Wijeratne Warakagoda
{{short description|Sri Lankan dramatist}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Wijeratne Warakagoda
විජේරත්න වරකාගොඩ
|birth_name = Rajakaruna Navaratne Atapattu Mudiyanselage Wijeratne Banda Warakagoda
|image =
|alt =
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|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1933|11|21|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Kurunegala, Sri Lanka
|death_date =
|death_place =
|death_cause =
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|nationality = Sri Lankan
|education = St. Anne’s College Kurunegala
Ananda College Colombo {{cite news|url=http://www.nation.lk/2007/08/26/eyefea3.htm |title=Master of song and stage (interview) |publisher=Nation.lk |date=26 August 2007 |access-date=2013-01-28}}
|years_active = 1960 - present
|party =
|spouse = Chitra Warakagoda (m. 1970)
|children = 2
|awards =
|father =
|mother = Basnayake Mudiyanselage Ran Menika
|signature =
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|footnotes =
|occupation = Actor, voice artist, singer
}}
Rajakaruna Navaratne Atapattu Mudiyanselage Wijeratne Banda Warakagoda (Born 21 November 1933; as {{langx|si|විජේරත්න වරකාගොඩ}}), popularly as Wijeratne Warakagoda, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television.{{cite news|last=Mahendra|first=Sachitra|title=Waraks goes Gold|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/12/23/art01.asp|access-date=2013-01-28|newspaper=Daily News|date=23 December 2009}} Career spanning more than six decades, Warakagoda is also a singer and a voice artist in Radio Ceylon.{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2015/10/01/?fn=sa1510014 |title=වැදි රජුගේ නයිට් ඩියුටිය |publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=11 March 2017}} He is best known for the role "Korale Mahaththaya" in radio sitcom Muwan Palessa.
Personal life
Wijeratne Warakagoda was born on 21 November 1933,{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2009/12/24/_art.asp?fn=sa0912241&pn=04 |title=Tale of five decades of experience |publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=17 November 2017}} in a small village in Kurunegala although his father's ancestry home town was Warakagoda in Harispattuwa, Kandy. His father Madduma Bandara was a police sergeant by profession. His mother was Basnayake Mudiyanselage Ran Menika, a housewife.{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/interviews/2019/11/21/12640/කසාදෙට-50යි-කලාවට-60යි-මට |title=Its 50 for wedding life, but 60 for acting career |publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=21 November 2019}} His maternal grandfather was a Korale chief. Since his father worked for the police, he went to seven schools.
He studied at St. Anne’s College Kurunegala for nine years and ended up at Ananda College, Colombo. During school times, he was excellent in sports such as 5000m, 800m as well as for singing.
After school life, he first worked as junior clerk in a Kurunegala bank. Meanwhile, he applied for the government clerk exam and became the second from Sri Lanka. The month after the results, he got the job in the Kachcheriya. After few years of working, he applied for the Sri Lanka Police Service and became a Police Inspector in June 1956 after doing a written examination in Kandy and going to the Katukuranda Police Training College, Kalutara. After training, he was first appointed in Pettah Police and later to the Fort police. From there he was sent to the Police Transport Division for training. He served it for eight years as a Sub Inspector in crime division while he continued acting on stage. He is one of the active inspectors at the hospital when Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was shot and taken to the hospital.
In 1970, Warakagoda married Chithra Iranganie Jayasinghe, who was also a co-actor in Henry Jayasena's stage play Kuveni. The wedding was celebrated on 28 January 1970 at Hotel Taprobane. They had a son and a daughter; Vindya, born in 1972 is a dancer{{cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/12/23/art01.asp |title=Artscope | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers |publisher=Dailynews.lk |access-date=2013-01-28}} and Jananath born in 1977, is a musician, singer and a dancer.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/07/21/art02.asp |title=Artscope | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers |publisher=Dailynews.lk |date=2010-07-21 |access-date=2013-01-28}}
Career
In 1960 Warakagoda was selected as an A-Grade singer in Radio Ceylon. First he sang the song Yanawada Maa Dama Sundari by Sisira Senaratne. In, 1962, film director Robin Tampoe invited Warakagoda for his film Suhada Divi Piduma, which marked his cinema career. Then, he acted in few Tampoe's films such as Samaje Api Okkoma Samanai and Sudu Sande Kali Wala.
