Vijaya Nandasiri
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| Vijaya Nandasiri | |
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| Born | Vijaya Nandasiri Sri Lanka |
Vijaya Nandasiri (born c. 1944) is a Sri Lankan dramatist and actor. He has had a varied career beginning in theater and extending into film as a dramatic actor; his most recent roles have been steeped in comedy and include credits in Sinhala sitcoms like Nonawaruni Mahathwaruni, Ethuma and Kathura.
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[edit] Life and Career
[edit] Early life
Nandasiri attended the Vidyakara Vidyalaya in Maharagama. He became interested in acting during his tenure there, and made his theater debut in 1966 in the stage drama Vidura-Diva produced by Amaradasa Gunawardena for the State Drama Festival. He next obtained a role in Naribena, Jasaya saha Lenchina made by veteran drama producer Dayananda Gunawardena, who personally invited Nandasiri to become part of the cast. [1]
[edit] Theater work
Nandasiri was briefly a catering officer at the Katunayake Airport in the late-'60s as his acting career developed. Over the next years he played the character of king Maname in a drama, and appeared in Singha Bhahu, Mahasara and Ratnawalee. Nandasiri finally achieved fame in 1971 in the play Ran Kanda. [1]
After Ran Kanda, Nandasiri was on demand, and starred in the plays Subha Saha Yasa, Nariya Saha Keju Kella, Ekadipathi, Tharawo Egilethi, Kuweni and Hunuwataye Kathawa among others. In all, he has done over 40 plays staged islandwide. [1]
As a dramatist, he has helmed several successful plays. These include Vrushaba Raja, [2] and Kusa Pabawathie. [1]
[edit] Film
In 1976, Nandasiri met K.A.W. Perera while staging T. B. Ilangaratne's Shailasanaya. Perera gave him his first film role in the movie Nedayo. Subsquently, he has had roles in such films as Yasa Isuru, Sandakada Pahana, Bengali Walalu, Sasara and Rail Para. [1]
[edit] Television
Nandasiri's early television credits include Perera's Gamana and Pramada Wedei. He was later a producer of the teledrama Humalaya. [1]
[edit] Marriage and children
Nandasiri is married to actress Devika Mihirani. [3] They met on the set of Subha Saha Yasa in 1974, and have two children, Navanjana Mihirani and Rasanjana Suchitra. [1]
