The 2018 Prima Kottu Mee calendar carries a host of vibrant young personalities who portray the brand’s ever-young ‘Hot N Spicy’ image. 12 talented stars were the finalists who stood the tests of talent and social media voting to secure their spots in the Prima Kottu Mee Calendar, which has continued to capture the attention of Sri Lanka’s youth over the past 5 years with its creative and attractive concepts.
In the past years the calendar has been a platform for young models from across the country to gain limelight through the Prima Kottu Mee Model Hunt. This year, the concept was extended to go beyond modeling and expand to singing and dancing, calling for the youth to ‘Bring out the Star in YOU’. The competition was also entirely online driven, in keeping with the trends of the youth, from calling for applications, selection to voting.
The 12 stars identified were; Chathuri Kaushalya, Dilusha Jayasuriya, Dinitha Rathnayake, Hisham Rahuff, Imalka Samarawickrama, Ishara Madhubashini, J. Kisho Kumar, Kaushi Fernando, Lakshitha Peiris, Sachintha Artigala, Udantha Nawarathne and Vinodya Ramachandra.
The panel of judges themselves conducted the call for applications via their social media fan pages. Undertaking the hard task of judging were Shehani Wijethunga – model and TV presenter, Teena Shanell – model and actress, along with popular musician Billy Fernando. Shehani herself was one of the winners at the Prima Model Hunt in 2012 and was featured in the Prima Kottu Mee Calendar of the same year, whereas Teena Shanell appeared in the very first Prima Kottu Mee TV Commercial. Billy Fernando’s support comes in the form of his partnership with the Prima Kottu Mee brand.
Within 1 week of the announcement the organizers received an overwhelming number of applications from across the island from which 100 were shortlisted for an audition. The judges then selected 24 young stars to undergo 1 week of online voting on Facebook out of which the 12-highest voted top liners were chosen to be on the 2018 calendar.
The Prima Kottu Mee Calendar has been the stepping stone for many models who dominate the local modeling industry at present. As a brand speaking out to the youth, it has been instrumental in creating opportunities for these talented young people. The extension to the fields of song and dance this year has broadened the scope for more talent to emerge.
In addition to being featured in the Prima Kottu Mee 2018 calendar, the young idols will appear in Live TV programmes in 3 National Television Channels, and stand a chance to star in Prima Kottu Mee commercials in the future.