{"id":60671,"date":"2018-09-16T21:36:30","date_gmt":"2018-09-17T01:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=60671"},"modified":"2018-09-17T01:58:26","modified_gmt":"2018-09-17T05:58:26","slug":"tony-ranasinghe-was-not-the-conventional-sinhala-hero-but-a-new-kind-of-modern-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=60671","title":{"rendered":"Tony Ranasinghe Was Not The Conventional Sinhala Hero But a New Kind of Modern Hero."},"content":{"rendered":"

By
\nD.B.S.Jeyaraj<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony de Silva, known to the world at large by his stage cum screen name Tony Ranasinghe, was one of Sri Lankan cinema’s handsomest and most lovable actors. He excelled in playing both lead and character roles.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This column focused last week on Tony Ranasinge’s dynamic duality as a lead and character actor and also briefly outlined the preliminary steps of his passionate quest in pursuit of the goal of becoming an actor. In this week’s article \u2018Spotlight\u2019 intends beaming more light on Tony Ranasinghe’s cinematic journey as an artistically-acclaimed popular actor.
\n
\nLet me however commence on a personal note first. Although I write in detail about Tony Ranasinghe, I have had no close personal relations with him. I met him in person only once when I was working for \u2018The Island\u2019. I accompanied our writer on film matters, Bede Claudius Perera (B.C. Perera), when he interviewed Tony.It was BC\u2019s interview and I was for the most part a silent listener. Tony however was friendly and amiable and exuded charm. I have also engaged in several conversations with Tony\u2019s brother Ralex Ranasinghe, thanks to my friend Ajith Samaranayake who took me along with him for such meetings. We talked a lot then about Tony and his film career.<\/p>\n

As an ardent aficionado of Sinhala films I have seen and savoured many of Tony Ranasinghe\u2019s films with delight. My all-time favourite Sinhala film hero was and will be Gamini Fonseka forever. However, this fondness for Fonseka has not prevented me from enjoying performances by others such as D.R. Nanayakkara, Joe, Tony, Wickrama, Vijaya, Ravindra, Sanath, Dharmasiri and Kamal. I have seen many of Tony Ranasinghe\u2019s films over the years and also read many articles about him and interviews given by him. This to some extent has given me an insight into the life and times of Tony Ranasinghe.Hence I write about the great thespian.<\/p>\n

Four Great Male Actors<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sinhala cinema began moving away from Indian \u201cmasala\u201d influence and started coming into its own in the sixties and seventies of the last century. Four great male actors made their mark in that golden phase of Sinhala moviedom. They were, in alphabetical order \u2013 Joe Abeywickrama, Gamini Fonseka, Vijaya Kumaratunga and Tony Ranasinghe. Alas! All four famous film actors are no more now.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The first to depart was the youngest of them all, Vijaya Kumaratunga, who was born in 1945. His life was brutally snatched away in 1988. Vijaya who had begun engaging effectively in politics was assassinated. Gamini Fonseka, born in 1936, passed away in his sleep in 2004. Veteran Joe Abeywickrama, who was born in 1927, died seven years ago in 2011. The last of the legendary four \u2013 Tony Ranasinghe \u2013 bade farewell to his numerous fans on 16 June 2015. He was born on 31 July 1937.<\/p>\n

Tony Ranasinghe who went by the name of Anthony de Silva during childhood and early years of his adult life was affectionately called Anton and Anta by family and friends in those days. After being persuaded by his brother Ralex Ranasinghe and convinced by the dramatist Sugathapala de Silva to change his name to Ranasinghe from De Silva, the “re-christened” actor opted for Tony instead of Anthony to be his full name. This was due to his admiration for the Hollywood actor Tony Curtis whose films like \u2018Sweet Smell of Success,\u2019 \u2018The Vikings,\u2019 \u2018The Defiant Ones,\u2019 \u2018Some Like it Hot,\u2019 \u2018The Rat Race,\u2019 \u2018Taras Bulba\u2019 and \u2018Spartacus\u2019 had enthralled many movie goers in all parts of the world.<\/p>\n

Tony’s brother Ralex who was then in the advertising world tried very hard to promote his brother as an actor. Ralex was a very good photographer. Ralex Ranasinghe photographed his brother in many poses and from different angles. He made him dress up and pose like Indian actor Dilip Kumar and Hollywood stars Gregory Peck and Humphrey Bogart and compiled a photo portfolio. This was sent to most prospective film makers but to no avail. Incidentally Tony was an ardent admirer of Dilip Kumar and was greatly influenced by him. In later years Tony translated Dilip’s auto-biography into Sinhala as a labour of love.<\/p>\n

