Vijaya Kumaratunga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vijaya Kumaratunga
විජය කුමාරතුංග விஜய குமாரதுங்க |
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| Born |
Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga
9 October 1945 Ragama, British Ceylon
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| Died | 16 February 1988 (aged 42) Polhengoda, Sri Lanka
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| Other names | Vijey |
| Alma mater | St. Benedict's College De Mazenod College |
| Occupation | Film Actor, Playback Singer, Politician |
| Years active | 1969–1988 |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Political party | Sri Lanka Mahajana Party |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Yashodhara Kumaratunga Vimukthi Kumaratunga |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Sirimavo Bandaranaike Anura Bandaranaike Sunethra Bandaranaike Jeewan Kumaranatunga Ranjan Ramanayake Carlo Fonseka |
| Awards | Sarasaviya Most Popular Actor Award (1983-1988) |
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Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga (Sinhala: කොවිලගේ ඇන්ටන් විජය කුමාරණතුංග; Tamil: விஜய_குமாரணதுங்க; born October 9, 1945 – died February 16, 1988), known as Vijaya Kumaratunga, was a famous Sri Lankan film actor, singer, and politician. He is remembered as one of the most popular figures in Sri Lankan cinema. He was married to Chandrika Kumaratunga, who later became the President of Sri Lanka. They were married from 1978 until his death in 1988. Vijaya Kumaratunga also started his own political party, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vijaya Kumaratunga was born on October 9, 1945, in Ragama, Sri Lanka. His parents were Kovilage Benjamin Kumaratunga and Clara Beatrice Perera. His father was a village headman. Vijaya had three siblings: Sydney, Vivian, and Rupa.
He went to Seeduwa Davisamara Maha Vidyalaya for primary school. For his secondary education, he attended St. Benedict's College and De Mazenod College. During his school years, he was very good at singing, acting, and public speaking. After school, he briefly joined the Ceylon Police Force as a Sub Inspector before starting his career in entertainment.
A Star in Sri Lankan Cinema
Vijaya Kumaratunga began his acting journey in 1969. His first main role was as a university student named Bandu in the popular film Hanthane Kathawa. However, he had appeared in front of a camera earlier in the film Manamalayo.
Over nearly two decades, he acted in more than 120 films. In 114 of these, he played the main character. Some of his well-known films include Ahas Gauwa (1974), Eya Den Loku Lamayek (1975), Bambaru Avith (1977), and Ganga Addara (1980). He also acted in an English film called The God King and a Tamil film named Nanguram. In the 1980s, he became a beloved actor in Sinhala cinema, often paired with actress Malini.
Singing and Producing Films
Besides acting, Vijaya Kumaratunga was also a talented singer. He sang in many films and recorded over 100 songs. He also produced two films, Waradata Danduwam and Samawa, which was released after his death.
He was a very popular actor, winning the Sarasaviya Most Popular Actor Award six times between 1983 and 1988. He also won the Best Actor award for his role in Kedapathaka Chaya in 1989, but he was not alive to receive it. After his passing, he won the Sarasaviya Award for Best Playback Singer for his songs 'Walakulak Gena Muwa Karumu Hiru' and 'Sara Guwana Vida Neguna'. He even wrote one song, 'Mulu Hadinma Oba Hata Adarei'.
Political Journey
Vijaya Kumaratunga started his political career in 1974 with the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). He later joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and became a key organizer for the party.
In 1977, he ran for a seat in Parliament in the Katana Electoral District, but he did not win. In 1982, he was very active in the presidential campaign for Hector Kobbekaduwa. After this election, he faced accusations and was briefly held in jail, though he was never officially charged.
In 1983, he ran in a special election in Mahara Electoral District. During this election, he faced threats, and one of his friends was killed. Vijaya Kumaratunga initially won the vote count. However, after a power outage at the counting center, the results changed, and the opposing candidate was declared the winner by a small number of votes. Many people believed that votes had been unfairly changed.
Founding a New Party
He then founded his own political party, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP). This party worked for peace during the Sri Lankan Civil War. He ran in another election in Minneriya Electoral District under his new party and came in second place, which was a good result for a new party.
In 1986, Vijaya Kumaratunga made a brave visit to Jaffna, an area controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the time. He visited the Nallur Murugan Temple and met with local Tamil civilians and some youth leaders from the LTTE. This showed his commitment to finding peaceful solutions.
In his last public speech on January 28, 1988, he spoke about the need for political parties to address the country's problems. He also shared his concerns about certain political alliances.
In 1988, the SLMP joined with other left-wing parties to form the United Socialist Alliance (USA). This new alliance was formed just days after Vijaya Kumaratunga's death.
Personal Life
On February 20, 1978, Vijaya Kumaratunga married Chandrika Bandaranaike. They had two children together. Chandrika Bandaranaike was the daughter of two former prime ministers, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike. She later became the President of Sri Lanka.
His Tragic Death
Vijaya Kumaratunga was shot and killed outside his home in Colombo on February 16, 1988. He was a popular figure, and his death shocked many people. An investigation was held later to look into the assassination.
His funeral, on February 21, 1988, was a very large event. It was the first funeral in Sri Lanka to be shown live on television. It was held as a state funeral at Independence Square in Colombo, even though he was an opposition leader. The day he died is often called "The Horrible Tuesday" or "The Darkest Tuesday in Sri Lankan History." Many people in Sri Lanka still remember and mourn his death.
Images for kids
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Vijaya Kumaratunga
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Signature of Vijaya Kumaratunga
See also
- List of political families in Sri Lanka
