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Kala Keerthi
The Kala Keerthi ( si, කලා කීර්ති) is a Sri Lankan Sri Lankan honours system, national honour awarded "''for extraordinary achievements and contributions in arts, culture and drama''". It is the highest national honour for arts, culture and drama in Sri Lanka. It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the awardee's name. Kala Keerthi ranks lower than Vidya Jyothi. Awardees Awardees include: ;1986 * W. D. Amaradeva, Wannakuwattawaduge Don Amaradeva * Rohan de Saram * Dayananda Ekanatha Hettiarachchi * George Keyt * Lester James Peries ;1987 * Ananda Weihena Palliya Guruge * Prof Nandadasa Kodagoda * Anton Wickremasinghe ;1988 * Prof Thomas Earle Joseph de Fonseka * Dr Punchi Bandara Sannasgala * Varindra Tarzie Vittachi ;1989 * Eileen Siriwardhana * Alankarage Victor Suraweera * Lorna Srimathie Dewaraja * Jinadasa Vijayatunge ;1990 * Miniwandeni Pathirannehelage Tillakaratna * Arumugam Kandiah ;1991 * Wimal Abayasundera * D. B. Nihalsinghe, Diongu Bada ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and southeast of the Arabian Sea; it is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with India and Maldives. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is its legislative capital, and Colombo is its largest city and financial centre. Sri Lanka has a population of around 22 million (2020) and is a multinational state, home to diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities. The Sinhalese are the majority of the nation's population. The Tamils, who are a large minority group, have also played an influential role in the island's history. Other long established groups include the Moors, the Burghers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamini Haththotuwegama
Kala Keerthi Dr. Gamini Kalyanadarsha Haththotuwegama (born 29 November 1939 – died 30 October 2009 as ගාමිණී හත්තොටුවේගම) was a Sri Lankan playwright, director, actor, critic and educator. He was widely known as the father of Sri Lanka's modern street theatre. He was among the most influential directors of post-independent Sri Lanka. Personal life He was born on 29 November 1939 in Galle. He completed education from Richmond College, Galle. He entered University of Peradeniya in 1956 and obtained a Honors Degree in English. After obtaining degree, he moved back to Galle and worked as an English teacher and the teacher-in-charge of drama at Richmond College. Then, in 1965, Haththotuwegama joined with University of Kelaniya (known as "Vidyalankara University of Ceylon, Kelaniya" in his days) as a lecturer of English. He retired from the four decades of university service in 2005. He died on 30 October 2009 at the age of 73 due to long prevailed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shyam Selvadurai
Shyam Selvadurai (born 12 February 1965) is a Sri Lankan Canadian novelist. He is most noted for his 1994 novel '' Funny Boy'', which won the Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction.Paul Chafe"Shyam Selvadurai" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', April 2, 2012. Background Selvadurai was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka to a Sinhalese mother and a Tamil father—members of conflicting ethnic groups whose troubles form a major theme in his work. Ethnic riots in 1983 drove the family to emigrate to Canada when Selvadurai was nineteen. He studied creative and professional writing as part of a Bachelor of Fine Arts program at York University. Selvadurai recounted an account of the discomfort he and his partner experienced during a period spent in Sri Lanka in 1997 in his essay "Coming Out" in ''Time'' Asia's special issue on the Asian diaspora in 2003. Writing career Selvadurai published ''Funny Boy'' in 1994, and followed up in 1998 with the novel ''Cinn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanath Nandasiri
