Akila embarked on a journey in photojournalism, starting as a freelance photojournalist with Ceylon Today, a major English newspaper in Sri Lanka. He later worked as a regular contributor to Roar Media, a South Asia-based digital media platform, where he published numerous photo stories. Akila also worked with Ravaya, a Sri Lankan alternative Sinhala-language newspaper, and continued to expand his experience with The Sunday Times, one of Sri Lanka’s leading English newspapers.

Akila’s work as a ground-zero photojournalist began in 2017 with coverage of major news stories. His photography captured significant situations such as the 2018 Sri Lankan Constitutional Crisis, the 2019 Easter Bombings, COVID-19 and lockdowns, and the 2022 Economic Crisis. He also has experience co-working with Asian and European photojournalists, covering major incidents in Sri Lanka. 

Akila is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.