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Suminda Sirisena
Kala Keerthi Suminda Sirisena (Sinhala: සුමින්ද සිරිසේන; 4 July 1948 – 4 December 2023) was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television.[1] A highly versatile actor, Sirisena played a wide range of starring or supporting roles and was a recipient of the Best Actor award at many award festivals.[2][3][4] Personal lifeSirisena was born on 4 July 1948, in Bossella, a rural village in Kegalle, Sri Lanka as the eldest of the family with four siblings.[5][6] His father, Bulathgamuwage Singho was a small-time businessman in the village who also performed traditional Sri Lankan folk dramas[7] and his mother, Punchi Nona, was a housewife. He had two younger brothers and a younger sister. After having his primary education at the village school Bossella Maha Vidyalaya, he was awarded a scholarship to attend Tholangamuwa Central College in 1963.[8] After his school education, Sirisena moved to Colombo to join the Sri Lanka Railways as a Special Apprentice in 1969. While establishing his career as an actor in theatre, Sirisena went to Oman in 1970 to work as a quantity surveyor for two years. After returning home, he worked as a technical officer at the Victoria Dam project. Then he went back abroad in 1979 and returned to Sri Lanka in 1984.[9] Before 1971, he was an activist and continually attended the meetings conducted by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. But as the party entered the process of armed struggle, he quit politics.[10] He obtained a B.A. degree in Social Sciences from the Open University of Sri Lanka and then completed an M.A, degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.[11] Suminda Sirisena was married to Leela Sirisena. The couple had two sons, Prabhath and Nanditha.[11] Acting careerAt Tholangamuwa Central College, he studied under Ariyawansa Ranaweera, Jayasumana Dissanayake, Daya Alwis and Wijayaratne Athurupane who were scholars and artists who had a major influence on Sri Lankan theatre and arts for many decades. In 1967, Sirisena played the lead role "Kashyapa" in the stage drama Girikūṭa which was selected to the final round of the State School Drama Festival.[9] In 1969, he joined the first batch of students of the theatre school Ranga Shilpa Shalika at Lionel Wendt Art Centre founded by Dhamma Jagoda with the assistance of Daya Alwis. His first role on the public stage was the role of "Dionis" in the play Mūdu Puththu,[3] which also marked the first appearance of popular cinema actor Ravindra Randeniya. He acted in many stage dramas of the 1970s such as Namel Weeramuni's Vansakkārayō, Ranjith Dharmakeerthy's Hasthi Rāja Mahattayā and Hiru Næti Lova, Dayananda Gunawardene's ānanda Javanikā, Tilak Gunawardena's Kōntha Nōnā, Dhamma Jagoda's Ves Muhuṇu, Jayalath Manoratne's Andarēlā, Guru Tharuva', Bandula Vithanage's Rōmaya Gini Ganī.[11] He made his film acting debut with Duhulu Malak (1976).[3] After returning to Sri Lanka in 1984, Sirisena was involved in Thilak Gunawardena's dramas. He acted in the plays Sapatheru Hamine by Miyuri Samarasinghe and then in Mī Pura Væsiyō by Somaratne Dissanayake. After completing the studies, he joined the drama group of Ediriweera Sarachchandra and acted in renowned stage dramas such as Manamē, Sinhabāhu, Kadāvaḷalu, Bava Kaḍathurā, and Mahāsāra.[12] In 1993, Sirisena won the Best Actor award for the role in Kadathurawa at the State Drama Festival.[6] In 2002, he formed a drama school called "Siwuranga". He was able to produce four batches of students from that academy. Thereafter he worked as an instructor at the Tower Hall Academy in Colombo.[11] In 1997, he won the best actor award at the State Theater Festival that year for his performance in the play Rōmaya Gini Ganī. Sirisena's first teledrama was Sihina Nimnaya, produced by Sri Lanka Rupavahini in 1985. He gained wide acclaim for his second teledrama Kumārihāmi, another Rupavahini production, where he played the supporting role of Hichchi Mahaththayā.[13] He later acted in more than 40 teledrama series.[3] His role as "Isaa" in the critically acclaimed serial Charitha Thunak is a hallmark of his television career. He later acted in the serials: Nisalavila, Ramya Suramya, Hada Vila Sakmana as well as in Asalvæsiyō with the role "Jayamangala". He also acted in many critically notable films such as Saptha Kanya, Yakada Pihatu, Uppalawanna, Samanala Thatu, Uduganyamaya and Ira Handa Yata.[14][15] During his illness, he was working with two television serials, Sepalika and Boralu Paara.[11][16] Notable stage dramas
Selected television serials
Illness and deathIn May 2012, Sirisena was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Colombo National Hospital due to sudden illness and fever.[52] Beginning then, he had difficulties with walking. He was taking physiotherapy treatments at the time of his death.[11] After 2012, Sirisena did not take part in any productions due to illness.[53] Sirisena died at a private hospital on 4 December 2023, at the age of 75.[54][55][56] Filmography
Awards and honours
State Drama Festival, Sri Lanka
State Tele Awards Festival, Sri Lanka
Sumathi Tele Awards, Sri Lanka
Signis Awards, Sri Lanka
Raigam Awards, Sri Lanka
References
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