Vasanthi Chathurani

Vasanthi Chathurani
වසන්ති චතුරානි
Born
Vasantha Doreen Peterson

(1959-10-18) 18 October 1959 (age 65)
Gampaha, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationHoly Cross Convent
Alma materHoly Cross College Gampaha
Occupation(s)Actress, Producer
Years active1978–present
SpouseKumarasiri Gunawardhana
ChildrenKavinda Gunawardhana
Parents
  • Stanley Peterson (father)
  • Lilavathi Peterson (mother)
AwardsBest Actress

Vasantha Doreen Peterson (born 18 October 1959: Sinhala: වසන්ති චතුරානි), popularly as Vasanthi Chathurani, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. An extremely natural actress, Vasanthi Chathurani is one of the most successful personalities on Sri Lanka's silver and small screen.[1] At the age 16, she made her debut as a teenager in Sumitra Peiris's Gehenu Lamai.

Personal life

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She was born on 18 October 1959 in Bandarawatta, Gampaha, Sri Lanka. Her father Stanley Peterson, served in the Army, and her mother Lilavathi Peterson, died when she was a child. She had one older sister, Vinita Helen. Both of them grew up in the house of her grandmother, Maggie Nona and grandfather, K.K. Albert. She completed education from Holy Cross Convent, Gampaha.[2]

At the age of 20, she married the businessman Kumarasiri Gunawardhana on October 18, 1981 by an arbitrary decision. They have one son named Kavinda Asanga Gunawardena, a graphic designer. Her husband died suddenly on February 10, 1992, when Vasanthi was 33 years old.[3]

Career

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Chathurani was a school girl when director Sumitra Peiris chose her for a lead role in Gehenu Lamai in 1978.[4] Her most acclaimed role in the silver screen was that of 'Nirmala', a mentally-ill girl in the blockbuster Ganga Addara opposite late Vijaya Kumaratunga in 1980. She was mere nineteen-year-old at that time. I 1981, she was awarded Best Actress for her performance in this film, at the Sarasaviya Awards Festival and Presidential Awards.[3]

She won the Sumathi Most Popular Actress Award in 1997 and the Sumathi Best Teledrama Actress Award in 1998, 2002 and 2009. Her career came to a temporary halt, when she got married in 1979, but was once again welcomed by her fans with her performance in Adara Hasuna. Some of her other successful films include Gehenu Lamai, Duwata Mawaka Misa and Sudu Sevanali. Vasanthi played dramatic roles in the films Amal Biso, Siribo Aiya, Hansa Vilak and Bththi Hathara. In 2003, she starred in the Lester James Peiris drama film Wekande Walauwa which received critic acclaim.[3]

Chathurani also made her mark as a teledrama actress, in shows such as Māyā Mandira, Iṭipahan, Chala Achala, Durgānthaya, Giraya, Hingana Kollā, Kadulla, Gajaman Nōnā and Kulavamiya.[3] Chathurani recently got into teledrama productions, financing successful teledramas such as Aga Pipi Mal, Sedona and Ranga Soba. All three of them were directed by Premakumara Jayawardene and written by Sumitra Rahubadde. She has acted many genre television serials in Sri Lanka.[5]

Selected TV serials

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  • Aga Pipi Mal
  • Dahas Gawdura[6]
  • Denuwara Manike [7]
  • Dhawala Kadulla [8]
  • Diya Matha Ruwa [9]
  • Durganthaya
  • Gajaman Nona.[10]
  • Giraya
  • Idorayaka Mal Pipila[11]
  • Ilandariyo [12]
  • Ira Handa Payana Lokaya
  • Itipahan
  • Kadulla
  • Kulawamiya[13]
  • Mano Mandira
  • Pem Piyawara[14]
  • Ranga Madala Samu Gani[15]
  • Ranga Soba [16]
  • Sedona [17]
  • Senehase Geethaya [18]
  • Senehase Nimnaya [19]
  • Ulamage Rathriya[20]
  • Uththamavi[21]
  • Walakulu [22]
  • Yaddehi Gedara[23]
  • Yaso Mandira [24]

