Ruby de Mel

{{Infobox person

| name = Ruby Jasmine de Mel
රූබි ද මැල්

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|12|4|df=yes}}

| birth_name = Ruby Jasmine de Mel

| birth_place = Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|11|8|1917|12|4|df=yes}}

| death_place = Rajagiriya

| death_cause =

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| nationality = Sri Lankan

| education = Princess of Wales' College
Newstead Girls College

| years_active = 1955–2003

| other_names = Vinodha Rasanjali

| spouse =

| children =

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| occupation = Actress, Dramatist, Director

}}

Ruby Jasmine de Mel (born as රූබි ද මැල්) [Sinhala]; 4 December 1917 – 8 November 2004) was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama, and television.{{cite web | url=https://www.films.lk/sinhala-cinema-artist-ruby-de-mel-1082.html | title=Ruby De Mel - රූබි ද මැල් films | publisher=Sinhala Cinema Database| access-date=10 May 2019}} She is best known for her acting in the films Siriyalatha, Kawata Andare, and Nalangana as well her role as Granny in the television serial Amba Yahaluwo. She died on 8 November 2004.

Personal life

De Mel was born in Moratuwa Kaldemulla area to an Anglicized Sinhala family as the youngest of a family with 12 siblings. Her father was James Perera and mother was Mary Liyanora. She attended to Princess of Wales' College, Moratuwa and Newstead Girls College, Negombo. She was an announcer for Radio Ceylon at its inception.{{cite news|first=Ramesh|last=Uvais|title=Remembering Sinhala Cinema's Ruby|work=Daily Mirror|date=November 8, 2005}} She married at the age of 17 and then divorced when she was 27 years old.{{cite web | url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/story/2019/03/14/3524/ස්පීල්බර්ග්ට-සිංහල-ඉගැන්වූ-රූබී-ද-මැල් | title=Women that taught Sinhala to Spielberg - Ruby De Mel | publisher=Sinhala Cinema Database| access-date=10 May 2019}}

Acting career

de Mel broke into acting with a role in the theatrical play Handahana directed by T. B. Ilangaratne. This performance drew the attention of leading playwright and filmmaker B. A. W. Jayamanne who asked her to play a part in his film Mathabedaya (1955) to be shot in India. Under the pretense of a vacation with friends (due to disapproval by her family), de Mel travelled to India and made her film debut in the film under the alias Vinodha Rasanjali. She reverted to her real name after her first few films.

de Mel would go on to appear in such films as Perakadoru Baana (1955), Daiva Vipakaya (1956), Suraya, Siriyalatha, Surasena (1957), Kawata Andare, Nalangana (1960), Kala Kala De Pala Pala De, Chandali (1964), Handapana (1965), Magul Poruwa (1967), Bicycle Hora (1968), Hari Maga (1969), Penawa Neda (1970), Ihatha Athmaya (1972), Aparadaya Saha Danduwama, Sinawai Inawai (1973), Bambaru Awith (1978), Thana Giravi (1983), Mangala Thagga, Kawuluwa and Obatai Priye Adare (1987). She was also one of the Sri Lankan actors picked to appear in the villager scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) alongside D. R. Nanayakkara, Denawaka Hamine, Iranganie Serasinghe, Jessica Wickremasinghe, Oswald Jayasinghe and Dharmadasa Kuruppu.

de Mel branched out as a director in 1967 with Pipene Kumudu which featured the maiden role of actress Sumana Amarasinghe. de Mel made her way into television in the 1980s with roles in the television serials Pinmada Puthun, Rankahawunu and Amba Yahaluwo.

Later on in her life, de Mel donated her house in Moratuwa to function as a center for handicapped children and moved to the St. Andrew’s Home for Elders at Rajagiriya. She died on 8 November 2004.

Filmography

Wakishta started her film career with B.A.W. Jayamanne's 1955 film Mathabhedaya. Then she acted more than 75 films.{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0210242/ | title=Ruby de Mel filmography | publisher=IMDb | access-date=5 May 2019}} Some of his popular acting came through films such as Bambaru Awith, Akkara Paha, Sikuruliya and Ahas Maliga.

