Deshabandu Deshabandu ( si, දේශබන්දු, translit=dēśabandu; ta, தேசபந்து, translit=Tēcapantu, translation=Patriot) is the third highest Sri Lankan honours system, national honour awarded in Sri Lanka. It is awarded "for me ...

Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama ( Sinhala:ජෝ අබේවික්‍රම) (22 June 1927 – 21 September 2011), popularly as Joe Abeywickrama, was an

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

in Sri Lankan cinema,

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

. Initially famed as a

comedic Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

actor in early 1950s, Abeywickrama became one of the greatest film actors of alltime in Sinhala cinema with several critically acclaimed award winning dramatic performances."The struggle of the common man for self-dignity is very profound"
''World Socialist Web Site''. Retrieved December 18, 2006.
. Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Retrieved August 05, 2014."Joe Abeywickrama the actor extraordinaire"
. Sunday Observer (Sri lanka). Retrieved August 05, 2014. He has won 18 Sarasavi Awards and Presidential Awards."Sinhala Cinema database"
''Films lk''.Retrieved August 05, 2014. At the 1999

Singapore International Film Festival The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the festival has a focus on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for ...

, Abeywickrama won a Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Actor for his portrayal of a grieving father in ''Pura Handa Kaluwara'' (English: ''Death on a Full Moon Day''), a first for a Sri Lankan."Awards for Joe Abeywickrama"
''Internet Movie Database Inc''. Retrieved December 18, 2006. He is also widely known as a Crowned king of Sri Lankan cinema history and he was the second to die of the three crowned cinema heroes. (the first cinema king to die was

Gamini Fonseka Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka () (21 March 1936 - 30 September 2004 as ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා), was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician. Often considered as the Greatest Actor in the Sinhal ...

and last of three to die was

Tony Ranasinghe Deshabandu Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony Silva (31 July 1937 – 16 June 2015 as ටෝනි රණසිංහ), popularly as Tony Ranasinghe, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. He is known as the Lov ...

. He is the first Sri Lankan actor to ever participated for Filmfare Film Festival, where he participated in 1966.

Personal life

Abeywickrama was born on 22 June 1927 in Lellopitiya,

Ratnapura Ratnapura (; ) ("City of Gems" in Sinhala and Tamil) is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of Sabaragamuwa Province, as well as the Ratnapura District, and is a traditional centre for the Sri Lankan gem trade. It is located ...

, Sri Lanka and grew up in a rural area. He was the eldest of four children. His surroundings instilled in him a strong appreciation of nature and hard work. His father was a close companionship with John D'oyly, where Joe got his name. He completed primary education at Dippitigala Mixed School near Lellopitiya. Then he studied at Sivali Central College, Ratnapura for a short period of time. He completed secondary education at St. Aloysius College, Ratnapura. After education, he worked as the Manager of Lellopitiya Co-operative. In the 1940s he settled in

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

and started working for

Sirisena Wimalaweera Sirisena Wimalaweera ( si, සිරිසේන විමලවීර; born 23 June 1901 – died 24 August 1963) was a Sri Lankan filmmaker and theater master. He made several critically acclaimed films from 1949 to 1960. He is the first indepe ...

's studio Nawajeewana. Initially limited to doing office chores, Abeywickrama eventually became involved in films screened in Ratnapura by the studio. He made contacts with

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...

insiders while with the studio, and on his leave obtained a role in ''Devasundari''.

