Wijeratne Warakagoda

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Wijeratne Warakagoda
විජේරත්න වරකාගොඩ
Born
Rajakaruna Navaratne Atapattu Mudiyanselage Wijeratne Banda Warakagoda

(1933-11-21) 21 November 1933 (age 88)
Kurunegala, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationSt. Anne’s College Kurunegala
Ananda College Colombo [1]
OccupationActor, voice artist, singer
Years active1960 - present
Spouse(s)Chitra Warakagoda (m. 1970)
Children2
Parent(s)
  • Basnayake Mudiyanselage Ran Menika (mother)

Rajakaruna Navaratne Atapattu Mudiyanselage Wijeratne Banda Warakagoda (Born 21 November 1933; as Sinhala: විජේරත්න වරකාගොඩ), popularly as Wijeratne Warakagoda, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television..[3] Career spanning more than six decades, Warakagoda is also a singer and a voice artist in Radio Ceylon.[4] He is best known for the role "Korale Mahaththaya" in radio sitcom Muwan Palessa.

Personal life[]

Wijeratne Warakagoda was born on 21 November 1933,[5] 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.[6] 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.[1] During school times, he was excellent in sports such as 5000m, 800m as well as for singing.[6]

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.[6] 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.[1]

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[7] and Jananath born in 1977, is a musician, singer and a dancer.[8]

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.[6]

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.[6]

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. [6] 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.[9][10][11] 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.[12] 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.[6]

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.[13]

Theater works[]

  • Apata Puthe Magak Nathe
  • Ajasaththa
  • Arunata Pera
  • Hora Police[14]
  • Hunuwataye Kathawa
  • Kuveni
  • Maname
  • Manaranjana Wedawarjana
  • Mandela Mandela [15]
  • Sinhabahu
  • Suhada Divi Piduma

Television serials[]

Filmography[]

  • No. denotes the Number of Sri Lankan film in the Sri Lankan cinema.[57]
Year No. Film Role
1962 90
1963 102 Gamperaliya Rathnapura doctor [58]
1964 112 Mob member
1965 123
1965 128
1966 139
1966 145 Delovak Athara Police inspector
1966 151 Tabla player [59]
1967 157
1968 186 Golu Hadawatha Sarath
1969 200
1969 211 Binaramalee Heen Banda [60]
1970 224 Akkara Paha Teacher [61]
1970 230
1970 232 Thun Man Handiya Actor. also as playback singer
1971 247
1971 249 Richard Perera
1972 250 Nidhanaya Silva [62]
1980 457 Korale Mahaththaya
1981 474 Beddegama
1981 491
1981 494
1981 499
1982 534
1982 535 [63]
1982 541 Kadawunu Poronduwa remake Psych ward nurse
1983 554
1983 561
1983 566 Judge
1983 572 Inspector
1984 588
1984 598
1984 600 Banda
1984 601
1985 612 Arachchi Mahaththaya
1985 613
1985 614
1985 626
1985 628
1985 629
1985 634
1986 641
1986 648 Ana Berakaru
1988 673
1994 807 Janaraja's father
1997 874
1997 880 Sarath
1997 The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo Engineer
1998 890 Gini Avi Saha Gini Keli Party singer
2001 968
2001 971 Rosa Wasanthe Hansamali's father[64]
2003 Mother Teresa of Calcutta
2006 1068
2006 1078
2012 1171 Wassane Senehasa Mayadunne
2012 1176 Daruwane Father
2012 1180 Prathiroo Bookstore owner
2013 1191 Ira Laga Wadi
2014 1214 [65] also as playback singer
2016 1250 Paththini Kovalan's father
2018 1306 Raigamayai Gampalayai Arachchi[66]
TBD Anora
TBD Gunananda Himi Migettuwatte

Awards[]

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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