Year	Film	Role	Ref.
class="wikitable"
1955	Mathabhedaya
1955	Perakadoru Bena
1956	Dosthara	Chandra's mother	{{Cite web \|title=Gunaratnam–Meyyappan–Dosthara \|url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/films-local/2021/04/22/20269/ගුණරත්නම්-මෙයියප්පන්-දොස්තර \|access-date=2021-04-12 \|website=Sarasaviya}}
1957	Siriyalatha	Sirimanne's mother
1957	Soorasena	Shanthi
1959	Sihinaya
1959	Hadisi Vivahaya
1960	Kawata Andare	Queen consort
1960	Nalangana	Sunil's mother	{{Cite web \|title=All about the film "Nalangana" \|url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/story/2019/05/09/5139/සිතෙහි-බැඳි-ආලේ-සැමදා \|access-date=2021-01-22 \|website=sarasaviya}}
1963	Mangalika
1964	Kala Kala De Pala Pala De
1964	Dheewarayo
1964	Sithaka Mahima
1964	Chandali	Saliya's mother	{{Cite web \|title=All about the film "Chandali" \|url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/features-films/2019/06/13/5974/පරම-සොඳුරු-ආලේ-විජය-ධජය-පෙනේ \|access-date=2021-01-23 \|website=Sarasaviya}}
1965	Landaka Mahima	Mother
1965	Handapaana
1965	Hithata Hitha
1965	Allapu Gedara	Kapila's mother
1965	Sonduru Yuwala
1966	Kapatikama	Sisira's mother
1966	Sihina Hathak	Mabel	{{cite web \| url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/features-films-local/2020/07/09/17982/බොන්න-තව-මන්ද-ප්%E2%80%8Dරමාදේ \| title=All about Sihina Sathak \| publisher=Sarasaviya \| access-date=10 July 2020}}
1967	Pipena Kumudu
1967	Magul Poruwa
1968	Abuddassa Kale
1968	Bicycle Hora
1969	Hari Maga	Kusuma
1969	Pancha
1970	Akkara Paha	Mrs. Perera	{{Cite web \|title=All about the film "Akkara Paha" \|url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/features/2019/05/30/5617/ප්%E2%80%8Dරවීණ-මාධ්%E2%80%8Dයවේදියකුගේ-අදීන-ගමන්-මඟ \|access-date=2021-01-23 \|website=sarasaviya}}
1970	Thewatha
1970	Penawa Neda
1971	Kathuru Muwath	Susil's mother
1972	Ihatha Athmaya	Priyani's mother
1973	Mathara Achchi	Cyril's mother
1973	Aparadaya Saha Daduwama
1973	Sinawai Inawai
1974	Hadawath Naththo
1974	Sagarika
1975	Mage Nangi Shyama
1975	Sikuruliya	Balasooriya Hamu	{{Cite web \|title=He left me: Sikuruliya \|url=http://archives.sarasaviya.lk/2018/10/25/?fn=sa18102533 \|access-date=2021-01-11 \|website=sarasaviya}}
1976	Mangalaa
1977	Hithuwoth Hithuwamai	Mrs. Ranaweera	{{Cite web \|title=All about "Hithuwoth Hithuwamai" \|url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/features-films-local/2019/08/22/8577/මා-එදා-දෑසින්-සනහා-හිතුවොත්-හිතුවාමයි \|access-date=2021-01-23 \|website=Sarasaviya}}
1978	Chandi Shyama
1978	Bambaru Avith	Selestina, Helen's mother
1978	Deepanjali
1979	Savudan Jema
1980	Para Dige
1981	Samawenna	Mrs. Samaranayake
1981	Ran Ethana
1982	Kadawunu Poronduwa remake	Jayasena Hamine
1982	Thana Giraw	Doctor
1982	Ayachana	Sarojini's mother
1982	Anuradha
1982	Halo Shyama
1982	Biththi Hathara	Samara's mother
1983	Sister Mary	Mother Superior
1983	Monarathenna 2
1984	Valle Thanu Maliga	Katherine
1984	Hitha Honda Kollek
1984	Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom	Villager
1984	Podi Ralahamy	Ralahamy's elder sister
1985	Chalitha Rangali
1986	Mal Warusa	Kumarihamy
1986	Pooja
1986	Aadara Hasuna
1987	Obatai Priye Adare	Rita Madam
1987	Thaththi Man Adarei
1987	Mangala Thagga	Mrs. Sivalingam
1987	Kawuluwa
1987	Ahinsa	Party guest
1990	Hima Gira
1991	Keli Madala	Samara's aunt
1991	Suwandena Suwandak
1992	Okkoma Kanapita
1993	Jeevan Malli
1994	Ahas Maliga
1994	Ambu Samiyo	Mother
1994	Okkoma Hondatai	Freddi's mother
1996	Sathi