Tony\u2019s Cherished Ambition<\/strong><\/p>\n

But what of Tony Ranasinghe\u2019s cherished ambition to blaze a name for himself on the silver screen? The yearning to act on screen was stirring within him but try as he might, Tony just could not get that lucky break he was hoping for. Apart from his brother Ralex, there was another person who tried hard to boost Tony\u2019s fortunes in this regard. This was none other than Arthur Amarasena, who is frequently referred to as the husband of actress Sriyani Amarasena.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It is certainly true that Arthur is Sriyani\u2019s husband but the man cannot be simply termed as the husband of Sriyani alone. Arthur Amarasena who worked as a journalist at the \u2018Davasa\u2019 and \u2018Riviresa\u2019 also edited the popular cinema weekly \u2018Visithura\u2019. Later he went on to edit other cinema-related periodicals like \u2018Piyakaru,\u2019 \u2018Surathura,\u2019 \u2018Sathdina\u2019 and a literary monthly, \u2018Kalpana\u2019.<\/p>\n

It was Arthur Amarasena who first obtained a chance for Tony in a film to be made by the pioneering Sinhala filmmaker Sirisena Wimalaweera, who had built a movie studio in Sri Lanka. Arthur accompanied Tony for the interview by Wimalaweera at his studio \u2018NawaJeevanaChithragaraya\u2019 in Kiribathgoda. Wimalaweera wearing a sarong and banian was seated on the sole chair in the room. All others including Tony and Arthur had to sit cross-legged on the floor.<\/p>\n

Wimalaweera addressed as “Master” by everyone questioned Tony first. \u201cRangapala thiyenewada?\u201d (Have you acted before?). Tony answered: “Nehe Master”(No Master). Wimalweera master then asked Tony to read out a passage in Sinhala. He did so.Wimalaweera \u201cMaster\u201d found Tony suitable and gave him a piece of advice as to how to recite dialogue.\u201cVayu tharanga anuwa wachana kiyanna\u201d (use the airwaves when reciting your lines), instructed Wimalaweera. Tony took it to heart and began faithfully following it ever since.<\/p>\n

First Break As a Film Actor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tony Ranasinghe got his first break as a film actor in Sirisena Wimalaweera\u2019s \u2018PunchiAmma,\u2019 starring Rani Ratnatunga in the title role. Shooting began and several scenes featuring Tony were shot by Sirisena\u2019s son DayaWimalaweera who was the cinematographer. DayaWimalaweera later became a famous film producer and director. Though Sirisena Wimalaweera had made many films in the past like \u2018Amma,\u2019 \u2018Podi Putha,\u2019 \u2018Saradiel\u2019 and \u2018Asoka,\u2019 he found it difficult to continue with \u2018PunchiAmma\u2019. Sadly for Tony the film was never released because it was never completed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After having aborted \u2018PunchiAmma,\u2019 Sirisena soon began producing another film. He picked the dashing Tony Ranasinghe and an attractive girl, Yvonne Perera, to play the lead roles. Yvonne Perera was later re-christened as Sandhya Kumari by Wimalaweera Master. He chose the name Sandhya because Yvonne had first auditioned for him in the evening. Dialogue scripts were given to both Tony and Sandhya to \u201cdebas kiyawanna\u201d (read the dialogue). Both Tony and Sandhya started preparing themselves for their roles. The film was titled \u2018RodiKella\u2019. Again, Tony was unlucky. \u2018RodiKella\u2019 never got off the ground.<\/p>\n

Though \u2018RodiKella\u2019 was abandoned, Tony and Sandhya acted together in \u2018Senasuma Kothanada?\u2019 released in 1966. This maiden directorial venture of K.A.W. Perera with Gamini Fonseka and JeevaraniKurukulasuriya in the lead roles was a tremendous success. Tony and Sandhya exchanged reminiscences of their short-lived stint with Wimalweera master’s \u2018RodiKella\u2019 during the shooting of KAW’s film. Subsequently Tony and Sandhya went on to earn a name for themselves in Sinhala cinema. The uncrowned monarch of Sinhala cinema, Gamini Fonseka, was to describe Tony as the greatest character actor and Sandhya Kumari as the most beautiful actress to adorn the Sinhala silver screen.<\/p>\n

Saga of Disappointment Continues<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tony Ranasinghe\u2019s saga of disappointment continued. One fine day Tony on his way to work saw an advertisement in the newspapers placed by T. Somesekeran, the Producer-Director of the successful film \u2018SedaSulang\u2019. A lead actor for a Sinhala film was required. Tony went for the interview held at the Bristol building (burnt down in July 1983) dressed in tie-clad office attire. He saw a lengthy queue and panicked. Needing some \u201cDutch courage\u201d Tony dropped in at nearby Colonial Hotel and gulped down a pitcher of stout.<\/p>\n

