Mercy Edirisinghe

She was born on 18 December 1945 in Wellahenawatte, Issanpita, Ambepussa as the third child in a family of nine siblings. Her father Don Lorenzo Elvin Edirisinghe, worked as a typesetter at the printing press of the Department of Examinations. Her mother Grace Perera was a housewife. She was first educated at Ambepussa Sarasavi College, later at Pamunuwila Roman Catholic College and at St. Joseph's College, Rambukkana Parakrama Mixed School in Kegalle. She had one elder sister: Gert, one elder brother: Leo, four younger sisters: Ranjani, Nimal, Lathika, Raaji and two younger brothers: Nimal and Sunil.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-22 |title=Vishwa Sundari who went in search of ducks through Rankanda in a new day |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/news-features-story/2021/09/23/21027/අලුත්-දවසක්-තුළින්-රන්කඳ-හරහා-තාරාවන්-සොයා-ගිය-විශ්ව-සුන්දරී |access-date=2021-09-24 |website=Sarasaviya}}

Her late husband, Lalith Kotalawela was a Buddhist from Kalutara. The couple had no children. Her devotion to her fans was such that just after her wedding she acted in the stage drama 'Muthu Kumari' at the Lumbini Theater on her way to her honeymoon. Lalith died in 2002 by a tragic accident. Mercy once started a restaurant in Warakapola with Lalith in the year 2000. After his death she became ill, unable to sustain the restaurant.

Mercy had been ill for some time since 2012. She first developed a urinary tract infection.{{Cite web |title=Thank you very much Mr. President |url=http://archives.dinamina.lk/2014/03/06/_art.asp?fn=f1403064&p=1 |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=archives.dinamina.lk}} She then underwent a surgery to remove a tumor that had formed in the abdomen. Two years prior to her death, she underwent gynaecological surgery, and had been suffering from numerous hip and back pains since then.{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2014/01/30/?fn=sa14013016 |title=Sad story of once hilarious legend |publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=20 October 2017}} She had heart disease as well as diabetes. In addition developed a kidney infection.{{Cite web |title=The story of tears in a smiley face today. |url=http://archives.sarasaviya.lk/2014/01/30/?fn=sa14013016 |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=archives.sarasaviya.lk}}{{Cite web |title=She made a country happy today with tears. - Mercy Edirisinghe |url=https://gossip.hirufm.lk/431/2014/01/mercy-edirisinghe.html |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=gossip.hirufm.lk |language=si}} She died at a private hospital in Gampaha on 17 March 2014, aged 68.{{cite web |url=http://newsfirst.lk/english/2014/03/veteran-actress-mercy-edirisinghe-passes-away/25772 |title=Veteran actress Mercy Edirisinghe passes away |publisher=Newsfirst |access-date=11 March 2017}} Her remains were laid to rest at the Art Gallery from 4 pm on 17th to 12 noon on 18th. In the afternoon, a special motorcade took her to her residence in Ambepussa, Warakapola. Funeral services were held at 3.00 pm on 19 March 2014 at the Ambepussa Roman Catholic Cemetery.{{Cite web |title=Remains of Veteran Actress Mercy Edirisinghe at the Art Gallery |url=https://www.newsfirst.lk/sinhala/2014/03/17/ප්%E2%80%8Dරවීණ-රංගන-ශිල්පිනී-මර-2/ |access-date=2021-09-24 |website=newsfirst}}

Her first stage performance was in the play Maria Kurenthi performed while at the Pamunuwila Catholic Mixed School at the age of 7. Under the guidance of Father Ernest Poruthota, she participated in the church choir team, where she became an activist in the movement. Father Poruthota invited her to perform in the play Eldiyen Midi Rasata. Mercy entered the public stage in 1967 with Welikadaratne's plays Aluth Dawasak and Ugurata Hora. Meanwhile, she mastered the singing and playing by musician Jayatissa Alahakoon and Kandyan dance by mastering theatrical dance. Then she sent a postcard to a drama acting vacancy advertisement in the 'Visithura' newspaper. With that, she was selected for the play Nil Katarolu produced by Sugathapala de Silva, particularly due to her loud screamy voice. After a brilliant performance in the play, she was later invited to play a role of Japanese-Chinese woman in the play 'Thaththa' produced by Gunasena Galappaththi. According to Mercy, the most difficult play she acted in was Nalin Wijesekera's play Tikki Tikiri Tikirilia.

