Sumana Amarasinghe
{{Short description|Sri Lankan actress (1948–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Sumana Amarasinghe
සුමනා අමරසිංහ
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|birth_date = 21 February 1948
|birth_name = Denipitiya Vithanage Sumana Amarasinghe
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|06|05|1948|02|21|df=yes}}
|death_place = Colombo, Sri Lanka
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|nationality = Sri Lankan
|education = Mount Lavinia Buddhist Girls' College
|years_active = 1975–2022
|party =
|spouse = Roy de Silva (1975–2018){{cite web | url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/features-story/2019/06/27/6238/ඇත්තටම-රෝයි-අවුරුද්දක්-ගෙවුණද | title=One year after Roy's death | publisher=Sarasaviya | access-date=28 June 2019}}
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|occupation = Actress, film producer, assistant editor
}}
Denipitiya Vithanage Sumana Amarasinghe ({{langx|si|සුමනා අමරසිංහ}}; 21 February 1948 – 5 June 2022)[https://thesinhalanews.lk/2022/06/05/actress-sumana-amarasinghe-no-more-breaking-news/ Actress Sumana Amarasinghe no more]{{cite web | url=http://www.deshaya.lk/article/52/හදසර/833/සිනමාවට-අා-රූ-රැජිනියෝ | title=Beauty queens of cinema | publisher=Deshaya | access-date=27 October 2019}} was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television.{{cite web | url=http://www.nfc.gov.lk/artist/sumana-amarasinghe-473/ | title=Actresses in Sri Lankan cinema - Sumana Amarasinghe | publisher=National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka| access-date=27 October 2019}} Performing in drama to comedy, she is usually known as the Sweet girl in Sinhala cinema. She also worked as an assistant director, production manager, costume designer and as a producer.{{cite web | url=https://rateyourmusic.com/films/sumana_amarasinghe/ | title=Sumana Amarasinghe filmography | publisher=Rate Your Music | access-date=27 October 2019}}{{deprecated source|certain=y|date=November 2024}} She was also the only actress to contribute to the production, singing, co-directing, and co-editing of Sri Lankan cinema.{{Cite web |title=Actress Sumana Amarasinghe bids farewell |url=http://www.dinamina.lk/2022/06/06/පුවත්/148134/රංගන-ශිල්පිනී-සුමනා-අමරසිංහ-දිවි-සිනමාවෙන්-සමු-ගනියි |access-date=6 June 2022 |website=දිනමිණ}}
Personal life
Sumana was born on 21 February 1948 in Ranawana, Katugastota, Kandy, Sri Lanka, as the second child in a family with six siblings. Her father worked in the Inland Revenue Department. Since her family could not stay in Kandy, they came to Colombo and stayed in a rented house in Mt. Lavinia. She first went to the Mount Lavinia Buddhist Girls' College and later to Kalubowila Buddhaghosha Maha Vidyalaya. She has one sister and four brothers.{{cite web | url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/interviews/2021/03/04/19948/සිනමාවෙන්-තොර-ලෝකයක්-මට-තිබුණේ-නැහැ | title=I never had a world without cinema: Sumana Amarasinghe | publisher=Sarasaviya | access-date=27 October 2019}}
Amarasinghe was married to Roy de Silva, who was also a renowned actor and director. She met de Silva during the 1969 film Hathara Peraliya. The wedding was celebrated on 30 August 1975.{{cite web | url=http://www.saaravita.lk/events/540972/කලා-ලොවේ-තරු-ජෝඩු | title=Couples in Sri Lankan cinema | publisher=saaravita | access-date=27 October 2019}} The couple had two children.{{cite web | url=http://www.english.gossiplankanews.com/2014/10/sumana-amarasinghe-hospitalized-after.html | title=Sumana Amarasinghe in ICU .... after food poisoning in Chennai | publisher=Gossip Lanka | access-date=4 October 2016}}{{cite web | url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2017/09/07/?fn=sa17090712 | title=රෝයි-සුමනා දිගු කලකට පසු හමුවී.. | publisher=Sarasaviya | access-date=7 September 2017}}{{cite web | url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2016/06/02/?fn=sa16060233 | title=රෝයි – සුමනා සැබෑව අනාවරණය කරයි | publisher=Sarasaviya | access-date=7 September 2017}} De Silva died on 30 June 2018 while treated for a heart attack at Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital. His remains were buried on 2 July 2018 at Borella Cemetery.{{cite web |url=http://www.colombopage.com/archive_18A/Jul01_1530418819CH.php |title=Veteran actor Roy de Silva passes away |publisher=Colombo Page|access-date=1 June 2018}}
In 2014, Amarasinghe was admitted to the hospital due to sudden illness. During her tour to India for a film, she is known to have had a drink which contained a poison. It has affected her liver as well as her heart. At one point her heart even stopped. This germ has not entered her brain and she recovered slowly.{{cite web |url=https://www.medaperadiga.com/සුමනා-අමරසිංහ-බරපතල-ලෙස-ර/ |title=Sumana Amarasinghe became seriously ill in the ICU |publisher=medaperadiga|access-date=1 June 2018}} She worked at her own beauty shop, Salon Sumana.{{cite web | url=http://zaazee.com/profiles/sumana/ | title=Salon Sumana | publisher=zaazee | access-date=27 October 2019}}
As a livelihood, she ran 'Salon Sumana' beauty salons in all three cities, Moratuwa, Thalahena and Rajagiriya. Then all this had to be closed due to she could not stay in the salon and a lot of problems arose. All three salons closed during Roy's lifetime.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-08 |title=Why did we get the money after we died? |url=https://www.sarasaviya.lk/interviews/2022/06/09/23387/අපි-මැරුණට-පස්සේ-මුදල්-ලැබිලා-මොකටද |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=සරසවිය}}
Amarasinghe died on 5 June 2022 at the age of 74 while receiving treatment at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital due to a sudden illness.{{Cite web |title=Veteran actress Sumana Amarasinghe passes away |url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news/82873/veteran-actress-sumana-amarasinghe-passes-away |access-date=6 June 2022 |website=www.adaderana.lk |language=en}}
Acting career
She contested the beauty pageant "Lassana Muhuna", while she was in school times and won the title. Then she acted in the film Hathara Peraliya directed by L.M. Perera. Her maiden cinematic experience came through 1967 film Pipena Kumudu, directed by Ruby de Mel.{{cite web | url=http://www.films.lk/sinhala-cinema-artist-sumana-amarasinghe-570.html | title=Sumana Amarasinghe - සුමනා අමරසිංහ filmography | publisher=Sinhala Cinema Database| access-date=27 October 2019| date=2022 }} Her father allowed Sumana to go only for that movie due to Ruby de Mel. However, she lied to her father and later played a lot of other movies such as Rena Giraw, Dahasak Sithuvili, Samanala Kumariyo and Hathara Peraliya.
