Nona Yuhan Sheriffdeen (born 20 February 1925 – died 22 June 1992 as ජෙමිනි කාන්තා) inhala, popularly as stage name Jemini Kantha, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. One of the earliest pillars of Sinhala cinema, Kantha is considered as the first female comedian in Sinhala cinema. She was a pioneer comedy actress known as "Josi Baba" and singer in early Sri Lankan cinema.

Personal life

Gemini Kantha was born on 20 February 1925 in Meewakkumbura village in Matale to a Malay father.

Career

After the end of school life, Kantha joined the

B. A. W. Jayamanne Bernard Aloysius Wanniarachchi Jayamanne who was better known as B.A.W. Jayamanne (20 May 1908 – 16 February 1965: as බී.ඒ.ඩබ්ලිව්. ජයමාන්න) was a Sri Lankan playwright, director, producer and actor. He playe ...

's Minerva Drama Group. She won a reputation as a singer who sang for the discs during the

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

era along with

Eddie Jayamanne Wanniaarachchige Don David Victor Jayamanne, Order of the British Empire, MBE (15 February 1915 – 25 July 1981), popularly known as Eddie Jayamanne was a popular Sri Lankan comedian and actor of early Sri Lankan cinema. Early life He was born ...

Mohideen Baig Kala Suri Alhaj Kareem Mohideen Baig ( si, මොහිදින් බෙග්, ar, محي الدين بيك; 5 December 1919 – 4 November 1991), popularly as Mohideen Baig, was a Sri Lankan musician. One of the most influential singers in ...

and A.M.U Raj. She became the first comic actress in Sri Lankan cinema with the role of "Josi baba" in Sri Lanka's first film ''

Kadawunu Poronduwa ''Kadawunu Poronduwa'' ( Sinhala: ''කඩවුනු පොරොන්දුව'', "The Broken Promise") was the first film to be made in the Sinhala language; it is generally considered to have heralded the coming of Sinhala Cinema. The fil ...

'' in 1947. She also sang the song ''Nonage Ale Ge Meda Sale'' with Eddie Jayamanne. She has acted in only seven films in a short span of 8 years. She quit cinema after having her first child. She also starred in

Bennett Rathnayake Bennett Rathnayake ( :si:බෙනට් රත්නායක; born 24 October), is a filmmaker in Sri Lankan cinema and a television director. He has produced several critically acclaimed award-winning films such as ''Aswesuma'', ''Sulanga'' a ...

's teledrama ''Tharu'', which was her last appearance in career.

Filmography

References

External links

Jemini Kantha imdb
Sri Lankan film actresses 1925 births 1992 deaths Sri Lankan stage actresses {{SriLanka-bio-stub