Career

Abeywickrama began his acting career in stage plays. In 1955, he made his film acting debut with a comedy role in ''Devasundari'' directed by M.H. Munas, a Sri Lankan who made films from India. Abeywickrama's first notable role was in ''Saradama'' directed by T. Somasekaran as an eccentric

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

who collected

ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...

s. He obtained the role with the help of his friend

Florida Jayalath Jayathilake Arachchige Florida Cooray (born 1936 – died 2007 as ෆ්ලොරිඩා ජයලත්) inhala, popularly as Florida Jayalath, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. Apart from acting, Florida also worked as a filmmaker, chor ...

and considers it to be his first real role and a turning point in his career. He was a comedian in all of his early films with some notable roles in the films ''Sirimalee'', ''Nalangana'', ''Pirimiyek Nisa'', ''Kolamba Sanniya'' and ''Daruwa Kageda''. Then he was invited to play a major role in the film ''

Ranmuthu Duwa ''Ranmuthu Duwa'' ( en, Island of Treasures) was the first colour full-length Sinhalese language film to be produced in Sri Lanka in 1962. It was co-produced by Shesha Palihakkara, Arthur C. Clarke and directed by Mike Wilson, who also made his de ...

'' in 1962, where he acted with

for the first time. In 1956, he made a role of "comedy detective" in the film ''Shri 296'' directed by

Premnath Moraes Joseph Peter Moraes Fernando (born 31 January 1923 – died 1998 May 24 as si, ප්‍රේම්නාත් මොරායස්), popularly as Premnath Moraes, was an actor, film director and scriptwriter in Sri Lankan cinema as well as ...

. In the preceding years, he appeared in many dramatic roles in several critically acclaimed films such as ''Deepashika'', ''Soldadu Unnehe'', ''Chandiya'', ''Sweep Ticket'', ''Allapu Gedara'', ''Ektam Ge'', and ''Saravita''. In 1965, he won the award for the Best Actor at the

Sarasaviya Awards ''Sarasaviya Awards'' (Sinhala:සරසවිය සම්මාන) is an award bestowed to distinguished individuals involved with the Sinhala cinema, each year by the Sarasaviya weekly newspaper in collaboration with the Associated Newspapers ...

for his role "Sarayya" in the film ''Saravita''. In 1971, he acted in the film '' Welikathara'' directed by D. B. Nihalsinghe, where he played the role of "Gorin Mudalali". The film received several awards at local film festivals and considered one of the Ten Best Sri Lankan films of all time. He also starred in

Mahagama Sekera Mahagama Sekera (Mahagamage Sekara) ( Sinhala:මහගම සේකර / මහගමගේ සේකර ) (7 April 1929 – 14 January 1976) Sri Lankan poet, lyricist, playwright, novelist, artist, translator and filmmaker. He is considered t ...

's ''

Tun Man Handiya ''Thun Man Handiya movie'' (Sinhala language, Sinhala for ''Three Way Junction'') is a 1970 dramatic film made by Sri Lankan artist Mahagama Sekera. It is autobiographical and recounts Sekera's childhood though the character of Sirisena. Plot The ...

'' in 1970. His other notable acting came through ''Getawarayo'' as "Semaneris", and in ''Sadol Kandulu'' as "dumb servant". For his role in the film ''Sadol Kandulu'', he later won the Sarasaviya Award for the Best Actor. He won forty awards including both international and local film festivals. In the film ''Beddegama'' directed by

Lester James Peries Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, a ...

, he played a critically acclaimed role as "Silindu". In 1982, the character gave him another Sarasviya Award as the Best Actor. His character "Nirudaka" in the film ''Desa Nisa'' is also received critics acclaim. He also appeared in two English films titled ''Peter of the Elephants'' and ''The Three Yellow Cats''. In 2001, he acted in the film ''Pura Handa Kaluwara'' directed by

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 ...

. The film is considered a hallmark in Sinhala cinema history. He won the Best Actor award at 12th Singapore International Film Festival for his role "Wannihami" in the film. His final film role came through the war drama film ''Selvam''. Until his death, he has acted in 172 films where 62 of them as leading actor and rest 110 as a supporting actor. He was also the first Sri Lankan actor to attend the

Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

in India. Apart from cinema, he also appeared in few stage dramas such as: ''Mal Yahanawa'', ''Beri Sil'' (1960) and ''Kele Mal'' (1962). He also acted in many television serials such as ''Andu Kola'', ''Vanas Pathi'', ''Gamperaliya'', ''Sakisanda Eliyas'' and ''Esala Kaluwara''. He also made the script for the popular comedy serial ''Sabada Pabilis''. In the serial, he also wrote the theme song, "Una Puruke Balu Walige" sung by lead actor

Anton Jude Anton Jude Gomes, known as Anton Jude (28 November 1960 – 19 March 2012; ඇන්ටන් ජූඩ්) was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. A career spanning for more than three decades, Jude was a popular comedi ...