When he returned to Bristol building Tony found the long queue had disappeared. Standing at the entrance was Somasekeran himself. After a short conversational interview, Tony Ranasinghe was hired on the spot as lead actor by Somasekeran. Tony was ecstatic. The film was \u2018Deepashika\u2019. After some rehearsals there was a change and Kingsley Rajapaksa replaced Somasekeran as Director. Soon there was friction between Kingsley and Tony.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At one stage a heated argument ensued when Tony asked Kingsley for the full script. Kingsley fired Tony, accusing him of \u201cputting parts\u201d. Subsequently \u2018Deepashika\u2019 was released with the Director Kingsley Rajapaksa himself playing the lead role for which Tony had been selected earlier. However, relations between Kingsley and Tony soon improved and the actor was cast by the Director in subsequent films like \u2018SingithiSurathal,\u2019 \u2018Indunila\u2019 and \u2018KalanaMithuro\u2019.Still the long-sought-after opportunity to act in a film remained elusive.<\/p>\n

Lester’s \u2018Gamperaliya\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Upon hearing from his brother Ralex that Lester James Peries was going to film Martin Wickremasinghe\u2019s novel \u2018Gamperaliya\u2019 and was looking out for actors to play the main roles, Tony rushed to see Lester with his friend Arthur Amarasena. The Director however had picked Henry Jayasena, Gamini Fonseka and WickremaBogoda to play the characters Piyal, Jinadasa and Tissa respectively. Lester chided Tony gently, saying the actor should have come to him earlier. Tony returned home dejected.<\/p>\n

Fate however had decreed that Tony Ranasinghe should get his first film break through Lester James Peries in \u2018Gamperaliya\u2019. What happened was that Lester, Sumitra and Gamini Fonseka came to Lumbini to see the play \u2018Boarding Karayo\u2019 at the invitation of Wickrema Bogoda, who was acting in the play and had been selected to act in \u2018Gamperaliya\u2019.<\/p>\n

The play was staged by the \u2018Apey Kattiya\u2019 group of Sugathapala de Silva. Lester was highly impressed by the performance that he thought of casting some of the \u2018Apey Kattiya\u2019 actors for minor roles in his film. Thus Anula Karunathilaka, G.W. Surendra and Tony Ranasinghe were given small roles in \u2018Gamperaliya\u2019. Tony was elated. His cherished desire to act in a film was realised.<\/p>\n

Amunugama\u2019s Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n

UPFA National List MP and Cabinet Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama in an article written about Tony shortly after his death recalled his first-hand experience of seeing Tony act as Baladasa in \u2018Gamperaliya\u2019. Dr. Amunugama wrote thus: “I had the good fortune to accompany Martin Wickremesinghe and Regi Siriwardene to the Maha KappinnaWalauwe in Balapitiya to witness the shooting of a crucial scene for \u2018Gamperaliya,\u2019 namely the wedding of Nanda and her first husband Jinadasa”.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Lester is an unhurried director on set. While his technicians were setting up the shot in the portico of the Walauwe, he had a leisurely breakfast with us and walked over to instruct his actors. Special attention was paid by his crew since this was a \u2018crowd scene\u2019 with a sizeable number of participants including a few \u2018white men\u2019 who mingled with the other guests at the wedding. When Lester called \u2018action\u2019 the couple came down the steps and \u2018pop\u2019 went a big cracker hung on the ceiling and confetti came showering down the couple and onlookers.<\/p>\n

\u201cTony in a grey coat and slicked-down hair was Baladasa when Gamini in an ill-cut black coat and boutonniere greeted him briefly. I remember there were only three \u2018takes\u2019 and the visitors settled down to good food amidst banter by Tony and his cronies Surendra, Bogoda, etc. who had been co-opted by Lester. In the film there is very little of Tony but those few glimpses showed an extremely handsome young man with an enchanting smile.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Tony Ranasinghe got the role of Baladasa and many scenes featuring Tony were shot, several Baladasa sequences were edited out when the final version was completed. Tony was disappointed but not dejected. He had finally made his entry into films as an actor and that too in one of the finest movies made by the greatest director in Sinhala cinema. It was as if all his earlier failures to get into films had been due to divine providence. It was destined that Tony Ranasinghe\u2019s film career should commence with Lester James and SumitraPeries. The cinematic journey of Tony Ranasinghe began with \u2018Gamperaliya\u2019 released on 20 December 1963.<\/p>\n

\u2018Delovak Athara\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tony Ranasinghe’s Baladasa portrayal amounted to a cameo role only in \u2018Gamperaliya\u2019. But maestro Lester James Peries was so impressed by Tony that he decided to cast him in the main role in his 4th feature film \u2018DelovakAthara\u2019 (Between Two Worlds).<\/p>\n