In 1963, he acted in his first stage drama in Ajasaththa produced by Wimal Nawagamuwa. For his role as "Old King Bimbisara", he won the best actor award in the style section at Drama competition. Then Henry Jayasena invited him to play the role of "Puraka" in the drama Kuveni. He continued to act in many plays produced by Jayasena, such as Apata Puthe Magak Nathe, Mana Ranjana Wada Warjana, Hunuwataye Kathawa and Diriya Mawa Saha Aege Daruwo.
In 1964, Ediriweera Sarachchandra invited him to play the role of "Puraka" in the critically acclaimed stage play Maname. His relationship with Warakagoda Prof. Sarachchandra continued to grow, where Warakagoda acted his stage plays including, Sinhabahu, Prematho Jayathi Soko, Kapuwa Kapothi Mahasara and Lomahansa. He then played as "Jasaya" in the stage play Jasaya Lenchina produced by his classmate Dayananda Gunawardena. He later won Governor's Award for Best Stylized Actor at the 1963 State Drama Festival.
He moved to radio drama as a voice artist for the radio drama Muwan Pelessa one of the longest running radio dramas in the recorded history of Sri Lankan radio.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/08/12/fea22.asp |title=Features | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers |publisher=Dailynews.lk |date=2011-08-12 |access-date=2013-01-28}}{{cite web|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2010/01/24/mon04.asp |title=Montage - Cultural paradigm | Sundayobserver.lk - Sri Lanka |publisher=Sundayobserver.lk |date=2010-01-24 |access-date=2013-01-28}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/06/23/art12.asp |title=Artscope | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers |publisher=Dailynews.lk |access-date=2013-01-28}} He played the roles of John Mcwood, Arachchila and Korale, who became the only actor to have acted in 2700 episodes of a radio drama in the history.{{Cite web |title='I came out of this world' |url=http://www.silumina.lk/2020/12/05/තරංග/‘මම-එලොව-ගිහින්-මෙලොව-ආවා’ |access-date=2021-06-07 |website=Silumina}} With that drma, Warakagoda became the only artist who has played a single role in the radio drama for over 55 years. Since Muwan Pelessa was only launched in late 1963, the SLBC has no record of it, and the only evidence to show that it was begun on March 12, 1964, was a photo of its founder Dr. Somaratne. The character started as "Arachchila" but later changed to "Korale" when Mudalinayaka moved to US when the JVP started its turmoil on April 5, 1971. During his peak time in acting career, Warakagoda went Saudi Arabia in 1982 to earn money. After return to Sri Lanka, he acted in the play Maha Giri Daba produced by Jayalath Manoratne. He also worked as Chief Security Officer of the Oruwala Steel Corporation for few years.
