Amarasiri Kalansuriya

Amarasiri Kalansuriya (Sinhala: අමරසිරි කලංසූරිය; 20 September 1940 – 1 April 2023), popularly known as Kalan, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television.[1] Kalansuriya made his first film appearance alongside Vijaya Kumaratunga in Hanthana Kathawa. His next film Ahas Gauwa won him a best actor award in 1974.[2] He was born in Kandy, and was an alumnus of Dharmaraja College.

Amarasiri Kalansuriya
අමරසිරි කලංසූරිය
Born(1940-09-20)20 September 1940
Kandy, British Ceylon
Died1 April 2023(2023-04-01) (aged 82)
Ja Ela, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
Other namesKalan
EducationSt. Christopher's College
Dharmaraja College
Occupation(s)Actor, producer, businessman
Years active1969–2023
SpouseAjantha Thalatha Kumari Ekanayaka (m. 1972)
Children3
Awards
  • Best Supporting Actor in Presidential Award (1986)
  • Best actor award (1974)

Early life

Kalansuriya was born on 20 September 1940 in a village called Meepawala, Sri Lanka as the second child of the family. His father Kalansuriya Francis Appuhami was a farmer. His mother Bengamuwa Arachchige Podi Hamine was a housewife. Kalansuriya started his school career with Kiribathkumbura Sri Swarnajothi School and then attended Dharmaraja College in Kandy. When studying at Dharmaraja, he was a talented athlete who set the school record for 800m in athletics. He finished second in intercollegiate sports as well as got school colors for boxing.[3]

Kalansuriya had one elder brother, Nissanka and two younger brothers: Padmasena and Ariyapala. His mother died due to a fish bone blocking her throat. After a while, his father married a second time to Karunawathie. She took good care of Kalan and his brothers like her own children. After she had three children, Kalan and older brother thought to live alone. Later they were kicked out in public for not paying house rent. Then the brothers lived by making a discarded cart as a temporary home. Once stones were quarried on the Maiyangana side and Kalan worked as rice wrapper at the Leon Cafe restaurant in Kandy.[3]

Kalansuriya worked in the Agricultural Department in Mahiyanganaya as a minor worker. At the age of 18, he served as a soldier in the Second Volunteer Lions Regiment for six years. In 1966 he worked at Mallika Studio in Kandy.[4] He started a business in Kandy in 1970, a sale of old bells. Profiting from this, he started a small sewing company called 'My In' in Kandy. Successful he moved up into tailoring and owned two tailor shops. Here he got the chance to make clothes for the army and rub shoulders with rising political figures like Lalith Athulathmudali.[2]

Acting career

Kalansuriya was chosen as the lead actor for an 8mm film Reyath Dawalath directed by a young man who was a member of the Photographic Society, a student of Kingswood College. Anoma Wattaladeniya played the lead role in this film who later married director Ranjith Perera. She was also a TV presenter. Then on Dharmasena Pathiraja's recommendation, he got the opportunity to act as a university student in the romantic film Hanthane Kathawa directed by Sugathapala Senarath Yapa. He also acted in various roles in Pathiraja's' Ahas Gawwa, Lester James Peiris' Akkara Paha and Ranjith Lal's Nimwalalla as a talented actor.[3]

Kalansuriya accepted an invitation from H. D. Premaratne to star in the film Apeksha in 1978. His second film after the hiatus, Parithyagaya, won him more awards from OCIC and Sarasaviya.[2] He won Best Supporting Actor for Puja in Presidential Award in 1986. Some of the other notable films include: Tharangā, Bambaru Avith, Apēkṣhā, Anūpamā, Poḍi Mallī, Kānchanā, Parityāgaya, Sinhabāhu, Vajirā, Sakvithi Suvaya, Yasa Isuru, Doringē Sayanaya, Poojā, Poḍi Wijē, Ahas Māḷigā and Sāgarayak Mæda. He won the Critics' Award for his performance in Ahas Gawwa in 1974. He won the Sarasaviya Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1982 and Sarasaviya and Presidential Awards for Best Supporting Actor in 1986 for the film Pooja.[3]

Kalanasuriya had a leading role in the first television serial made in Sri Lanka, Dimuthu Muthu directed by D. B. Nihalsinghe. As a theatre actor, he produced and acted in the play Podi Vijay.[3] After another hiatus, Kalansuriya returned to film with Shilpa Denumena in 2001 directed by Rodney Widanapathirana.[2][5]

Sujith Lakmal Weerasekera wrote an autobiography in 2015 titled Duka Dinū Diviyaka Amaraṇīya Sæmarum Kalan ('Immortal Celebrations of a Life of Sorrow').[3]

Personal life and death

Kalansuriya was married to Ajantha Thalatha Kumari Ekanayake, while doing his "My In" clothing store. She was educated at Gampola Convent and Pushpadana College, Peradeniya. They married on 18 December 1972, and the couple had a son and two daughters.[6] Eldest son Duminda is a businessman and married to Janaki Wijesekara. Two daughters are Madhumathi Kumari who is married to Dr. Dhammika Sedara and the younger daughter, Vindhya, is employed by Sri Lankan Airlines.[3]

Amarasiri Kalansuriya died at his residence in Ja Ela on 1 April 2023, at the age of 82.[7]

Filmography
Year Film Role
1969 Reyath Dawalath
1969 Hanthane Kathawa [8]
1970 Akkara Paha Gunapala [9]
1970 Nim Walalla
1974 Ahas Gauwa
1975 Tharanga
1978 Apeksha Nimal [10]
1978 Anupama Ranji [11]
1978 Bambaru Avith Sanath
1979 Podi Malli Berty
1980 Kanchana Lal
1980 Parithyagaya Dhanaprema
1980 Sinhabahu Sinhabahu
1981 Vajira Nimal
1981 Sagarayak Meda
1982 Pradeepaa
1982 Yasa Isuru Suranga [12]
1982 Sakvithi Suvaya
1983 Samanala Sihina
1984 Welle Thenu Maliga
1985 Rajina
1985 Doringe Sayanaya
1986 Puja
1986 Mal Varusa Deesal
1987 Podi Vijey
1990 Pem Raja Dahana Sargent Jayathilaka
1991 Dolosmahe Pahana
1994 150 Mulleriyawa
1994 Ambu Samiyo
1994 Ahas Maliga
2004 Diya Yata Gindara Jayakody [13]
2009 Rosa Mal Sayanaya
2014 Que Sera
2017 Hima Tharaka
TBD Kumaru Chaththa Manawaka [14][15]
TBD Megha [16]

References
  1. "Kalang: odd yet brilliant actor". Sunday Times. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  2. "Kalang: Odd yet brilliant actor". Sunday Times. 2001. Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  3. "Young Man of Sinhala Cinema: Amarasiri Kalansuriya". Silumina. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  4. "He is Kalan - දුක දිනූ දිවියක අමරණීය සැමරුම් සමඟ කලං..." Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  5. "I am everyone's hero but my hero is Gamini Amarasiri Kalansuriya". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  6. "Amarasiri Kalansuriya -". Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  7. Veteran actor Amarasiri Kalansuriya passed away
  8. "All about Hanthane Kathawa". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  9. "All about the film "Akkara Paha"". sarasaviya. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  10. "All about the film "Apeksha"". sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  11. "All about the film "Anupama"". sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  12. "All about 'Yasa Isuru'". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  13. "CEL's first production: 'Diya Yata Gindara'". Sunday Times. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  14. "Chaththa Manawaka on silver screen". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  15. "First digital then screen". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  16. "Megha: The mystery that obscures the shadow". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
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