Nihal Silva
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| Nihal Silva | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nihal Silva January 10, 1954  Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka |
| Died | December 3, 1989 Sri Lanka |
Nihal Silva (1954–1989) was a Sri Lankan comedian and actor. He rose to fame playing Sergeant Nallathamby in the play of the same name. The character was a stereotypical Tamil Hindu with a bald head, small moustache, police suit and Vibhuti, three lines of ash, on his forehead.
The play Sergeant Nallathamby was one of the first Sri Lankan plays to be a financial success. It was hugely popular, even playing in the Middle East to Sinhala audiences. [1] After its run, a slew of similar comedies like Ralla, Commando Diyasena, and Vadamaarachi appeared in Sri Lankan theaters inspired by its success. [1]
Silva was born on January 10, 1954 in Kirulapone[2] and grew up in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. He came from a poor family, and began his theater career with Wesak dramas. He subsequently had roles in stage plays like Amal Biso and Le Kandulu.[2] He first played Sergeant Nallathamby in the play Neinage Suduwa.
Silva was shot to death by Sri Lanka Army soldiers as he ignored warnings and ran a checkpoint on December 3, 1989 in Dehiwela;[2] he possibly did not understand the situation due to inebriation.
