David Sydney Loku Palihakkara, popularly as Shesha Palihakkara, was a Sri Lankan dancer, film actor, and producer.
16 Facts About Shesha Palihakkara
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Shesha Palihakkara achieved critical recognition with a starring role in Lester James Peries' masterpiece Rekava and as producer of Getawarayo, Saravita and Ranmuthu Duwa.
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Shesha Palihakkara attended the St Benedict's College, Colombo in Kotahena and St Joseph's College in Colombo.
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At the age of 14, Shesha Palihakkara witnessed the Sinhala dancer Chitrasena perform in the Vidura ballet and was inspired to be a dancer.
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Shesha Palihakkara left school without getting his Senior School Certificate in his late teens, and went to India to train at Shanthi Nikethan.
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Shesha Palihakkara stayed at the school for two years focusing on dance along with painting and sculpting.
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Shesha Palihakkara then enrolled at the Institute of Kala Kshethra in South India majoring in dance.
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Shesha Palihakkara left for England in 1949 to join the Indian dancer Ramgopal's travelling ballet troupe, which performed in various venues in Europe.
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On his return to Sri Lanka, Shesha Palihakkara was asked to choreograph movies like Ahankara Isthri and Puduma Leli.
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Shesha Palihakkara got his first starring role in Matalang and travelled to Madras, India to film the movie in 1953.
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Shesha Palihakkara played a cruel king and his rogue bandit son; the film was a huge success and made Shesha Palihakkara a heart throb in Sri Lanka.
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Shesha Palihakkara next appeared in Rekava as an astrologer and stilt walker.
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In 1954, Shesha Palihakkara worked in the makeup department of the United States film Bridge on the River Kwai which was filmed in Sri Lanka.
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Shesha Palihakkara abandoned his film career after Saravita and pursued business in the plantation industry.
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Shesha Palihakkara returned to film in the 2000s with a role in Chandran Ratnam's production Romeo and Juliet written and directed by Rob Nevis.
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In 2007, Shesha Palihakkara was honored with a Ranathisara award at the Sarasaviya Festival for his contributions to cinema.