Dr. Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

Dharmasiri Bandaranayake (born 06th of October 1949) is a

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 ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

. Particularly work as a playwright, Bandaranayake is an artist who attempts to connect the sociopolitical environment with the civil society through art.

Career

Bandaranyake's debut ''Hansa Vilak'' in 1980 dealt with facets of a society at odds with itself. His other films like ''

Thunveni Yamaya ''Thunveni Yamaya'' ( en, Third Part of the Night) is a 1983 black-and-white Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dharmasiri Bandaranayake. Plot Percy Peiris (Wasantha Kotuwella) and his new wife, Princy (Indira Jonklas), are on their honeymoon in ...

'' (1983), '' Suddilage Kathaawa'' (1984), ''

Bawa Duka ''Bawa Duka'' ( si, භව දුක) is a 1997 in film, 1997 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dharmasiri Bandaranayake and co-produced by Ven. Vijayapura Pagngnananna Thero and Jayaratne Wadduwage for Samadhi Films. It stars Swarna Mallawarachch ...

'' and ''

Bawa Karma ''Bawa Karma'' ( si, italic=yes, භවකර්ම) is a 1997 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dharmasiri Bandaranayake and co-produced by Ven. Vijayapura Pagngnananna Thero and Jayaratne Wadduwage for Samadhi Films. This film is the sequel of ' ...

'' (1997) followed similar themes. Two films ''Bawa Duka'' and ''Bawa Karma'' challenged the repressive dogma of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Common arcs in Bandaranayake's films follow the conflicted lives of men and women, transformation of private lives into public affairs, the unpleasant reality of marriage and society and the dark side of human desire. He produced many stage plays such as ''Eka Adhipathi'', ''Makarakshaya'', ''Dhawala Bheeshana'', ''Yakshagamanaya'' and ''Trojan Kanthavo'' have all dealt with current issues of national and political importance. In 1999, Bandaranyake first staged the play ''Trojan Kanthawo'' which adapted

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

' Greek drama ''

The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' ( grc, Τρῳάδες, translit=Trōiades), also translated as ''The Women of Troy'', and also known by its transliterated Greek title ''Troades'', is a tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides. Produced in 415 BC during ...

'' for a Sinhala and Tamil audience. It is meant as an anti-war statement and proved to be controversial with the Sri Lankan government despite critical acclaim. Bandaranayake received several death threats in 2001 after he made plans to stage the play in predominantly Tamil areas. In 2021, his film ''Hansa Vilak'', a new copy has been reprinted with colored format and screened in cinemas from March 10.

Filmography

As actor

As director

References

External links

Dharmasiri Bandaranayake in Sinhala Cinema Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bandaranayake, Dharmasiri, Kalukapuge Living people Sri Lankan film directors 1949 births Sri Lankan dramatists and playwrights Sri Lankan theatre directors Kala Suri Kala Keerthi