Buddhadasa Vithanarachchi (born 30 June 1947 as
බුද්ධදාස විතානාරච්චි)
inhala is an actor in
Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. He is also a former member of the political party
National Freedom Front
The Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) or National Freedom Front (NFF) is a political party in Sri Lanka which was formed by ten JVP parliamentarians led by Wimal Weerawansa, as a breakaway group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
The NFF comm ...
. He is known for the roles in teledrama ''Dandubasna Manaya'', ''Akala Sandya'' and stage drama ''Mahasupina''.
Personal life
He was born on 30 June 1947 in Kegalle, Sri Lanka. He received primary education at the village school and secondary Education at
St. Mary's College, Kegalle. Since an early age, he showed ability to speech, perform in school theatre as well as drawing.
He is married to his longtime partner Sitha Lalani Hemamala, postgraduate who did master's degree in nursing from the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
, Canada. Sitha began her career as a Staff Nurse and retired as Head of the Department of Nursing at the
Open University of Sri Lanka
The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL; , ) is a national university in Sri Lanka. It is unique within the Sri Lankan national university system for being the only university to offer programs of study leading to certificate, diploma, degrees ...
. Later she worked as the Head of Nursing at Katsu International, a private university in Sri Lanka. The couple has two daughters: Priyanwada, Sulochana and a son, Siddhartha. His youngest daughter, Sulochana acted in few stage plays, teledramas and worked as a TV presenter in Sri Lanka. His son worked as a producer for the Rupavahini Corporation. Priyanwada is married to Rukman, Sulochana is married to Udaya and Siddhartha is married to Kanchana.
Career
In the early seventies, he came to Colombo to pursue his drama career. Then he studied drama and theater at the Lionel Wendt Theater where he first entered stage dramas. Vithanarachchi started television acting in 1990s. His most notable television acting came through
Jayantha Chandrasiri
Kala Keerthi Jayantha Chandrasiri (:si:ජයන්ත චන්ද්රසිරි, ජයන්ත චන්ද්රසිරි; born 1959), is a Sri Lankan journalist, screenplay writer, television director, and filmmaker in Cinema o ...
's epic serials: ''Dandubasna Manaya'' and ''Akala Sandya''.
Vithanarachchi started his film career with ''Veera Puran Appu'' back in 1978, directed by
Lester James Peries
Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries (Sinhala language, Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකාභිමාන්ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, ...
with a minor role. His most popular cinema acting came through films ''Agnidahaya'', ''Sri Siddhartha Gautama'' and ''Aloko Udapadi''.
Apart from acting, he presented weekend programs on
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation (; ), also known as Jathika Rupavahini (lit. National Television) or simply as Rupavahini, is the national television network of Sri Lanka. The term Rupavahini literally means "purveyor of images" in the ...
for about 15 years.
Notable television works
* ''Akala Sandya''
* ''Arungal''
* ''Bharyawo''
* ''
Bonda Meedum''
* ''Chandi Kumarihami''
* ''Dambulugala Sakmana''
* ''Dandubasna Manaya''
* ''Ganga Addara''
* ''Gini Avi Saha Gini Keli''
* ''Giri Shikara Meda''
* ''Handapana''
* ''Indikadolla''
* ''Isi Dasuna''
* ''Jayathuru Sankaya''
* ''Karuwala Gedara''
* ''Kunchanadha''
* ''Mahathala Hatana''
* ''Makara Dadayama''
* ''Manokaya''
* ''Maunayagaya''
* ''Nannaththara''
* ''Parasathu Mal''
* ''Ran Damwel''
* ''Rejina''
* ''Sadisi Tharanaya''
* ''Sakuge Kathawa''
* ''Sakuge Lokaya''
* ''Sakviththo''
* ''Sanda Gomman Re''
* ''Sarisara Lihini''
* ''Satharadenek Senpathiyo''
* ''Sihina Wasanthayak''
* ''Sepalika''
* ''Thisara Peraliya''
* ''Verona''
* ''Vimansa''
* ''Wasuli Kanda''
* ''Yaddehi Gedara''
Political career
Vithanarachchi joined the
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP; , PLF) is a Marxist–Leninist political party in Sri Lanka. The party was formerly a revolutionary movement and was involved in two armed uprisings against the government of Sri Lanka: once in 1971 JVP ins ...
(JVP) way back in 1960. In 1981, he contested for the development committee elections from
Gampaha district
Gampaha District ( ''gampaha distrikkaya'', ''Kampakai Māvaṭṭam'') is one of the 25 Districts of Sri Lanka, districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. It is the second most populous district of Sri Lank ...
and was able to win under the JVP ticket. However, during the
Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
The Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was an accord signed in Colombo on 29 July 1987, between Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J. R. Jayewardene. The accord was expected to resolve the Sri Lankan civil war, Sri Lankan Civ ...
in 1987, Vithanarachchi was arrested and detained at the
Welikada Prison
The Welikada Prison (; also known as the ''Magazine Prison'') is a maximum-security prison and the largest prison in Sri Lanka. It was built in 1841 by the British colonial government under Governor Campbell. The prison covers an area of . It is ...
for one and half years. In 1971, he was a prominent member of the JVP Islandwide singing group. Following the
1987–1989 JVP insurrection
The 1987–1989 JVP insurrection, also known as the 1988–1989 revolt or the JVP troubles, was an armed revolt in Sri Lanka, led by the Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, against the Government of Sri Lanka. Th ...
, he joined the JVP again and later became a member of the
National Freedom Front
The Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) or National Freedom Front (NFF) is a political party in Sri Lanka which was formed by ten JVP parliamentarians led by Wimal Weerawansa, as a breakaway group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
The NFF comm ...
(NFF) under the leadership of Minister
Wimal Weerawansa
Weerasangilige Wimal Weerawansa (, ) (born 7 March 1970) is a Sri Lankan politician, Member of Parliament and current leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF). Weerawansa has served many cabinet positions, including Minister of Industries from ...
. However, on 2010, he resigned from the party.
Radio Play
''Tharuwan Saranai''
* ''Nirabhisheka''
Filmography
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vithanarachchi, Buddhadasa
Sri Lankan male film actors
Living people
1947 births