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Sathischandra Edirisinghe
Sri Lankan actor, dramatist and director From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Patikirige Sathischandra Edirisinghe (born 11 February 1941 as Patikirige Sathischandra Edirisinghe, සතිස්චන්ද්ර එදිරිසිංහ) [Sinhala] is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television.[1] Edirisinghe's career spans more than five decades in cinema, stage drama, and television.[2][3]
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Personal life
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Sathischandra Edirisinghe was born on 11 February 1941 in Kelaniya as the sixth child of the family. His father, Patikirige Edirisinghe, served as a Chief Supervisor in the Department of Cottage Industries, and his mother, Ushettige Elizabeth Perera, was a housewife. He has one elder brother, the late Dharmasiri; four elder sisters—Techla Sandaseelee, the late Florida Katherine, Mershia Sirima, and Mary Elizabeth; and two younger brothers—Nimal Ranjith and Sunil. The youngest of the family, Sunil, is a singer in Sri Lankan music industry.[4]
Edirisinghe completed his education at five schools. He started his preschool career with Sir D. B. Jayatilaka Vidyalaya, then entered Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya, in 1947. After ten years in the school, Edirisinghe then moved to St. Mary's College, Elpitiya, in 1958 to complete A/L from art stream.[5] In 1960, he entered Stafford College, and in 1964, he completed his secondary education at Vidyodaya Pirivena, Maligakanda.[4]
In 1965, he married Kariyapperuma Arachchige Sriya Kariyapperuma. Sriya was born on November 7, 1941. She met Sathischandra Edirisinghe at Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya. They currently have three children—Udaya, Shashini, and Udara.
The eldest son, Udaya Shashipriya, studied at S. Thomas' College, Gurutalawa. He currently handles his own business, U and I Ceylon (Pvt) Ltd. The middle child and daughter, Shashini, studied at St. Paul's Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Kelaniya. She is a B.Com graduate and currently resides in Australia. The youngest child, Udara Asanga, studied at Royal College, Colombo. He is interested in textile and fashion designing in Australia. All are married.[1]
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Theater work
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Edirisinghe's first teacher at Sri Dharmaloka Central College was Ravilal Wimaladharma, who had a keen interest in literature and music. At grade 5, he tried to act as Madduma Bandara at home, a drama from his literature book.[4] After Wimaladharma saw his capabilities, Edirisinghe was put in charge of the stage play Sudo Sudu in the school. In 1953, he joined Lamapitiya program in Radio Ceylon.[6] For his role in Anton Chekhov’s Proposal at the inter-school drama competition, Edirisinghe was adjudged the Best Actor of the Southern Province.[4]
In 1961, Edirisinghe started his stage drama career when his elder brother, Dharmasiri Edirisinghe, introduced him to Kala Guru J. D. A. Perera. In 1999, after the service in CTB and Mahaweli Authority, he became a full-time artist.[1] His peak as a theater actor came through his role in John de Silva's stage play Wessanthara. With wider recognition, he was able to cooperate with country's leading scriptwriters, such as Gunasena Galappathi, Dayananda Gunawardane, Henry Jayasena, Sugathapala de Silva, R.R. Samarakoon, Sunanda Mahendra, Ranjit Dharmakeerthi, S. Karunaratne, Lucien Bulathsinghala, and Dhamma Jagoda.[6] His memorable theater acting came through Henry Jayasena's Manaranjana Vedavarjana in 1965.[7]
Notable works
- Baka Thapas
- Vessanthara
- Sri Wicrama
- Ibi Katta
- Manaranja Wedewarjana
- Liyathabara
- Maha Hene Hiriyaka
- Maha Gedere
- Cheri Uyana (Cherry Orchard)
- Onna Babo Ethiniya
- Habun Katai Bath Dekatai
- Elade
- Erabodu Mal Pottu Pipila
- Geheniyak
- Sauren Ae Lada
- Ane Massine
- Ruduraya Saha Gangawa
- Liya Thambara
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Television acting
Edirisinghe's first television role was Lucien Bulathsinhala's Ekamawakage Daruwo in 1982. In the drama, he played the main role, a school principal. He played in many popular films during the early stage of Sri Lankan television, such as Mihikathage Daruwo, Tharadevi, and Palingu Menike.[8]