Warakagoda served as the Deputy Director General on the Tower Hall Theatre Foundation until 1990. In 2019, he was honored with Janabhimani Honorary Award at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall.{{Cite web |title=Presented Janabhimani to veteran legends |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/news/2019/02/07/2818/ජනාභිමාණි-පිරිනැමුණු-අයුරු?page=6 |access-date=2021-06-16 |website=Sarasaviya}}
=Theater works =
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- Apata Puthe Magak Nathe
- Ajasaththa
- Arunata Pera
- Hora Police{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/030126/tv/3.html#1 |title=Sisil plays 'Hora Police' |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=30 November 2019}}
- Hunuwataye Kathawa
- Kuveni
- Maname
- Manaranjana Wedawarjana
- Mandela Mandela {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/030126/tv/3.html#1 |title='Mandela' at Elphinstone |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=30 November 2019}}
- Sinhabahu
- Suhada Divi Piduma
{{Div col end}}
=Television serials=
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
- Alli and Galli {{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/040125/tv/7.html | title='Alli and Galli': Hilarious tale on Swarnavahini | publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=16 August 2019}}
- Amarapuraya
- Anne {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070916/TV/tv-times000021.html |title=Anne: A tale of playful girl |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=11 December 2019}}
- Chakraangee{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/021208/tv/3.html | title='Chakraangee': A tale of a fallen Walauwa | publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=25 July 2019}}
- Dese Disnaya{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2011/03/24/_art.asp?fn=sa11032420&pn=25 |title=Dese Disnaya on location|publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=17 November 2017}}
- Haye Pahara{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/990228/mirror5.html | title=Kids hit ball for 'Haye Pahara' | publisher=Sunday Times| access-date=22 July 2019}}
- Indrachapa {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050925/tv/4.html |title='Indrachapa':A family drama |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=4 December 2019}}
- Jeewithaya Lassanai{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080120/TV/tv-times00007.html | title='Jeewithaya Lassanai' scores triple century | publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=2 September 2019}}
- Katu Kurullo {{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/031221/tv/21.htm | title='Katu Kurullo' handles human emotions | publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=16 August 2019}}
- Kele Handa {{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/teledramas/2020/03/19/17493/පුංචි-තිරයට-පායන-කැලෑ-හඳ |title=Kele Handa comes to television |publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=25 March 2020}}
- Kinduru Adaviya{{cite web | url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2005/08/10/arts06.htm | title=Susil brings Kinduru Adaviya | work=Daily News | access-date=15 August 2019}}
- Korale Mahaththaya {{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2011/06/30/_art.asp?fn=sa11063017&pn=20 |title=Korale Mahaththaya on every weekday on ITN |publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=17 November 2017}}
- Maada Eyama Wiya{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080504/TV/tv-times00007.html |title=Titus narrates tragedies of two women |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=18 September 2019}}
- Mayaratne{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/011007/tv.html |title='Mayaratne': deals with a devil |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=27 November 2019}}{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/020106/tv.html |title='Mayaratne' tackles an unusual theme |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=27 November 2019}}
- Mawathe Api {{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/030803/tv/4.htm#1 | title='Mawathe Api' : Tele series on traffic rules | publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=25 July 2019}}
- Monaravila {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/060806/tv/tvp5.htm |title='Monaravila' portrays patriots |publisher=Sunday times |access-date=7 December 2017}}
- Pinkanda Simona {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050508/tv/8.html |title='Pinkanda Simona':Humour at its best |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=4 December 2019}}
- Punchi Weerayo{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/000625/tv2.html | title="Punchi Veerayo" set on adventure| publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=15 August 2019}}
- Puja{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/020721/tv/1.html#2 | title='Puja': Story of murder, mystery | publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=25 July 2019}}
- Raja Bhavana{{cite web | url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2003/07/27/fea12.html | title=Raja Bhavana now on Rupavahini | publisher=Sunday Observer| access-date=23 September 2019}}
- Rathriya{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/011209/tv.html |title='Rathriya': torn between husband and parents |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=11 September 2019}}
