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Prema Tharangaya
''Prema Tharangaya'' (Sinhala, ''Love Contest'') is a 1953 Sri Lankan film directed by A. B. Rajj and produced by S. M. Nayagam. The film stars Aruna Shanthi and Ayesha Weerakoon in lead roles along with Hugo Fernando, Mark Samaranayake and Laddie Ranasinghe in supportive roles. Music was directed by R. Muttusamy. The musician Dharmadasa Walpola debuted as a playback singer in this film. Plot Love story of Premadasa and Mallika. Cast * Aruna Shanthi as Premadasa * Ayesha Weerakoon as Mallika * Hugo Fernando as Walpola Mudalali * Mark Samaranayake as Wickrama * Laddie Ranasinghe as Gunasiri * Richard Albert as Tarzan * Dharma Sri Ranatunga * Latha Walpola * Girley Gunawardana as Dancer * Benedict Fernando as Teacher * David Dharmakeerthi * Nancy Dias as Piyasili * Jemini Kantha as Podihamy * Devika Rani Devika Rani Choudhuri (30 March 1908 – 9 March 1994), usually known as Devika Rani, was an Indian actress who was active in Hindi films during the 1930s and 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugo Fernando
Kanupulage Ugo Singho (July 14, 1912 – April 12, 1999), popularly known as Hugo Master or Hugo Fernando, was an actor and composer of Sri Lankan cinema. Debuting in the first Sinhalese film ''Kadawunu Poronduwa'', Fernando had an over 50 year career also as a lyricist, assistant director and music director. Personal life Fernando was born on 14 July 1912 in Periyamulla, Negombo as the eldest of the family. His father was Peduru Fernando, who was famous for repairing village houses. His mother Liyanage Elizabeth Fernando was a housewife. He has one younger sister, Martha Mary Fernando. He attended Dalupotha Roman Catholic School but was forced to drop out in the seventh grade to support his poverty stricken family. His father fell from a scaffolding and unable to move since then. Therefore his mother started to work in coir mill. He took to working at coir mills, estates, tobacco stores, fish stalls and in masonry to this end. After stopping at the coir mill, he joined a grou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aruna Shanthi
Palihawadana Arachchige Cyril Perera (12 February 192622 September 1992 as si, අරුණ ශාන්ති), popularly known by his stage name Aruna Shanthi, was an actor and playback singer in Sri Lankan cinema. Personal life Cyril was born on 12 February 1926 in Weliwita, Kaduwela, Sri Lanka. His father died when Cyril's mother was pregnant with Cyril. He was educated at Dharmadutha College and St. Bede's College, Badulla (currently known as Badulla Central College). He has spent for some time attended St. Anthony's College, Kadawatha, Padukka Central College and Don Bosco College, Hanwella. His best friend at this time was Kingsley Kodippili, elder brother of popular actor Rex Kodippili. At the age of 17, Cyril competed in boxing and won first place. He was married to Rose Dilma, whom he met at a party in Wellawatte in 1949. The couple has five sons: Neville, Ranjan, Tony, Sumith, Lucien and one daughter, Sohani Augusta. Youngest son Sumith is also a singer. In 1997, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Samaranayake
Hettiarachchige Don Marcus Conrad Senarathna Samaranayake (born 8 April 1914 – died 4 June 2000 as මාක් සමරනායක) inhala, popularly as Mark Samaranayake, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and stage drama. One of the earliest pillars in Sinhala cinema, Samaranayake acted in several critically acclaimed films such as ''Peralena Iranama'', ''Perakadoru Bena'', ''Kapati Arakshakaya'', ''Duppathage Duka'' and ''Daivayogaya''. Personal life He was born on 8 April 1914 in Weliveriya, Gampaha as the fifth child in a family with eight siblings. His father, Charles Samaranayake, was a notary and his mother Dona Isabella Perera was a housewife. He had three elder sisters: Josephine, Harriet and Lori, an elder brother: George, two sisters: Ellison and Marie, and a younger brother: Benedict. His father died when Mark was a child. He received his primary education at the Sinhala School in Weliweriya and then went to Saint Joseph's College, Colombo for secondary educ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laddie Ranasinghe
Ladislaus Perera Ranasinghe (23 March 1913 – 26 May 1983 si, ලැඩී රණසිංහ), popularly known as Laddie Ranasinghe was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema. Personal life He was born on 23 March 1913 in Tudella, Ja-Ela, Colombo, Sri Lanka. He started primary education from Tudella Roman Catholic College and completed secondary education from Saint Joseph's College, Colombo. Fellow actor Mark Samaranayake was his classmate. At one point Laddie and Mark joined Lady St. Aloysius Seminary to become priests. He stopped going to school and joined the police force. Shortly afterward he retired from the police service and resumed his schooling. He learned English from the English School at the Chilaw Church and began his career as a translator for the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, he joined Bauer Company, Colombo. Laddie died on 26 May 1983 at the age of 70. Career While still in school, he became interested in the arts by performing in plays, and after his retirement, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dominion Of Ceylon
Between 1948 and 1972, Ceylon The Sri Lanka Independence Act 1947 uses the name "Ceylon" for the new dominion; nowhere does that Act use the term "Dominion of Ceylon", which although sometimes used was not the official name. was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations, that shared a monarch with other dominions of the Commonwealth. In 1948, the British Colony of Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka. History Independence and growth Following the Second World War, public pressure for independence increased. The British-ruled Colony of Ceylon achieved independence on 4 February 1948, with an amended constitution taking effect on the same date. Independence was granted under the Ceylon Independence Act 1947. Military treaties with the United Kingdom preserved intact British air and sea bases in the country; British officers also continued to fill most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinhalese Language