In Pathiraja L.S. Dayananda's play Kwuruth Enne Na, she played an old character. She also performed in Sugathapala de Silva's plays Harima Badu Hayak, Dunna Dunu Gamuwe, Hitha Hoda Ammandi, Muthu Kumari, Thuraga Sanniya; Gunasena Galappaththi's plays Sanda Kinduru, Mudu Puththu; Prema Ranjith Tilakaratne's play Muhunu Sayaki Rookadayaki.{{Cite web |title=Mercy left, leaving the memory of the smile with us |url=http://archives.sarasaviya.lk/2014/03/20/?fn=sa14032038 |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=archives.sarasaviya.lk}} However, her most notable stage drama acting came through the plays Tharavo Igilethi by Lucien Bulathsinhala and Ran Kanda by Chandrasena Dassanayake. In 1974, Mercy won the Best Actress Award at the State Drama Festival for her role in R.R. Samarakoon's stage drama 'Idama'. She won two other Best Actress awards in 1975 and 1976.{{cite web|title=Veteran cinema and drama artiste Mercy Edirisinghe and Veteran, cinematographer and film director M. A. Gafoor passed away.|url=http://www.slbc.lk/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest-news/19012-veteran-cinema-and-drama-artiste-mercy-edirisinghe-and-veteran-cinematographer-and-film-director-m-a-gafoor-passed-away|access-date=17 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318105703/http://www.slbc.lk/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest-news/19012-veteran-cinema-and-drama-artiste-mercy-edirisinghe-and-veteran-cinematographer-and-film-director-m-a-gafoor-passed-away|archive-date=18 March 2014}}

In 1976, she made her maiden cinematic appearance with the film Walmathwuwo directed by Vasantha Obeysekera. Then she acted in many comedy and dramatic roles in the films: Diyamanthi, Paḷagæṭiyō Sakvithi Suvaya, Nuvan Rēṇu, Mutu Mæṇikē, Okkoma Rajavaru, Hondīn Nættam Narakin, Hita Honda Puthek, Asayi Bayayi and Dhavala Puṣhpaya. Mercy was also an 'A' grade radio dramatist who acted in Buddhist, Christian literary dramas.{{Cite web |last=වෙදගේ |first=අනුෂාද් |date=2017-03-30 |title=Celebrate Hasarajina Mercy |url=https://www.silumina.lk/2017/04/01/රසඳුන/දේශීය-සංගීතයේ-උන්නතියට-වෙහෙසුණු-මාලිනිය |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=සිළුමිණ |language=si}}

Mercy was a very popular voice in Sri Lankan radio drama. She was the "Doolittle" on the radio drama Handiya Gedara and was the sister of Jane in Vajira, "Ungu" on Samanala Bedda, "Ethana" in Muwan Palessa and "Bagalawathi Iskola Hamine" in Rasara. Apart from radio, she acted in several television serials, particularly in comedic roles. She made a notable role in the popular comedy sitcom, Vinoda Samaya along with comedy trio - Annesley Dias, Berty Gunathilake and Samuel Rodrigo in 1983.{{Cite web |date=2014-03-17 |title=Mercy Edirisinghe bids farewell |url=https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/arts_entertainment/2014/03/140317_mersi_edirisinghe_no_more |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=BBC News සිංහල |language=si}} Mercy last played in Lilantha Kumarasiri's serial Amanda with the character "Podi Nona".

In 2014, she marked her 50th anniversary of her career and in recognition of her service to the arts, she was to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 State Drama Festival. Before her death, her autobiography was released titled "Hela Hasa Rajina: Mercy Edirisinghe" written by Niranjala Hemamalee Wedikkara.{{Cite web |title=HELA HASA RAJINA MERCY EDIRISINHA :Godage Books (Online Bookshop) |url=https://godage.com/product/5608/ |access-date=2021-09-25 |language=en-US}}

• Ugurata Hora Beheth
• Ran Kanda
• Seelavathi
• Vishwa Sundari
• Muthu Kumari
• Tharavo Igilethi
• Idama
• Dunna Dunu Gamuwe
• Allapu Gedara
• Dewlo Doni

• Muwanpelassa
• Vajira
• Samanala Bedda
• Handhiye Gedara
• Vinoda Samaya

• Gayay Mercy Gee
• Mala Watakara Bambara Rena

• No. denotes the Number of Sri Lankan film in the Sri Lankan cinema.{{cite web | url=http://www.nfc.gov.lk/films-history.php | title=Sri Lankan Cinema History | publisher=National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka | access-date=9 August 2016}}

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• [http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2012/03/08/_art.asp?fn=sa1203085&pn=04 මර්සිගේ ගෙදරට එන්න]

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Category:2014 deaths

Category:20th-century Sri Lankan women singers

Category:Sri Lankan television actresses

Category:Sri Lankan film actresses

Category:Sinhalese artists

Category:Sri Lankan Roman Catholics

Category:Sinhalese singers

Category:1945 births