In addition to acting, she was involved in the beauty industry, where she learned beauty courses in India, Singapore, Canada in 1980.{{cite web |url=http://divaina.com/daily/index.php/visheshanga3/29436-2019-06-13-13-57-56 |title=It is one year now |publisher=Divaina |access-date=1 June 2018}} Her first major breakthrough came through 1975 film Sukiri Kella, which earned her nickname "Sweet girl in Sinhala cinema".{{cite web |url=https://www.mawratanews.lk/heart/සිංහල-සිනමාවේ-සූකිරි-කෙල |title=Sweet girl in Sinhala cinema|publisher=mawratanews |access-date=1 June 2018}}
She acted in a few films with her real husband, which made a cult in Sinhala cinema. Then she joined Tissa Wijesurendra in many popular films screened for more than 100 days which include Sudu Paraviyo and Sithaka Suwanda. In 1982, she acted in Kadawunu Poronduwa remake, where she acted the role previously acted by Rukmani Devi. Even though she started film career with dramatic roles, she turned to comedy roles in later stages particularly through films directed by her husband. Some of her popular films are Binaramalee, Sunethra, Jonsun and Gonsun and Re Daniel Dawal Migel trilogy.{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4731691/ | title=Sumana Amarasinghe films | publisher=IMDb | access-date=27 October 2019}}
After the July 1983 riots, many producers left the film industry, however Sumana contributed to the production of films such as Tom Pachayā, Thaṇa Giravi, Sudu Piruvaṭa and Jonsan hā Gonsan. In addition, she has been a Production Executive, Line Producer, Local Coordinator, Singer, Editor, Assistant, Hairstylist and Costume Designer. She excelled in her artistic career and was one of the pioneers in founding the corporation "Hela Nalu Nili Coalition" in 1969 and fought for the establishment of a state corporation for the film industry for the manifesto of Sirimavo Bandaranaike's policies in the 1970 general election.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-08 |title=Sumana Amarasinghe Loving Commemorative Notes |url=https://www.sarasaviya.lk/story/2022/06/09/23386/සුමනා-අමරසිංහ-ආදරණීය-සමරු-සටහන් |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=සරසවිය}}
Filmography
=As actress=
=As producer=
| class="wikitable" | |
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Kadawunu Poronduwa |
| 1977 | Tom Pachaya |
| 1982 | Thana Giravi |
| 1994 | Sudu Piruvata |
| 1996 | Cheriyo Darling |
| 2011 | It's a Matter of Love |
Awards
=[[Sarasaviya Awards]]=
{{Awards table}}
|-
|| 1970 ||| Binaramalee || Merit Award || {{won}}
|}
=Signis OCIC Awards=
{{Awards table}}
|-
|| 2018 ||| Contribution to the cinema || International Felicitation Award{{cite web|title=Highlights of SIGNIS International Awards |url=http://www.silumina.lk/2018/09/01/රසඳුන/සිග්නීස්-අන්තර්ජාතික-සම්මාන-උලෙළේ-විශේෂ-අවස්ථා|publisher=Silumina}} || {{won}}
|}
=[[Sumathi Awards]]=
{{Awards table}}
|-
|| 2019 ||| Contribution to the cinema || U.W. Sumathipala Awards{{cite web|title=ITN wins several awards at the Sumathi Awards Festival |url=https://www.itnnews.lk/en/2019/10/25/186305/|publisher=ITN|date=25 October 2019}} || {{won}}
|}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.films.lk/sinhala-cinema-artist-sumana-amarasinghe-570.html Sumana Amarasinghe on Sinhala Cinema Database]
- [http://resa.lk/විශේෂාංග/2019/jun/18/12250/රිදී-තිරයේදී-ගාමිණීට-මගහැරුණු-සුමනා රිදී තිරයේදී ගාමිණීට මගහැරුණු සුමනා]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Amarasinghe, Sumana}}
Category:Sri Lankan film actresses