Name Dayananda Gunawardena | Spouse(s) Irangani Ranatunga Religion Buddhist Resting place Udugampola | |
 | ||
Other names Hettipathirannehelage Dayananda Gunawardena, 'Jubal' Children Chakrayuda Kirthi Gunawardena, Abhimangala Gunawardena & Wasanthapriya Gunawardena Books Bakmaha akunu, The Gajaman Story: Gajaman Puvatha, Nari Bana Education Ananda College, Thurstan College Died 24 June 1993 (aged 58) General Hospital, Colombo Similar Gunasena Galappatty, Malaka Dewapriya, Sunanda Mahendra | ||
Curtain Call of Dayananda Gunawardena's 'Gajaman Puwatha'
Dayananda Gunawardena (Sinhala: දයානන්ද ගුනවර්ධන ) ( (15 October 1934 – 24 June 1993.) was a Sri Lankan playwright, actor, lyricist, dramatist, radio play producer, and Sinhala Radio Play writer.
Contents
- Curtain Call of Dayananda Gunawardenas Gajaman Puwatha
- Early life
- Career
- Institutions served
- Training Scholarship
- Theater
- Films
- Performed films
- References
Early life
sandeepa was born in pannipitiya in Liyanagoda, where his father Don Simon was an English Teacher. He completed his schooling from the Government school, Ugampola (1943–46) and Government Secondary School, Veyngoda (1946–51). In 1951, he joined the Ananda College, Colombo. While at school, he was active in many societies such as the drama society and was the Junior Cadet Captain and served as the vice-president of the college geographic society. He was awarded the D. B. Jayatilleke Literary Award and the Amarasena Art Award (both in open categories) while studying at Ananda College. In 1957, he joined the University of Peradiniya and completed his General Arts Qualifying Examination (subjects taken: Sinhala, Geography and Economics). He married Irangani Ranatunga of Gampaha on 28 September 1967 and they had three children.
Career
Gundwardena's first notable play was Nari Bena (1961). It was based on a Sinhala folk-tale and was full of songs.Lionel Algama assisted to write Some of the memorable songs in this play - like Ahala malin gas pirila balanna hari lassanai and Kumatada sobaniye kandulu salanne. It became hugely popular and has continued to be staged for forty years. His next play Bakmaha Akunu (1962) - based on the French drama The Marriage of Figaro - was made into a film. "Kaamare Pore" (1962) Produced as a single stage drama in Sinhala this is an adaptation of the Play 'Box and Cox' by the English playwright John Maddison Morton and It was first staged without any songs. Gunawardena had produced sixteen plays, Particularly notable amongst them are Gajaman Puwatha (1975) and Madhura Javanika (1983). He formed the Nalu Kirthi Sabha Theatre Group in the 1970s. Gunawardena is credited with introducing docudramas to the Sinhala theatre and with showcasing the talent of Gajaman Nona, the Sinhala poet. His Gajaman Puwatha (1976) was the first Sinhala play to adopt the docudrama style. Another notable play of Gunawardana that is Madhura Javanika (Joyous Scenes). This drama picks up the period of war between kings Rama and Ravana and noteworthy events in the country's history and the influence of the western invaders on Sri Lanka culture with dramatized chronicle of the 'Hingala'(Sinhala) people. It continues even in to modern times, where women seek employment in Dubai as housemaids. In 2007, some of his plays were restaged in an attempt to raise funds for reviving public interest about his works.
Institutions served
Training & Scholarship
Theater
Films
Bakmaha Deege– 1969 (Following the Bakmaha Akunu Drama)
Performed films
Kurulu Bedda
Ran Salu
Wesathuru Siritha
