Morathennage Douglas Ranasinghe (born May 27, 1945, Sinhala: ඩග්ලස් රණසිංහ), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television.[1] He acted in many supportive roles in movies including Akkara Paha, Yuganthaya, Viragaya, Sri Siddhartha Gautama and Dharmayuddhaya.[2]
Douglas Ranasinghe ඩග්ලස් රණසිංහ | |
---|---|
Born | Morathennage Douglas Ranasinghe May 27, 1945 Kurunegala, Sri Lanka |
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Education | St. Anne's College, Kurunegala |
Occupation(s) | Actor, Dramatist, Director, Writer , Broadcaster |
Years active | 1967–present |
Known for | Acting |
Spouse | Sandya Kumari Ranasinghe |
Children | Shribodhi Indrakheela Ranasinghe |
Relatives | Thilaka Ranasinghe (sister) Narada Disasekara (brother-in-law) Saranga Disasekara (nephew) |
Personal life
editDouglas 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.[3]
The Ranasinghe couple had seven children.[2] 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.[3] Youngest one is Tilaka Ranasinghe, an actress and broadcaster. Tilaka Ranasinghe worked at Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.[4] Thilaka was married to singer Narada Disasekara.[5] The couple has one son Saranga Disasekara, an actor in Sinhala cinema and television.[6] Saranga was married to popular actress Dinakshie Priyasad.
He studied at St. Anne's College, Kurunegala, and excellent in sports.[7] After the school, he was interested to become a lawyer and applied for Law College.[7] However, then he applied for the post of Sub Inspector.[2] He failed twice, but succeeded in third attempt. He was then transferred to a training course at Kalutara.[8]
Ranasinghe is married to Sandya Kumari, and the couple has one son, Shribodhi Indrakeela.[9]
Career
editDouglas 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.[3] He was chosen to play the role in stage drama Hunuwataye Kathawa by Henry Jayasena.[8] This turned him towards the drama career. He acted in many critically acclaimed stage plays including Henry Jayasena's Apata Puthe Magak Nathe[10] and Ediriweera Sarachchandra's Hotabari Yuddhe.[11] 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.[3]
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.[12] He acted in the short film Bhavana, directed by the Paul Zils.[7] With that film, he was able to entered into the Berlin Film Festival of 1970/1971.[8] Then he completed a three-year course at the London School of Filmmaking.[11] 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.[2]
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.[2] 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.[3]
Selected television serials
edit- Akuru Maki Na
- Dedunu Sihina [13]
- Ganga Addara [14]
- Indrakeelaya[15]
- Ithin Eelangata[16] සංගීතේ'[17]
- Punaragamanaya [18]
- Ranga Soba [19]
- Ran Poruwa [20]
- Ridee Tharaka[21]
- Samanala Sihinaya [22]
- Samanala Wasanthaya [23]
- Sanda Siththam[24]
- Sandali Saha Radika [25]
- Sandawathaka Waruna [26]
- Sangeethe[27]
- Sapiriwara [28]
- Sewwandi[29]
- Suwanda Hamana Manamali[30]
- Thodu
Filmography
editYear | Film | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | Romeo Juliet Kathawak | Romeo | [31] |
1970 | Akkara Paha | Samarasena | [32] |
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 | [33] |
1987 | Viragaya | Siridasa | [34] |
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 | [35] |
2001 | Aswesuma | Senior Police Officer | [36] |
2006 | Ammawarune | Divisional Secretary | [37] |
2008 | Adara Meena | ||
2013 | Sri Siddhartha Gautama | King Suppabuddha | [38] |
2016 | Weerawarna | Ayesha's father | [39] |
2016 | Zoom | Father of two daughters | [40] |
2017 | Aloko Udapadi | Thanasiwa | [41] |
2017 | Dharmayuddhaya | Upali | [42] |
2018 | Nidahase Piya DS | Richard Aluwihare | [43] |
TBD | Akarshaa | [44] | |
TBD | CineMa | Sagara Premachandra | [45] |
TBD | Visangamanaya | Dissanayake | [46] |
References
edit- ^ "Douglas Ranasinghe films". IMDb. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "ශ්රී මහා බෝධිය ළඟදි ඩග්ලස් රණසිංහ ලැබූ විශ්මය ජනක අත්දැකීමක්". Amarasara. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Douglas Ranasinghe in the story of Hunuwataye Kathawa". Silumina. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
- ^ "Reminiscencing on Kusum Peiris". Tilak's Blog. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "I was separated from Saranga's father because of drunkenness and incompatibility - Thilaka Ranasinghe". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "Happy to be an actor - Saranga". Dirimaga. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ a b c "Douglas Ranasinghe: Wielding dignity and fame". Daily News. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ a b c "Douglas Ranasinghe: Second to none". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "Douglas Ranasinghe interview". Hiru FM. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "We come back to a storm". Daily News. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Douglas Ranasinghe: the actor of quiet dignity". Pasanliya. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "Douglas Ranasinghe filmography". Sinhala Cinema Database. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "'Dedunu Sihina' getting ready". Sunday Times. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ "'Ganga Addara' released". Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "'Indrakeelaya': tale of woman facing a bitter experience". Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ^ "Ithin Elangata coming on small screen". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "Do not waste your time". Silumina. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "Punaragamanaya; a psychological story". Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ "'Ranga Soba' depicts the life of an actress". Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "'Ran Poruwa' starts". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ "If I wasn't an actor, I would be a lawyer today". Dinamina. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "Sins of father visits on son". Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "'Heidi'comes to TV". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ "Sanda Siththam on Sirasa". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "'Sandali Saha Radika' narrates rebirth story". Sunday Times. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ "Young girl faces social conflicts". Sunday Times. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
- ^ "I'm famous thanks to 'Sangeethe' - Douglas". gossiplankanewsweb. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "Sapiriwara; a story of corrupt politics, war and suffering". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ "සෙව්වන්දි රුවන්පුරේ දී ඇරැඹේ". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
- ^ "'Suwanda Hamana Manamali': A new sweet scented story". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "Romeo Juliet Kathawak". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ "All about the film "Akkara Paha"". sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- ^ "Achievements- 1981–2000". Lester James Peries. 2004. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "Viragaya: The Way of the Lotus". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Wijeya Newspapers. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ "'Irasma' portrays value of parental love". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "'Aswesuma' a film with a novel theme". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "The immortal note that captures the heart beat of the nation". The Sunday Observer. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Screened Films". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Weerawarna". National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Zoom races to production stage". Daily News.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Screened Films". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Dharmayudhaya පිය සෙනෙහස තරම් සවියක් දියණියකට තව කොයින්ද". sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "Father Of The Nation, DS Senanayake's Legacy To Silver Screen". asianmirror. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ "'Akarsha soon on cinema". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "CineMa from April 22nd". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
- ^ "Ranjan Prasanna's 'Isolation' applauded in London". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 October 2019.