Notable works - as actor
- Ambu Daruwo[9]
- Aravinda saha Indu
- Avindu Adura
- Chandi Kumarihami [10]
- Eke Mawakege Daruwo
- Gauwen Gauwa
- Kadathira[11]
- Kokila Ginna[12][13]
- Mihikathege Daruwo
- Minigandela[14]
- Nisala Vilthera[15]
- Paligu Menike
- Sausiri Uyana[16]
- Senehelatha Menike
- Sivmansala
- Sonduru SIthaththi
- Sudu Hamine[17]
- Sudu Mahaththuru[18]
- Sudu Paraviyo
- Sujatha[19]
- Sura-asura
- Suseema [20]
- Thara Devi
- Uthuru Sulanga
- Uthuwankande Sura Saradiyel[21]
- Wassanaye Hiru Evidin [22]
Notable works - both as producer and actor
Stage and film directing
In 1963, Edirisinghe started his first direction and production of stage dramas with the play Baka Thapas. Out of 20 stage plays he acted in, six of them were his production and direction.[4] In 1964 he produced a second stage play, Atthikka Mal Pipila, with his own script. He produced another four stage dramas—Hotabari Yuddae, based on George Orwell's Animal Farm, Thahanchi, Sokkano Rajano and Apaya Avurudu.[3]
Edirisinghe began directing films in 1973. His first cinematic direction came through Matara Aachchi in 1973.[6] The film featured his brother Sunil Edirisinghe as a singer, Wally Nanayakkara as lyricist, and Victor Ratnayake as music director.[4]
Edirisinghe has produced eleven television serials, of which he directed seven. In 2019, he was honored with the Janabhimani Honorary Award at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall.[28]
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Beyond acting
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In 1965, Edirisinghe was attached with Ceylon Transport of Bus (CTB) as a clerk. After the marriage and a few years of work, he resigned from CTB and joined to Mahaweli Authority in 1986. In the authority, he served as the Manager in Cultural Affairs from 1986 to 1998.[4]
In 2008, Edirisinghe was invited to take the position of Consultant in Cultural Affairs in the Ministry of Irrigation.[4]
Edirisinghe is an author with several published works, such as Apa Sathu Minimuthu, Kata Wata Kara Weta, and Jalaya Saha Minisa.[29][30] He has written nearly 25 books, eight of which were children's literature. He went with a scriptwriter to Kuwait in 1990 for a stage drama. During that period, Sadaam Hussein captured control of Iran, and the crew was stuck there for 47 days in the Middle East, after which they returned to Sri Lanka. [3] A felicitation ceremony titled Sathischandra Edirisinghe in Retrospect was held on January 16th, 2011, at 6pm at Kularatne Hall in Ananda College Maradana, which was organized by Telemakers Guild.[31]
During a family trip to Ella, Badulla, in January 2019, gold jewelry and cash worth nearly Rs.189,000 had been stolen from the family. Police said that the thief might have entered the room through a window, as one of the windows was opened.[32]
Author works
- Apa Sathu Minimuthu
- Kata Wata Kara Weta
- Jalaya Saha Minisa
- Adaraya Saha Vivahaya
- Ape Thaththa
- Guru Bhumika Nirupanaya
- Raththaran Daruwek
- Thanhawa Dukata Hethu We
- Wanduru Nuwana
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Legacy
On January 14, 2008, a felicitation program titled Sathischandra Prathibhanaya was held at 3 pm at Sarasavi Studio, Dalugama, Kelaniya. The program was organized by the Nuwana Youth Organisation.[6]
He was awarded the Kala Suri title in 1990 by President Ranasinghe Premadasa and conferred with an honorary degree from the University of Kelaniya in 2006.[6]
Awards
Presidential Awards
Sumathi Awards
Raigam Tele'es
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Filmography
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Edirisinghe started his film career with Sadol Kandulu back in 1966, directed by Senator Reggie Perera.[4] Through that, he performed dramatic and supportive roles in more than 35 films. [35][36] In 1982, his film Adhishtanaya was screened at the International Mannheim Film Festival in Germany, where it received recognition, which he also took to the Ludwigshafen Film Congress.
- No. denotes the number of Sri Lankan films in the Sri Lankan cinema.[37]
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References
External links
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