1. Deshabandu Tony Ranasinghe was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television.
23 Facts About Tony Ranasinghe
1. 2.
Tony Ranasinghe acted in 115 films, in 43 of which he was the leading actor and in 72 of which he played a supporting role.
3.
Tony Ranasinghe contributed as a script writer in two films.
4.
Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony Silva, who later became popular as Tony Ranasinghe, was born July 31,1937, in Modara to Emmanuel Cyril and Lilian Fernando as the second of the family.
5.
Tony Ranasinghe had 8 siblings in the family - The eldest is the Ralex.
6.
Tony Ranasinghe studied at St Anthony's College, Wattala, and De LaSalle College, Modera.
7.
Tony Ranasinghe's father worked as a Technical Officer in the Department of Posts and Telecommunications.
8.
Tony Ranasinghe joined de la Salle College, Modera in 1948 to study English.
9.
Tony Ranasinghe was a cricket fan during school times and used to collected photographs of Don Bradman.
10.
Tony Ranasinghe started his career as an English stenographer and quit from the job after few months.
11.
Tony Ranasinghe was married to longtime partner Sirima Indrani Wickramasuriya.
12.
Tony Ranasinghe died on 16 June 2015 at a public hospital in Colombo at the age of 77.
13.
Tony Ranasinghe began his career in theater with a role in Dharmasiri Wickramaratne's Ran Thodu in 1963, which won him the Governor General's Award for Best Stage Actor.
14.
Tony Ranasinghe made his film debut with Lester James Peries' Gamperaliya and followed it with Ran Salu with a different villain role in the film.
15.
Tony Ranasinghe worked with Peries again on Delovak Athara, in which he had the starring role.
16.
Tony Ranasinghe continued to play many main protagonist role in several critically acclaimed blockbuster movies such as Parasathu Mal, Baddegama, Hulawali, Duhulu Malak, Hanthane Kathawa, Pawuru Walalu and Le Kiri Kandulu.
17.
Tony Ranasinghe acted in the plays Bodimkarayo, Thattu Gewal, Waguru Bima, Virupi Muhuna, Harima Badu Hayak, Julius Caesar and Veniciye Velenda.
18.
Tony Ranasinghe acted in few television serials such as Awarjana, Suwanda Kekulu, Raigam Yaluwo, Ekata Getuma, Hathe Wasama, Manokaya, Soorya Vinsathi and Kadamuna.
19.
Tony Ranasinghe worked as the producer of stage plays Julius Caesar, Balawa Nawaka Aruma and Dolosweni Rathriya.
20.
Tony Ranasinghe wrote the books Jogi Hamarai, Hemadama Oba Mage and Mata Kawuruth Adare Na.
21.
Tony Ranasinghe was awarded the Best Supporting Actor Sarasaviya Award in 1966 for his role in Parasathu Mal.
22.
Tony Ranasinghe has dabbled in screenplay writing, winning Sarasaviya Awards for Koti Waligaya, Keli Mandala, Awaragira and Pavuru Walalu.
23.
Tony Ranasinghe was honoured with the Deshabandu award, third highest national honour awarded in Sri Lanka in 1988.