. Meanwhile, he also sang the song "Wel Eliyata' in the tele drama ''Thahanchi''. one of his television production. In 2004, he wrote the script of television serial ''Sakisanda Eliyas''.

Author work

Abeywickrama published his first novel ''Maha Bambata Muhunu Dekai'' in 1972.

Legacy

On 21 September 2020, a special commemorative event was held on the ninth death anniversary of Joe Abeywickrema. It was organized by The National Film Corporation and was held at the NFC Auditorium at 6 pm. After the event, one of his popular film ''Thun Mang Handiya'' was screened.

Filmography

Awards

Presidential Film Awards Presidential Film Awards is a film award ceremony held in Sri Lanka. It is organized by the National Film Corporation along with the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was 1st awards in 1979 by President J. R. Jayew ...

, - , ,

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

, , , ''Getawarayo'' , , Merit Award , , , - , ,

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

, , , ''Saaravita'' , , Best Actor , , , - , ,

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

, , , ''Beddegama'' , , Best Actor , , , - , ,

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

, , , ''Malata Noena Bambaru'' , , Best Actor , , , - , ,

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, , , Contribution to cinema , , Rana Thisara Award , , , - , ,

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

, , , ''Maldeniye Simieon'' , , Best Actor , , , - , ,

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, , , ''Palama Yata'' , , Best Supporting Actor , , , - , ,

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, , , ''Golu Muhude Kunatuwak'' , , Best Actor , , , - , , 1993 , , , ''Umayangana'' , , Best Actor , , , - , , 1997 , , , ''Bithu Sithuwam'' , , Best Actor , , , - , ,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

, , , ''Bithu Sithuvam'' , , Best Actor , , , - , , 2001 , , , ''Purahanda Kaluwara'' , , Best Actor , ,

Presidential Film Awards Presidential Film Awards is a film award ceremony held in Sri Lanka. It is organized by the National Film Corporation along with the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was 1st awards in 1979 by President J. R. Jayew ...

, - , , 1979 , , , ''Bambaru Evith'' , , Merit Award , , , - , , 1980 , , , ''Wasanthaye Dawasak'' , , Best Supporting Actor , , , - , , 1981 , , , ''Siribo Ayya'' , , Best Actor , , , - , , 1982 , , , ''Beddegama'' , , Best Actor , , , - , , 1983 , , , ''Malata Noena Bambaru'' , , Best Actor , ,

Singapore International Film Festival The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the festival has a focus on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for ...

, - , ,

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

, , , ''Pura Handa Kaluwara'' , , Silver Screen Award for Best Actor , ,

Presidential Film Awards Presidential Film Awards is a film award ceremony held in Sri Lanka. It is organized by the National Film Corporation along with the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was 1st awards in 1979 by President J. R. Jayew ...

, - , , 1999 , , , Contribution to Drama , , U.W. Sumathipala Lifetime , - , , 2000 , , , ''Imadiya Mankada'' , , Best Teledrama Actor , ,

Sri Lankan National Honours

, - , ,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

, , , Contribution to Drama , ,

, ,

References

External links

*
Joe Abeywickrama's Biography in Sinhala Films DatabaseJoe Abeywickrama's Biography in SinhalaJoe Abeywickrama in SinhalaOfficial Website - National Film Corporation of Sri LankaVehera ඇගයූ මහා ප්‍රතිභාව

ජෝ අබේවික්‍රම 9 වැනි ගුණ සමරුව
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abeywickrama, Joe 1927 births 2011 deaths Sri Lankan male film actors Sinhalese male actors Deshabandu