Tony Ranasinghe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Ranasinghe
ටෝනි රණසිංහ |
|
|---|---|
Tony Ranasinghe in a scene from Delovak Athara
|
|
| Born |
Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony Silva
31 July 1937 Modara, Sri Lanka
|
| Died | 16 June 2015 (aged 77) Colombo, Sri Lanka
|
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Education | St. Anthony's College, Wattala De La Salle College, Colombo |
| Occupation | Actor, Writer |
| Years active | 1962-2008 |
| Known for | Crowned king of Sri Lankan cinema |
| Spouse(s) | Sirima Indrani Wickramasuriya (m. 1962) |
| Parents |
|
Deshabandu Tony Ranasinghe (1937 – 2015) was a very famous actor in Sri Lankan movies, plays, and TV shows. Many people think he was one of the best actors in Sinhala cinema ever. He was known for his special way of showing feelings with his face and voice. He also played many difficult roles, like Sarath in Ahasin Polowata and Nissanka in Delovak Athara.
Some experts called him the last "Crowned King" of Sri Lankan cinema. This title was also given to other great actors like Gamini Fonseka and Joe Abeywickrama. Tony Ranasinghe acted in 115 movies. In 43 of these, he was the main actor, and in 72, he played a supporting role. He also helped write the scripts for two movies.
Contents
About Tony Ranasinghe
His Early Life and Family
Tony Ranasinghe was born on July 31, 1937, in Modara, Sri Lanka. His full name was Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony Silva. His parents were Emmanuel Cyril and Lilian Fernando. He was the second child in a family of nine children. His older brother was Ralex, and his younger siblings included Stella, Marie, Gina, Romwell, Christopher, and Daya.
Tony went to school at St. Anthony's College, Wattala, and De LaSalle College, Modera. His father worked for the Department of Posts and Telecommunications. Tony loved cricket when he was in school and collected pictures of the famous cricketer Don Bradman.
Starting His Career
Tony first worked as an English stenographer, which is someone who types very fast using shorthand. But he left that job after only a few months. In 1962, his brother Ralex encouraged him to try acting. He saw an advertisement for a play called "Bodinkarayo" and decided to change his name to Tony Ranasinghe for it.
His Family Life
Tony Ranasinghe married Sirima Indrani Wickramasuriya on April 30, 1962. They were together for a long time. Tony Ranasinghe passed away on June 16, 2015, in a hospital in Colombo. He was 77 years old.
Tony's Acting Journey
Starting in Theater and Film
Tony Ranasinghe began his acting career in theater. In 1963, he acted in a play called Ran Thodu. He was so good that he won the Governor General's Award for Best Stage Actor. This award was given to him by Minister T. B. Ilangaratne.
His very first movie was supposed to be Sirisena Wimalaweera's Punchi Amma. However, this movie was never shown because of money problems. Tony's real movie debut was in 1964 with Lester James Peries' Gamperaliya. After that, he played a different kind of bad guy in the movie Ran Salu. He worked with Lester James Peries again in Delovak Athara, where he played the main character.
Famous Movie Roles
Tony Ranasinghe became well-known for playing main roles in many popular and praised movies. Some of these include Parasathu Mal, Baddegama, Hulawali, Duhulu Malak, Hanthane Kathawa, Pawuru Walalu, and Le Kiri Kandulu. He was known for taking on challenging characters.
Stage Plays and TV Shows
In his early days, Tony also acted in many stage plays with a group called "Ape Kattiya," led by Sugathapala de Silva. Some of the plays he acted in were Bodimkarayo, Thattu Gewal, Waguru Bima, Virupi Muhuna, Harima Badu Hayak, Julius Caesar, and Veniciye Velenda.
He also appeared in several TV shows. These included Awarjana, Suwanda Kekulu, Raigam Yaluwo, Ekata Getuma, Hathe Wasama, Manokaya, Soorya Vinsathi, and Kadamuna.
Beyond Acting: Writing and Producing
Besides acting, Tony Ranasinghe was also a talented writer and producer. He helped write scripts for movies like Koti Waligaya, Awaragira, Tharanaya, Pawuru Walalu, Kelimadala, and Duwata Mawaka Misa. He also produced stage plays such as Julius Caesar, Balawa Nawaka Aruma, and Dolosweni Rathriya.
He was also an author and wrote several books. His books include Jogi Hamarai, Hemadama Oba Mage, and Mata Kawuruth Adare Na. He also wrote a novel called Adaraneeya Ayra that was published in parts in Sarasaviya magazine.
Awards and Honors
Tony Ranasinghe won many awards for his acting. In 1966, he received the Best Supporting Actor Sarasaviya Award for his role in Parasathu Mal. He then won Best Actor Awards for Hanthane Kathawa (1969), Duhulu Malak (1976), and Ahasin Polawata (1979). In 1980, he played the father in Ganga Addara.
His role in Saptha Kanya (1993) earned him multiple Best Actor Awards. These included awards from Sarasaviya, Swarna Sanka, Presidential, and OCIC.
Tony also won Sarasaviya Awards for his screenplays. These were for Koti Waligaya, Keli Mandala, Awaragira (1995), and Pavuru Walalu. In 1988, he was given the Deshabandu award. This is the third highest national honor in Sri Lanka, showing how much he contributed to his country's arts.