Filmography

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Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Film Role Ref.
1978 Gehenu Lamai Kusum Liyanage [25]
1978 Ahasin Polowata Pushpa's sister
1979 Amal Biso
1979 Chuda Manikya Vajira
1980 Siribo Ayya Biso
1980 Parithyaga Rohini
1980 Ganga Addara Nirmala Atapattu
1980 Para Dige Madhu
1980 Hewanali Ada Minissu Piyawathi
1980 Hansa Vilak Samanthi Weerasinghe [26]
1981 Samawenna Nimalka 'Nimmi'
1982 Ayachana Sarojini
1982 Biththi Hathara Mallika
1984 Kakille Rajjuruwo Daughter
1986 Dinuma Sujatha Senarath
1986 Aadara Hasuna
1987 Mangala Thegga Thilina
1988 Satana
1990 Saharawe Sihinaya
1990 Madhu Sihina Madhu
1990 Himagiri Menaka Abeydheera
1990 Wana Bambara
1990 Awaragira Vasantha
1991 Uthura Dakuna Sarojani
1991 Raja Sellan
1992 Sinha Raja
1992 Kiyala Wadak Na Kushari
1992 Kula Geya Suchithra
1992 Sargant Nallathambi Kalawathi
1993 Sasara Sarisarana Thek Oba Mage
1994 Ambu Samiyo Subhadra
1994 Dhawala Pushpaya Soba
1995 Awaragira Wasantha
1996 Raththaran Malli
1996 Thunweni Ahe
1997 Duwata Mawaka Misa
1997 Punaruthpaththiya
1997 Visidela Police Inspector's Daughter [27]
1998 Julietge Bhumikawa Saroja
1999 Bahu Bharya Navoda [28]
2001 Kinihiriya Mal Renuka [29]
2001 Poronduwa Pooja [30]
2002 Sansara Prarthana
2002 Sudu Sewaneli Podi Menika
2003 Wekande Walauwa Sita
2003 Sakman Maluwa
2004 Sumedha Sumedha [31]
2007 Yahaluvo Burgher music teacher. Also as playback singer
2011 Challenges Ranuk's mother
2018 Vaishnavee Laxmi's mother
2019 Sangile Lady monk
TBA Kondadeniye Hamuduruwo † [32]
TBA Gunananda Himi Migettuwatte †

Awards

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Sarasaviya Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1980 Ganga Addara Best Actress Won

Sumathi Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1997 People's Vote Most Popular Actress Won
1998 Durganthaya Best Actress Won
2002 Kulawamiya Best Actress Won
2006 Aga Pipi Mal Best Actress Won

Raigam Tele'es

[edit]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 Sedona Best Actress Won
2006 Aga Pipi Mal Best Actress Won

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Vasanthi - Reaching Even Greater Heights". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  2. ^ "What's in a name?". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  3. ^ a b c d "She gave life to 'Kusum' born in Jayalath's heart - Vasanthi Chathurani". Silumina. Archived from the original on 2021-06-05. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  4. ^ "සදා මේ සංසාරේ අපේ හමුවීම නොවේ: ගැහැනු ළමයි". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 2021-01-24. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  5. ^ "Tale of Vasanthi Chathurani". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  6. ^ "'Dahas Gawdura': a formulaic telefilm". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Denuwara Manike". paradisaya. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  8. ^ "'Dhawala Kadulla' captures dramatic era of history". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  9. ^ "'Diya Matha Ruwa' now on the go". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  10. ^ "The story of Gajaman Nona". Sunday times. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  11. ^ "'Idorayaka Mal Pipila': A tragic story". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Four youngsters come to Siyatha TV with Ilandariyo". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  13. ^ "'Kulawamiya' relates a story of nobility". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  14. ^ "'Pem-Piya-Wara': Depicts a father". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  15. ^ "'Rangamadala Samugani': Ranwala's last act". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  16. ^ "'Ranga Soba' depicts the life of an actress". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  17. ^ "'Sedona' : Wasanthi in a dual role". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  18. ^ "'Senehase Geethaya': Courage of a woman". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  19. ^ "'Senehase Nimnaya': Tale of an adopted son". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  20. ^ "'Ulamage Rathriya' reveals the country's past". Sunday times. Archived from the original on 25 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  21. ^ "'Uththamavi': Travails of a village damsel". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  22. ^ "'Walakulu' make a move on Rupavahini". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  23. ^ "'Yaddehi Gedara' shows how a walawwa falls". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  24. ^ "'Yaso Mandira': The tale of a mother's courage..." Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  25. ^ "Lester-Sumithra cinema on mini-screen". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  26. ^ "All about "Hansa Vilak"". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  27. ^ "බිඳුණා දැහැන් බිඳුණා වීසි දැල". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  28. ^ ""Bahu Bhariya" cleared for adults". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  29. ^ "Kinihiriya Mal - කිනිහිරියා මල්". Sinhala Cinema Database. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  30. ^ "'Poronduwa':Ratnam on correct track again". Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  31. ^ "'Sumedha' to go on screen". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  32. ^ "Siritunga gives life to Kondadeniye Hamuduruwo". Daily News. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
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