Prof. Sangeeth Nipun Herath Mudiyanselage Sanath Nandasiri (born 15 February 1942): si, සනත් නන්දසිරි) is a Sri Lankan singer, musician, music director, composer and playback singer. He is the current Chancellor of the University of the Visual and Performing Arts in Sri Lanka. One of the iconic singers in Sri Lankan music, Nandasiri has received several awards for his compositions in a career spanning more than six decades. He also composed the music to ''Sandamalige Kathawa'', the first TV serial on Rupavahini. Personal life and family background Nandasiri was born on 15 February 1942 in Gothatuwa, Sri Lanka as the third child to businessman and building contractor, H. M. William Perera and Dona Amalin Katugampola, a housewife. He completed his primary education from Gothatuwa Maha Vidyalaya and St. Matthew's College, Dematagoda for O/Ls. Then he attended Mahabodhi Maha Vidyalaya for Advanced Level and finally Stafford College to study English. During ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanath Gunathilake
Somsiri Sanath Julien Gunatilake (born 27 October 1955: Sinhala:සනත් ගුණතිලක), popularly as Sanath Gunatilake, is an actor, director, screenwriter in Sri Lankan cinema and film director. A highly versatile actor across many genres, Gunatilake is a veteran actor in the Sri Lankan cinema industry with a career spanning more than four decades. He Served as a member of Western Provincial Council as United National Party member, and later join as media head of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Personal life Gunatilake was born on 27 October 1955, in Mulgampola, Kandy, Sri Lanka, to a middle-class family where his father Hector Gunatilake was a lawyer and mother Grace Goonetileke was a teacher. According to him, his father is a good fan of cinema, and this has influenced him to take part in art at an early age. He was educated at Kingswood College, Kandy and successfully passed GCE O/L, but failed to mark in A/L as he wished to do. As his first job, he worked ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rohana Weerasinghe
DR. Rohana Weerasinghe (born February 18, 1949), is a Sri Lankan musician, composer and singer. Early life Weerasinghe was born on 18 February 1949 in Algiriya, Matara in southern Sri Lanka. He was the youngest child to his parents Henry Weerasinghe and Sepalin Weerasinghe. In 1954, Weerasinghe started schooling from Good Shepard Family Convent in Nuwara Eliya, and later moved to Vidyachakra Buddhist School Ruwan Eliya, Welimada Maha Vidyalaya, Pannipitya Dharmapala Vidyalaya and Gamini Maha Vidyalaya Nuwara Eliya. In 1977, Weerasinghe married to Leela Beatrice De Silva, a dancing teacher in profession. They had two sons, Kalindu Gajaba and Chirath Kanishka. His cousin daughter Priyani Jayasinghe was also a popular actress in Sri Lanka, who sang the popular hits ''Kandula Niwannam'' and ''Sundara Hadakata''. She was killed at the age of 51 by her husband using a pair of scissors on 18 July 2018. Music Weerasinghe learnt the basics of music from K.V.S Perera Kithsiri Aluthg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prasanna Vithanage
Udaya Prasanna Vithanage ( si, ප්රසන්න විතානගේ) (born 14 March 1962) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker. He is considered one of the pioneers of the third generation of the Sri Lankan cinema. He has directed eight feature films including Death on a Full Moon Day (1997), August Sun (2003), Flowers of the Sky (2008) & With You, Without You (2012) and won many prestigious national and international awards and have also been commercially successful in Sri Lanka. In his early theatre work, he translated and produced plays by international writers, adapted works of world literature to film. He has battled against the censorship in Sri Lanka and worked as an educator of cinema who has conducted many Master classes in the subcontinent for young filmmakers and enthusiasts. Life and career 1980s–1997 Prasanna Vithanage became involved in theatre after leaving school. He translated and directed George Bernard Shaw's play, ''Arms and the Man,'' in 1986. In 1991, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monica Ruwanpathirana
Kala Keerthi Monica Ruwanpathirana ( si, මොනිකා රුවන්පතිරණ) (1946 – 2004) was a Sri Lankan poet and writer. She is considered one of the most acclaimed poets in modern Sinhala poetry. She has written 23 books, including nineteen poetry and three of them won the State Literary Award. In 2005, she was honored by Government of Sri Lanka with the reputation of Kala Keerthi. Born in a village in Matara, Monica had her education at St. Thomas' Girls' High School, Galle and Sanghamitta Balika Vidyalaya. In 1967, she graduated from the University of Colombo and joined the Plan Implementation Ministry where she worked for eleven years. Later she started working for an NGO as a director. She died at the age of 58. Publications Her books of verse include, *''Apa Denna Saha Thawath Kihipa Denek'' (1971) *''Thahanam Deshayakin'' (1972) *''Angulimalage Sihina'' (1974) *''Oba Yeheliya Eya Geheniya'' (1975) *''Athuru Mithuru'' (1981) *''Age Lokaya'' (1985) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malini Fonseka
