Known to most Southern California Sri Lankan expatriates as “Bud”, Bhadraji Mahinda Jayatilaka is a great lover of Sri Lankan arts, drama, music, and letters. An exceptionally humble individual, Bud excels in his ventures in the most unassuming fashion so much so that one often wonders about the creator after witnessing his creations.

Bhadraji is a brilliant product of Kotte Ananda Shastralaya and he displayed his prowess in the arts and culture at an early stage of his life, where he won Dr. R. L. Spittle prize for painting. After finishing high school he worked at the University of Sri Lanka, Peradeniya in the Administration branch. He migrated to the United States and upon his arrival entered the Woodbury University and obtained a BSc in Communications and Public Relations. Later he obtained his MA in Cinematography and TV Production fro Columbia College. His mastery in television helped him in introducing the first TV station in Sri Lanka. Bhadraji is a prolific writer who has authored over 80 books, a sublime painter, a keen dramatist and an astute teacher. In other words, Bud is a complete artist who shows his versatility equally with his pen, the brush and stage sets. Many drama artists in Southern California depend on Bhadraji’s talent for a meaningful display of arts and culture on stage.

In addition to his 80 books, Bhadraji has won 14 awards, has produced 12 Sinhala stage plays and 10 English plays. Bhadraji is, in every sense of the word, a true artist.