Dr. Sarath Amunugama in writing about this says: “Tony\u2019s role was applauded by the critics and Lester decided to cast him in the lead role in \u2018Delovak Athara,\u2019 with Swineetha Weerasinghe who came from the conventional Sinhala cinema. In this film we are taken to a milieu which Lester instinctively reacted better to due to his own upper middle class upbringing.\u201d<\/p>\n

“This was the film that shot Tony and Swineeetha to fame as very sensitive and creative film actors. Tony was the astonishingly handsome upper class man avoiding responsibility for a serious motor accident. Sweenitha is a typical \u2018Peradeniya graduate\u2019 from a lower social class but with a higher social conscience. She confronts her lover with his cowardice and finally wins him over to do the right thing. Unlike in many other films, with their cast of thousands, in \u2018Delovak Athara\u2019 Lester focuses on the conflict in attitudes between his two protagonists and draws out two splendid performances.\u201d<\/p>\n

The film \u2018DelovakAthara\u2019 made on a Rs. 200,000 budget was released on 24 May 1966. Tony Ranasinghe essayed the role of Nissanka in the movie. Lester James Peries in the book \u2018Lester by Lester\u2019 comprising interviews conducted by Kumar de Silva speaks highly of Tony and also relates an interesting anecdote about him.<\/p>\n

Lester recalls as follows: \u201cI think it (the film) made Tony Ranasinghe into a big star. He was actually a Government servant and working for a long time as a stenographer at the Government Electrical Undertakings Department. Tony was an enormous success in that role. It was not the conventional Sinhala hero but a new kind of a modern hero. He was very good looking at that time. The film made him so popular that a whole lot of offers came his way immediately. He was faced with the dilemma of having to choose between the cinema and his Government job. He was married with two children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony had sought Lester\u2019s advice then. “What am I to do? I can\u2019t do both,\u201d he said. Since he had three offers from film producers immediately after the success of \u2018Delovak Athara\u2019, Lester told him to take the risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake the risk since you have to make a choice. We need actors like you,\u201d he told Tony. Lester goes on to say: “He (Tony) was a new kind of romantic actor and a good one.If you ask him today,I don\u2019t think he has in anyway regretted, although all of us who have taken to cinema have had problems in our own private lives, as well as on the economic welfare front when pursuing a career in films.”<\/p>\n

There is no denying that \u2018Delovak Athara\u2019 launched Tony to instant fame. B.K. Karanjia,the legendary Editor of India’s foremost film journal “FILM FARE “, paid a visit to Sri Lanka known as Ceylon in 1966. Among the films he saw in the island was \u2018Delovak Athara\u2019. Highly impressed by Tony’s performance,Karanjia quipped in an aticle that “his (Tony\u2019s) performance makes one shudder in retrospect at our local breed (Indian actors) of tear-shedding, song-singing, namby-pamby leading lover boys”. In conversation with Lester and Sumitra, Karanjia had queried \u2018why didn\u2019t Tony come to Bombay?”<\/p>\n

A Refreshing Change<\/strong><\/p>\n

The advent of Tony Ranasinghe on the Sri Lankan film scene brought about a refreshing change in Sinhala films.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sarath Amunugama describes this transformation succinctly: “It is noteworthy that Tony\u2019s arrival marked the end of the dominance of South Indian style Sinhala film heroes with their wavy hair, pencil thin moustaches and ill-fitting clothes. Local duplicates of MGR, Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan represented by Stanley Perera, Asoka Ponnamperuma, Ravindra Rupasinghe and PremJayanth were banished to the cinema wilderness and more authentic players like Gamini, Tony and Vijaya became favourites. Occasionally they too were forced to play in South Indian style but they were more comfortable in their own style. If they admired foreign actors they tended to come from Hollywood and Bollywood.”<\/p>\n

DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com<\/font> <\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This article was written for the \u201cSpotlight\u201d Column appearing in the \u201cDaily FT\u201d of September 8th, 2018. It can be accessed here:<\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.ft.lk\/columns\/Tony-Ranasinghe-was-not-the-conventional-Sinhala-hero-but-a-new-kind-of-modern-hero\/4-662422<\/a><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony de Silva, known to the world at large by his stage cum screen name Tony Ranasinghe, was one of Sri Lankan cinema’s handsomest and most lovable actors. He excelled in playing both lead and character roles. This column focused last week on Tony Ranasinge’s dynamic duality as a lead …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘Tony Ranasinghe Was Not The Conventional Sinhala Hero But a New Kind of Modern Hero.’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[27,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60671"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60676,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60671\/revisions\/60676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}