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Douglas Ranasinghe

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Douglas Ranasinghe
ඩග්ලස් රණසිංහ
Born
Morathennage Douglas Ranasinghe

(1945-05-27) May 27, 1945 (age 79)
Kurunegala, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationSt. Anne's College, Kurunegala
Occupation(s)Actor, Dramatist, Director, Writer , Broadcaster
Years active1967–present
Known forActing
SpouseSandya Kumari Ranasinghe
ChildrenShribodhi Indrakheela Ranasinghe
RelativesThilaka Ranasinghe (sister)
Narada Disasekara (brother-in-law)
Saranga Disasekara (nephew)

Morathennage Douglas Ranasinghe (born May 27, 1945, Sinhala: ඩග්ලස් රණසිංහ), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television.[1][2] He acted in many supportive roles in movies including Akkara Paha, Yuganthaya, Viragaya, Sri Siddhartha Gautama and Dharmayuddhaya.[3]

Personal life

Douglas Ranasinghe was born on 27 May 1945 in Thorawathura village, Kurunegala as the fourth child of the family. His father, James Ranasinghe, was a landowner and planter where he also served as a Village Head and Village Administration Secretary as well. His mother Seelawathi Valimuni was a teacher. Douglas was educated at St. Anne's College, Kurunegala. He is a fluent speaker of the College Sinhala and English Debating Team, a boxer, a member of the Cadet Corps and an athlete. He topped the 200 meters as a long distance runner and was also a short story writer.[4]

The Ranasinghe couple had seven children.[3] The eldest in the family, Malkanthi Gunaratne was also a writer and married to the owner of Maradana Ratna Book Publishing Company, L. A. Gunaratne. The second is Rupa Khemaratne, an English teacher. The third was Prema Srimathi worked as a Teacher Training Housing Superintendent in Ihalagama. The fifth is Lionel, a planter. Chandrara Siriwardena is the sixth child who served in the Ports Authority.[4] Youngest one is Tilaka Ranasinghe, an actress and broadcaster. Tilaka Ranasinghe worked at Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.[5] Thilaka was married to singer Narada Disasekara.[6] The couple has one son Saranga Disasekara, an actor in Sinhala cinema and television.[7] Saranga was married to popular actress Dinakshie Priyasad.

He studied at St. Anne's College, Kurunegala and excellent in sports.[8] After the school, he was interested to become a lawyer and applied for Law College.[8] However, then he applied for the post of Sub Inspector.[3] He failed twice, but succeeded in third attempt. He was then transferred to a training course at Kalutara.[9]

Ranasinghe is married to Sandya Kumari, and the couple has one son, Shribodhi Indrakeela.[10]

Career

Douglas came to Colombo from Kurunegala in 1966 to meet playwright Sathischandra Edirisinghe with his close relative Peter Amarasinghe. Then he got a character certificate from Edirisinghe for a police service interview. However, Edirisinghe brought Douglas to Henry Jayasena for his play.[4] He was chosen to play the role in stage drama Hunuwataye Kathawa by Henry Jayasena.[9] This turned him towards the drama career. He acted in many critically acclaimed stage plays including Henry Jayasena's Apata Puthe Magak Nathe[11] and Ediriweera Sarachchandra's Hotabari Yuddhe.[12] He also appeared in the plays: Dunḍu Berē, Janēlaya, Kuvēṇi, The wedding, Taming of the Sorrow and Ahas Māḷigā. His last stage drama acting was Kusa Pabawathi.[4]

His maiden cinema acting came through 1970 film Akakra Paha, however his second film Romeo Juliet Kathawak directed by G. D. L. Perera released before Akkara Paha.[13] He acted in the short film Bhavana, directed by the Paul Zils.[8] With that film, he was able to entered into the Berlin Film Festival of 1970/1971.[9] Then he completed a three-year course at the London School of Filmmaking.[12] After the course, he was asked to stay back and take part in Shakespearean productions. However, he refused the offer and landed to Sri Lanka.[3]

In 1980s, he was the voice actor in the programs Guwan Viduli Ranga Madala and Keti Katha produced by Sugathapala de Silva. As a radio sound administrator, he recorded high drama, feature and music programs. He has directed few stage plays and television serials including Ranmasu Uayana and Sasara Chakra respectively.[3] As a television actor, he made notable roles in the serials: Avasanda, Maṭa Mahalu Vayasē, Ranmasu Uyana and Kaḷu Hansayō. He attended a three-year course at the International Film School in London, where he wrote the screenplay for the film Dancing Devils.[4]

Selected television serials

  • Akuru Maki Na
  • Dedunu Sihina [14]
  • Ganga Addara [15]
  • Indrakeelaya[16]
  • Ithin Eelangata[17] සංගීතේ'[18]
  • Punaragamanaya [19]
  • Ranga Soba [20]
  • Ran Poruwa [21]
  • Ridee Tharaka[22]
  • Samanala Sihinaya [23]
  • Samanala Wasanthaya [24]
  • Sanda Siththam[25]
  • Sandali Saha Radika [26]
  • Sandawathaka Waruna [27]
  • Sangeethe[28]
  • Sapiriwara [29]
  • Sewwandi[30]
  • Suwanda Hamana Manamali[31]
  • Thodu

