perera as Senarath
• preshanna fonseka as weda Mahaththaya

Retired

• udeni Chandrasiri as kapu Mahaththaya
• Wickrama Seneviratne as aron goiya
• Kumara Siriwardena as Nimal
• Rodney Fraser as Gajan lamaya
• Susila Kottage as Dayawathi
• Nanda Wilegoda as Alis
• Damayantha Perera as Suwanda
• Rahal Bulathsinghala as Podi Mahaththaya
• Ganga Nadee Withana as Tikiri Naga
• Saranapala Jayasuriya as Kade Mudalali
• Kumari Perera as Kade Hamine's daughter
• Dilip Rohana ("Sudhaa" of "La Hiru Dahasak" teledrama) as Kade Hamine's son
• Victor Fernando as Loku Hamuduruvo Chief Monk at the Village Temple
• Pathma Perera as Kopi Kade Polee Siriya
• Jerad Moraes as Kopi Kade Suda
• K A Piyakaru as Kurun gurun

Thilak kumara rathnayaka (somadasa)

• princy fernando (violet)

Deceased

• Denawaka Hamine as Loku Hamine
• Martin Gunadasa as Poli Mudalali
• Chandrasiri Kodithuwakku as Abilin Maama^[10]
• Susila Kuragama as Ensina^[11]
• Damitha Saluwadana as Asilin^[12]
• Premadasa Vithanage as Minee Petti Mudalali (Town's Undertaker)
• Lal Senadheera as Annasiwatte Rathnapala (Rathne Lamaya)
• Ranjith Amarasekara as Iskole Mahaththaya^[13]
• Raja Sumanapala as Ali Jamis
• Devi Sakunthala as Suwanda's Mother - Angu Hami
• Wimal Wickramarachchi as Samel Appu
• Thusith Pathiraja as Monk at temple
• Kusum Kondegama as Sirisena's mother
• Sunil Hettiarachchi as Giran
• Elson Divithurugama as Lee Mudalali
• Nanasiri Kaluarachchi as Kaluwa
• Chitra Wakishta as Somi Nona
• Wimaladharma Vitharana as Weda mahaththaya
• Srilal Abeykoon as Appuwa^[14]

Production

Andrew Jayamanna was the first director of the program. By 2006, the show had seen six directors, including the Saman Fernando. Sudam Dayarathne and Janaka Mahalpath joined the directing crew after the death of Andrew Jayamanna. Sumith Dias directed the program from 1992 to 1996. Chandika Wijesena and Prabath Dushyantha are now the directors.^[15]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Kopi Kade . 2010-08-14. Sunday Times.
2. Web site: 30 years for Kopi Kade - කෝපි කඩේට තිස් වසරයි . Sarasaviya . 30 March 2017.
3. Web site: Five Iconic Local Teledramas. Muncheedaily.com.
4. Web site: Kopi Kade - ITN. 2007-07-18. 2006. Sunday Observer. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20121015045956/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2006/06/04/zin09.asp. 2012-10-15.
5. Web site: Kopi Kade gets stronger with every programme . Daily News . 11 March 2017.
6. Web site: Successful 1500 episode . Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
7. Web site: Athula draws pictures while writing in the Kopi Kade . Sarasaviya . 3 March 2021.
8. Web site: Jayarathna in Kopi Kade . Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
9. Web site: Piyum Mahathaya in Kopi Kade . Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
10. Web site: Four stars died within two days . Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
11. Web site: Ensine left Kopi Kade without notice . Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
12. Web site: Kopi Kade Asilin left the world . Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
13. Web site: Iskole Mahaththaya died. Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
14. News: Sri Lal Abeykoon no more. 17 April 2020.
15. Web site: කෝපි කඩේට ගොඩ වෙන්න කැමතිද? . Sarasaviya . 20 February 2020.