Tissa Wijesurendra

Last updated
Tissa Wijesurendra
Born
Don Bhathiyatissa Wijesurendra

3 April 1949
Panadura, Sri Lanka
Died11 May 2020 (aged 71)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
Education Nalanda College Colombo
Occupation Film Actor
Years active1970 – 2016
SpouseSavithri Dias
Children3

Don Bhathiyatissa Wijesurendra (තිස්ස විජේසුරේන්ද්‍ර 3 April 1949 – 11 May 2020), popularly as Tissa Wijesurendra, was a Sri Lankan actor. [1] One of the most popular actors of the 1970s, Wijesurendra played many dramatic roles in a career spanned for four decades. [2] An innocent lover of Sinhala cinema at one time, Wijesurendra can be described as a symbol of popular cinema. [3]

Contents

Personal life

Wijesurendra was born on 3 April 1949 in Sarikkamulla, Panadura as the eldest of the family. [3] His father was an engineer. He was educated at Nalanda College Colombo. [4] He qualified to become a doctor but became an actor instead. [5]

He was married until his death to Savithri Dias Wijesurendra, a retired teacher who formerly worked at Visakha Vidyalaya. The couple had three daughters. Their daughter Surani has been involved with few television serials and has worked as a TV host. [5] Tissa's younger brother Bandula was a photographer for Sarasavi newspaper for a long time. [3]

Wijesurendra died on 11 May 2020, at the age of 71 while receiving treatments at Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama. [6] [7] [8]

Cinema career

During school times, he stayed at an uncle's house in Bambalapitiya because it was easy to attend tuition classes. That uncle worked at Ceylon Theaters where he was selected for a film. [9] His maiden cinema appearance came through the 1971 film Kalana Mithuro directed by Kingsley Rajapakse. [10] It was a remake of popular Hollywood film Dosthi and the reason to cast Tissa is that he and Sudhir Sawant of Dosthi looks similar. Kingsley Rajapaksa edited the name of "Batiyathissa" to suit the cinema. Tissa was allowed to star in a feature film Nim Walalla in 1970 directed by Ranjith Lal [5] shot by a group of students at Ananda College at the same time. This film was his first screened film. It is the only feature film made by a group of school children. In the film, he was the brother of Swarna Mallawarachchi. [3]

From the films he acted in, the first box office record was made by Tissa and Malani in the film Suhada Pethuma. [9] Since then, Tissa-Malani era shaped the seventies. Since then, he acted in several popular film under the renowned directors: K.A.W. Perera, Amarnath Jayatilleke, Neil Rupasinghe and Chandraratne Mapitigama. After the film Suhada Pethuma, the two stars were lovers in the films Sadhana, Nila and Ran Kurullo, [10] he also played the role as lover to many other film actresses like Geetha Kumarasinghe, Nita Fernando, Jenita Samaraweera in films like Sureka, Neela, Niluka, Sudu Paraviyo, Kalana Mithuro and Lasanda. His best contemporaries in the cinema were Vijaya Kumaranatunga, Gamini Fonseka and Tony Ranasinghe. Geetha Kumarasinghe first made her love affair with Wijesurendra with the film Lassana Kella. He is the only Sri Lankan actor to continue playing the protagonist in all films he acted in since the maiden film. He went on to make box office records in the Sinhala cinema history in seventies. [3]

As the 1980s dawned, Wijesurendra's number of films began to decline. In 1983, he acted in the film Senehasaka Kandulu directed by Hemasiri Sellapperuma, where he and Sonia Disa played Veddah characters. Then he acted a different role in Nelum Vile Saman Malak directed by Chandraratne Mapitigama. [3] He expected an award for this character and it premiered in India as well. However, he did not receive the award and temporarily quit cinema after frustration. [9] In 1993, he played the older role as Sabeetha's father in the film Bambasara Bisaw. [5]

Filmography

YearFilmRoleRef.
1970Nim Walalla
1971Kalana Mithuro
1971PoojithayoMangala
1971Samanala Kumariyo
1973Suhada PethumaChandana [11]
1973Sinawai Inawai
1974Surekha
1974LasandaParakrama Jayawansa
1975Aese Idiripita
1975Pem Kurullo
1975Kohoma KiyannadaJagath
1975Lassana KellaAnura
1975Sadhana
1975Hadawathaka Wasanthaya
1976Haratha Hathara
1976NedeyoRohana
1977Neela
1977Sudu ParaviyoRajesh
1977Niluka
1977Niwena Ginna
1977Honda Hitha
1977Sajaa
1978Sithaka SuwandaMahesh
1978Deepanjali
1978Kumara KumariyoUpul
1979Jeewana KanduluChaminda
1979Ran KurulloRajesh
1979Rosa Mal ThunakJanaka Mihindukula 'Deepal Srinath'
1979AnushaSudath Karunaratne 'Wijesinghe'
1980Api DedenaRavindra
1981JeewanthiJayantha
1982Kiri SuwandaDuncan
1982Sithaara
1982Major Sir
1983Senehasaka KanduluNanduna
1983BonikkaPrageeth Wickremasinghe
1984Hadawathaka Wedana
1986Prarthana
1990Hondin Nathinam Narakin
1990 Christhu Charithaya Simeon [12]
1992Oba Mata WishwasaiVeerabahu
1993Bambasara Bisaw
1993Nelum Saha Samanmali
1993Juriya MamaiDoctor Ratnayake
1996Hitha Honda Nam Waradin Na
1997Ragaye Unusuma
1997Aege Wairaya 2
1997Viyaru Geheniyak
1998Aeye Obata BaraiRobert
2000Premilla
2000 Dadabima
2001Oba Magema Wewa
2008 Hathara Denama Soorayo remake Mr. Samarasinghe
2014 Rupantharana Gilbert
2014 Supiri Andare Shahrukh Khan
TBDAdda Lanuwa Damma Kodiya

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References

  1. ↑ "Actors of Sri Lankan cinema - Tissa Wijesurendra". Sinhala Cinema Database. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  2. ↑ "Tissa Wijesurendra films". IMDb. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The golden age star was extinguished". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Tissa: The yesteryear heartthrob". life.dailymirror.lk. 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Even though technology has improved, cinema has not progressed - Tissa Wijesurendra". Divaina. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "Veteran Sri Lankan actor Tissa Wijesurendra passed away". menafn.com. May 11, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Veteran actor Tissa Wijesurendra passed away". Daily News. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Veteran film actor Tissa Wijesurendra has passed away". Hiru News. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 "Become a doctor and become a box office actor". Aruna. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Tissa Malani era shaped the seventies". Resa. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  11. ↑ "All about Suhada Pathuma". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "All about Kristhu Charithaya". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
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