Wanniarachchige Malini Senehelatha Fonseka, popularly as Malini Fonseka ( Sinhala:මාලිනී ෆොන්සේකා) (born 30 April 1947, in Kelaniya) is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television as well as a director. Often considered as the "Queen of Sinhalese cinema", Fonseka first became widely known when she won the 'Best Actress Award' at the 1969 National State Drama Festival. This was followed by Sarasaviya Best Actress Awards for ''Hingana Kolla'' in 1980, ''Aradhana'' in 1982 and ''Yasa Isuru'' in 1983. Apart from cinema, she is also a former member of Sri Lanka Parliament. Her cinema career has spanned seven decades and began with Tissa Liyansooriya's ''Punchi Baba'' in 1968. She has won the Slim Nielsen Peoples' Award for the Most Popular Actress a record twelve times in a row. In 2010, she was named by CNN as one of Asia's 25 greatest film actors of all time. Biography Early life Born as the third child of eleventh siblings to Gilbert Fon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latha Walpola
Deshamanya Matharage Rita Genevieve Fernando, better known by her stage name Latha Walpola ( si, ලතා වල්පොල), is a prominent Sri Lankan vocal artist. It was during when Walpola was a member of a church choir, that she began a career that led to her becoming one of Sri Lanka's premier singers of her day. Today her fans often refer to her as "The Nightingale of Sri Lanka" Personal life Walpola was born on 11 November 1934 in Mt Lavinia Colombo, to Joseph Fernando and Elizabeth Muriel. She was one of five children. Her mother, who was a teacher encouraged her daughter to become a vocal artist. Walpola received her primary education at St. Anthony College in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, wherein she led the church choir. She married Dharmadasa Walpola in 1959, later becoming known as Latha Walpola. A ceremonial wedding was held at Siri Kotha, Kollupitiya with a large gathering of guests and artists. The local police had to deploy extra men to control the massive crow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karthigesu Sivathamby
Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby ( ta, கார்த்திகேசு சிவத்தம்பி; 10 May 1932 – 6 July 2011) was a Sri Lankan Tamil literary historian, author and academic. Early life and family Sivathamby was born on 10 May 1932 in Karaveddy in northern Ceylon. He was the son of T. P. Karthigesu, a Tamil pundit, and Valliammai. He was educated at Vigneswara Vidyalayam and Zahira College, Colombo (1949–52). After school Sivathamby joined the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya in 1953, studying under K. Kanapathypillai and graduating with B.A. degree in history, economics and Tamil. Sivathamby became a Marxist during his university days. He later received a M.A. degree in Tamil, under the guidance of S. Vithiananthan, from the university. Sivathamby received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Birmingham in 1970 after producing thesis, supervised by George Derwent Thomson, on drama in ancient Tamil society. Sivathamby was married to Rupav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jayalath Manoratne
Kala Suri Kala Keerthi Dr. Keselgaspe Manatunga Jayalath Manoratne ( si, කෙසෙල්ගස්පේ මනතුංග ජයලත් මනෝරත්න; 12 June 1948 – 12 January 2020), popularly known as Jayalath Manoratne, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. He was a lecturer by profession as well as a director and producer. A highly versatile actor from drama to comedy, Manoratne won awards at OCIC (International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual), Presidential, Sarasaviya, Raigam Tele'es, Sumathi and the State Literary and Drama festivals. He was the best actor back to back in 1991 and 1992 for his performance in ''Socrates'' and ''Dvitva''. He is considered by critics as one of the five actors who have dominated the Sri Lankan Stage. He died on 12 January 2020 while receiving treatment for cancer at the age of 71. Personal life Manoratne was born on 12 June 1948 in Dehipe, Nuwara Eliya as the youngest son in the fam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