- Raththarana Neth{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/041205/tv/6.html | title=Titus dabbles with golden eyes | publisher=Sunday Times| access-date=28 May 2019}}
- Sagare Se Man Adarei{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2011/05/19/_art.asp?fn=sa11051912&pn=10|title=Sagare Se Man Adarei on location|publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=17 November 2017}}
- Sakisanda Suwaris{{cite web | url=http://archives.sarasaviya.lk/2012/01/12/_art.asp?fn=sa12011217&pn=20 | title="Sakisanda Suwaris" soon on Rupavahini| publisher=Sarasaviya | access-date=15 August 2019}}
- Sanda Ginigath Rathriya {{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/020804/tv/1.html#1 | title=New film on mini screen | publisher=Sunday Times| access-date=29 November 2019}}
- Sathyaya {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/031221/tv/15.htm |title='Sathyaya': Out to thrill |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=11 September 2019}}
- Shoba {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070916/TV/tv-times000018.html |title=Shoba shows three nights a week |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=11 December 2019}}
- Sidangana {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080427/TV/tv-times000017.html |title='Sindangana': A woman with the body and spirit |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=12 December 2019}}
- Situ Gedara{{cite web |url=https://www.nation.lk/2008/09/28/enter3.htm |title=Situ Gedara captures turbulent life of a family |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=18 September 2019}}
- Sive Diya Dahara {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/030622/tv/3.html#1 |title='Sive Diya Dahara': Tragic tale of a child |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=30 November 2019}}
- Snehaye Daasi{{cite web | url=http://archives.sarasaviya.lk/2012/03/22/_art.asp?fn=sa12032211&pn=17 | title=ස්නේහයේ දාසි සෙනසුරාදා | publisher=Sarasaviya | access-date=15 August 2019}}
- Sooriya Daruwo{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/020505/tv.html |title='Sooriya Daruwo' starts this Sunday |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=27 November 2019}}
- Sooriya Nayo
- Suddilage Kathawa {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050710/tv/3.html |title='Suddilage Kathawa' back on miniscreen |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=4 December 2019}}
- Sujatha{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/061015/TV/tv17.html |title='Sujatha': Big screen hit ready to hit small screen |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=19 September 2019}}
- Sulang Kapolla {{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100411/Magazine/sundaytimestvtimes_8.html | title='Sulang Kapolla' searches for real love | publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=9 August 2016}}
- Suwanda Obai Amme{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/030713/tv/2.htm#2 | title=Teledrama questions motherhood | publisher=Sunday Times| access-date=23 September 2019}}
- Three-wheel Malli {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050710/tv/14.html |title=Daya brings humour with 'Three-wheel Malli' |publisher=Sunday times |access-date=17 November 2017}}
- Tikiri and Ungi {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/060820/tv/tv18.html |title='Tikiri and Ungi' on Swarnavahini |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=8 December 2019}}
- Varanaya{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/001119/tv.html |title='Varanaya' portrays social upheavals |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=19 September 2019}}
- Wara Peraliya {{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050327/tv/9.html |title='Wara Peraliya' : Reflects society |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=4 December 2019}}
- Yaddehi Gedara{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/001001/tv.html | title='Yaddehi Gedara' shows how a walawwa falls | publisher=Sunday Times | access-date=20 November 2019}}
- Yes Boss
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Filmography
- 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}}
Awards
- Sarasaviya Awards - Merit Award for performance in Golu Hadawatha - 1969
- President’s Merit Award for performance in Kele Mal - 1984
- OCIC and President’s Best Actor Award for performance in Arunata Pera - 1985
- Raigam Tele'es Prathibha Prabha Award - 2018{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasaviya.lk/2018/03/29/?fn=sa1803299 |title=Raigam Tele'es 2017 award winners |publisher=Sarasaviya |access-date=29 March 2018}}
Songs
Although he doesn't sing often, some of his songs have been written into the hearts of many music lovers in Sri Lanka. Below are some of his most famous songs.
- Rangahala dan atha ada andure (රඟහල දැන් ඇත අඩ අඳුරේ)
- Hiru Payanawa / Manike hinahenawa (හිරු පායනවා)
- Mihiri Sihinayaka Dewatunu (මිහිරි සිහිනයක දැවටුනු)
- Yannem Dakna (යන්නම් දක්නා ඒ ලාලනී)
- Sihale Mal (සිහලේ මල්)
- Atharaman Wela Ma (අතරමන් වෙලා මා) - (Duet)
- Wandanawe Yamu (වන්දනාවේ යමු පේවීලා)
- Pama Wela Wahapan (පමා වෙලා වහපන් වැහි වලාවේ)
References
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Category:Sri Lankan male film actors