Filmography

Year Film Role Ref.
1969 Romeo Juliet Kathawak Romeo [32]
1970 Akkara Paha Samarasena [33]
1981 Saranga Suresh
1982 Thana Girawi Rathnapala
1982 Kele Mal Tissa
1983 Siw Ranga Sena Janaka
1984 Adara Geethaya Thushara
1984 Niwan Dakna Jathi Dakwa
1985 Wathsala Akka
1985 Du Daruwo
1985 Yuganthaya Aravinda [34]
1987 Viragaya Siridasa [35]
1992 Kulageya
1994 Yuwathipathi Janaraja
1994 Le livre de cristal Siri de Silva
1996 Hiru Sanduta Mediwi
1996 Amanthaya
2000 Indrakeelaya
2003 Irasma Sonali's husband [36]
2001 Aswesuma Senior Police Officer [37]
2006 Ammawarune Divisional Secretary [38]
2008 Adara Meena
2013 Sri Siddhartha Gautama King Suppabuddha [39]
2016 Weerawarna Ayesha's father [40]
2016 Zoom Father of two daughters [41]
2017 Aloko Udapadi Thanasiwa [42]
2017 Dharmayuddhaya Upali [43]
2018 Nidahase Piya DS Richard Aluwihare [44]
TBD Akarshaa [45]
TBD CineMa Sagara Premachandra [46]
TBD Visangamanaya Dissanayake [47]

References

  1. ^ "Douglas Ranasinghe films". IMDb. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Douglas Ranasinghe bio". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e "ශ්‍රී මහා බෝධිය ළඟදි ඩග්ලස් රණසිංහ ලැබූ විශ්මය ජනක අත්දැකීමක්". Amarasara. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Douglas Ranasinghe in the story of Hunuwataye Kathawa". Silumina. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  5. ^ "Reminiscencing on Kusum Peiris". Tilak's Blog. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  6. ^ "I was separated from Saranga's father because of drunkenness and incompatibility - Thilaka Ranasinghe". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Happy to be an actor - Saranga". Dirimaga. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  8. ^ a b c "Douglas Ranasinghe: Wielding dignity and fame". Daily News. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b c "Douglas Ranasinghe: Second to none". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Douglas Ranasinghe interview". Hiru FM. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  11. ^ "We come back to a storm". Daily News. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Douglas Ranasinghe: the actor of quiet dignity". Pasanliya. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Douglas Ranasinghe filmography". Sinhala Cinema Database. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  14. ^ "'Dedunu Sihina' getting ready". Sunday Times. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  15. ^ "'Ganga Addara' released". Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  16. ^ "'Indrakeelaya': tale of woman facing a bitter experience". Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  17. ^ "Ithin Elangata coming on small screen". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Do not waste your time". Silumina. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  19. ^ "Punaragamanaya; a psychological story". Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  20. ^ "'Ranga Soba' depicts the life of an actress". Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  21. ^ "'Ran Poruwa' starts". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  22. ^ "If I wasn't an actor, I would be a lawyer today". Dinamina. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  23. ^ "Sins of father visits on son". Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  24. ^ "'Heidi'comes to TV". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  25. ^ "Sanda Siththam on Sirasa". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  26. ^ "'Sandali Saha Radika' narrates rebirth story". Sunday Times. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  27. ^ "Young girl faces social conflicts". Sunday Times. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  28. ^ "I'm famous thanks to 'Sangeethe' - Douglas". gossiplankanewsweb. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  29. ^ "Sapiriwara; a story of corrupt politics, war and suffering". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  30. ^ "සෙව්වන්දි රුවන්පුරේ දී ඇරැඹේ". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  31. ^ "'Suwanda Hamana Manamali': A new sweet scented story". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  32. ^ "Romeo Juliet Kathawak". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  33. ^ "All about the film "Akkara Paha"". sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  34. ^ "Achievements- 1981–2000". Lester James Peries. 2004. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  35. ^ "Viragaya: The Way of the Lotus". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Wijeya Newspapers. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  36. ^ "'Irasma' portrays value of parental love". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  37. ^ "'Aswesuma' a film with a novel theme". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  38. ^ "The immortal note that captures the heart beat of the nation". The Sunday Observer. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  39. ^ "Sri Lankan Screened Films". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  40. ^ "Weerawarna". National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  41. ^ "Zoom races to production stage". Daily News.
  42. ^ "Sri Lankan Screened Films". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  43. ^ "Dharmayudhaya පිය සෙනෙහස තරම් සවියක් දියණියකට තව කොයින්ද". sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  44. ^ "Father Of The Nation, DS Senanayake's Legacy To Silver Screen". asianmirror. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  45. ^ "'Akarsha soon on cinema". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  46. ^ "CineMa from April 22nd". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
  47. ^ "Ranjan Prasanna's 'Isolation' applauded in London". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
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