Sinhala ( ; , ''siṁhala'', ), sometimes called Sinhalese (), is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million people as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script, which is a Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. Sinhala is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka. Along with Pali, it played a major role in the development of Theravada, Theravada Buddhist literature. The early form of the Sinhala language, is attested as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions with long vowels and aspirated consonants is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi, a regional associate of the Middle Indian Prakrits that has been used during the time of the Buddha. The closest relatives are the Vedda language (a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and southeast of the Arabian Sea; it is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with India and Maldives. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is its legislative capital, and Colombo is its List of cities in Sri Lanka, largest city and financial centre. Sri Lanka has a population of around 22 million (2020) and is a multinational state, home to diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities. The Sinhalese people, Sinhalese are the majority of the nation's population. The Tamils, who are a large minority group, have also played an influential role in the island's history. Other long establ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dharmadasa Walpola
Dharmadasa Walpola ( Sinhala: ධර්මදාස වල්පොල) (1927–1983) was the most prominent Sri Lankan male playback singer of the 1950s and 1960s. Walpola was an accomplished musician adapt at playing the flute, harmonium, violin and tabla. Biography Early life Walpola's father Palis Ayya worked with costumes for the Tower Hall theater. Walpola had to forgo his education at a young age to support his family and for a time built masks for the Sri Lankan army. At that time he won a role in Sirisena Wimalaweera's play ''Amma'' singing a virindu. He subsequently acted and sang in the play ''Wessanthara'' as well. To master the flute, Walpola began taking lessons from Eddie Master and then attended R. A. Chandrasena's Academy. Chandrasena was impressed by Walpola's ability to sing and after auditioning several songs with harmonium accompaniment, sent a good word to the Radio Ceylon broadcaster Thevis Guruge. Guruge gave Walpola a sarala gee programme wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latha Walpola
Deshamanya Matharage Rita Genevieve Fernando, better known by her stage name Latha Walpola ( si, ලතා වල්පොල), is a prominent Sri Lankan vocal artist. It was during when Walpola was a member of a church choir, that she began a career that led to her becoming one of Sri Lanka's premier singers of her day. Today her fans often refer to her as "The Nightingale of Sri Lanka" Personal life Walpola was born on 11 November 1934 in Mt Lavinia Colombo, to Joseph Fernando and Elizabeth Muriel. She was one of five children. Her mother, who was a teacher encouraged her daughter to become a vocal artist. Walpola received her primary education at St. Anthony College in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, wherein she led the church choir. She married Dharmadasa Walpola in 1959, later becoming known as Latha Walpola. A ceremonial wedding was held at Siri Kotha, Kollupitiya with a large gathering of guests and artists. The local police had to deploy extra men to control the massive cro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Girley Gunawardana
Dona Girley Grace Gunawardana (born 15 November 1935 – died 11 March 2012 as ගර්ලි ගුණවර්ධන) inhala, popularly as Girley Gunawardana, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. She is the mother of popular actress Sabeetha Perera. Personal life Gunawardana was born on 15 November 1935 in Mount Lavinia as the fifth child of the family. She had three elder brothers - Titus, Lionel, Erwin - and one elder sister and one younger sister, Rose. She was educated at Girls High School Mount Lavinia. Gunawardana was married to popular film actor Stanley Perera. She identified Stanley through her friends Bhadra Marapana and A.J. De Zoysa. On 21 July 1956, they secretly got engaged. It was a secret, even though both were acting together. The couple have four daughters - Sandya, Sadna and Sabeetha and Chandima. Third daughter Sabeetha Perera is a popular actress in Sinhala cinema, who acted in more than 70 films. Sabeetha also won Sarasaviya Award for the best actres ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Dharmakeerthi
Kalukapuge Don David (born 1 September 1913 – died 10 September 1987 as ඩේවිඩ් ධර්මකීර්ති), popularly known as David Dharmakeerthi was an actor Sri Lankan early Sri Lankan cinema. Personal life He was born on 1 September 1913 in Kotigamgoda village, Padukka. His father Odiris Appuhami was a farmer. He started school at village school and then from Wonakal College, Padukka and finally to the English English School in Homagama. After school, Dharmakeerthi first joined the Department of Agriculture at Alston Place, Colombo as an overseer. Dharmakeerthi was married to Nandawathi Jayasuriya. The couple has 5 sons and 3 daughters. He died on 10 September 1987 at the age of 74. Cinema career In school times, he performed in a drama based on a novel "Rohini" written by Martin Wickremasinghe. There was a superintendent named Jasinghe in the Department of Agriculture where David worked. He saw Dharmakeerthi's acting skills in the dramas of the peasant ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jemini Kantha
Nona Yuhan Sheriffdeen (born 20 February 1925 – died 22 June 1992 as ජෙමිනි කාන්තා) inhala, popularly as stage name Jemini Kantha, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. One of the earliest pillars of Sinhala cinema, Kantha is considered as the first female comedian in Sinhala cinema. She was a pioneer comedy actress known as "Josi Baba" and singer in early Sri Lankan cinema. Personal life Gemini Kantha was born on 20 February 1925 in Meewakkumbura village in Matale to a Malay father. Career After the end of school life, Kantha joined the B. A. W. Jayamanne's Minerva Drama Group. She won a reputation as a singer who sang for the discs during the Gramophone era along with Eddie Jayamanne, Mohideen Baig and A.M.U Raj. She became the first comic actress in Sri Lankan cinema with the role of "Josi baba" in Sri Lanka's first film ''Kadawunu Poronduwa'' in 1947. She also sang the song ''Nonage Ale Ge Meda Sale'' with Eddie Jayamanne. She has acted in only s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
