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Amarasiri Kalansuriya, (born 20 September 1940: Sinhala: අමරසිරි කලංසූරිය), popularly known as Kalan, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television.[1] Kalansuriya made his first film appearance alongside Vijaya Kumaratunga in Hanthana Kathawa. His next film Ahas Gauwa won him a best actor award in 1974.[2] He was born in Kandy, and is an alumnus of Dharmaraja College.

Amarasiri Kalansuriya අමරසිරි කලංසූරිය
Born	(1940-09-20) September 20, 1940 (age 82) Kandy, British Ceylon
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Other names	Kalan
Education	St. Christopher's College Dharmaraja College
Occupation	Actor, producer, businessman
Years active	1969–present
Spouse	Ajantha Thalatha Kumari Ekanayaka (m. 1972)
Children	3
Parents	Francis Appuhami (father) Bengamuwa Arachchige Podi Hamine (mother)
Awards	Best Supporting Actor in Presidential Award (1986) Best actor award (1974)

Personal life and early life

Kalansuriya was born on 20 September 1940 in village called Meepawala, Sri Lanka as the second child of the family. His father Kalansuriya Francis Appuhami was a farmer. His mother Bengamuwa Arachchige Podi Hamine was a housewife. Kalansuriya started his school career with Kiribathkumbura Sri Swarnajothi School and then attended to Dharmaraja College in Kandy. When studying at Dharmaraja, he was a talented athlete who set the school record for 800m in athletics. He finished second in intercollegiate sports as well as got school colors for boxing.[3]

He has one elder brother, Nissanka and two brothers: Padmasena and Ariyapala. His mother died after blocking fish bone in throat. After a while, his father married second time, Karunawathie. She took good care of Kalan and his brothers like her own children. After she had three children, Kalan and older brother thought to live alone. Later they were kicked out in public for not paying house rent. Then the brothers lived by making a discarded cart as a temporary home. Once stones were quarried on the Maiyangana side and Kalan was worked as rice wrapper at the Leon Cafe restaurant in Kandy.[3]

He worked in the Agricultural Department in Mahiyanganaya as a minor worker. At the age of 18 he served as a soldier in the Second Volunteer Lions Regiment for six years. In 1966 he worked at Mallika Studio in Kandy.[4] He started a business in Kandy in 1970, a sale of old bells. Profiting from this, he started a small sewing company called 'My In' in Kandy. Successful he moved up into tailoring and owned two tailor shops. Here he got the chance to make clothes for the army and rub shoulders with rising political figures like Lalith Athulathmudali.[2]

He is married to Ajantha Thalatha Kumari Ekanayake, while doing his "My In" clothing store. She was educated at Gampola Convent and Pushpadana College, Peradeniya. They married on 18 December 1972, where the couple has a son and two daughters.[5] Eldest son Duminda is a businessman and married to Janaki Wijesekara. Two daughters are Madhumathi Kumari who is married to Dr. Dhammika Sedara. The youngest daughter, Vindhya, is employed by Sri Lankan Airlines.[3]

Acting career

Kalansuriya was chosen as the lead actor for an 8mm film Reyath Dawalath directed by a young man who was a member of the Photographic Society, a student of Kingswood College. Anoma Wattaladeniya played the lead role in this film who later married director Ranjith Perera. She was also a TV presenter. Then on Dharmasena Pathiraja's recommendation, he got the opportunity to act as a university student in the romantic film Hanthane Kathawa directed by Sugathapala Senarath Yapa. He also acted in various roles in Pathiraja's' Ahas Gawwa, Lester James Peiris' Akkara Paha and Ranjith Lal's Nimwalalla as a talented actor.[3]

Kalansuriya accepted an invitation from H. D. Premaratne to star in the film Apeksha in 1978. His second film after the hiatus, Parithyagaya, won him more awards from OCIC and Sarasaviya.[2] He won Best Supporting Actor for Puja in Presidential Award in 1986. Some of the other notable films include: Tharangā, Bambaru Avith, Apēkṣhā, Anūpamā, Poḍi Mallī, Kānchanā, Parityāgaya, Sinhabāhu, Vajirā, Sakvithi Suvaya, Yasa Isuru, Doringē Sayanaya, Poojā, Poḍi Wijē, Ahas Māḷigā and Sāgarayak Mæda. He won the Critics' Award for his performance in Ahas Gawwa in 1974. He won the Sarasaviya Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1982 and Sarasaviya and Presidential Awards for Best Supporting Actor in 1986 for the film Pooja.[3]

Kalanasuriya had a leading role in the first television serial made in Sri Lanka, Dimuthu Muthu directed by D. B. Nihalsinghe. As a theatre actor, he produced and acted in the play Podi Vijay.[3] After another hiatus, Kalansuriya returned to film with Shilpa Denumena in 2001 directed by Rodney Widanapathirana[2] [6]

Sujith Lakmal Weerasekera had written an autobiography in 2015 titled Duka Dinū Diviyaka Amaraṇīya Sæmarum Kalan ('Immortal Celebrations of a Life of Sorrow').[3]

Filmography

Year	Film	Role
1969	Reyath Dawalath
1969	Hanthane Kathawa	[7]
1970	Akkara Paha	Gunapala [8]
1970	Nim Walalla
1974	Ahas Gauwa
1975	Tharanga
1978	Apeksha	Nimal [9]
1978	Anupama	Ranji [10]
1978	Bambaru Avith	Sanath
1979	Podi Malli	Berty
1980	Kanchana	Lal
1980	Parithyagaya	Dhanaprema
1980	Sinhabahu	Sinhabahu
1981	Vajira	Nimal
1981	Sagarayak Meda
1982	Pradeepaa
1982	Yasa Isuru	Suranga [11]
1982	Sakvithi Suvaya
1983	Samanala Sihina
1984	Welle Thenu Maliga
1985	Rajina
1985	Doringe Sayanaya
1986	Puja
1986	Mal Varusa	Deesal
1987	Podi Vijey
1990	Pem Raja Dahana	Sargent Jayathilaka
1991	Dolosmahe Pahana
1994	150 Mulleriyawa
1994	Ambu Samiyo
1994	Ahas Maliga
2004	Diya Yata Gindara	Jayakody [12]
2009	Rosa Mal Sayanaya
2014	Que Sera
2017	Hima Tharaka
TBD	Kumaru Chaththa Manawaka	[13][14]
TBD	Megha	[15]

References

External links

• Amarasiri Kalansuriya's Biography in Sinhala Cinema Database
• පීඩිත පන්තියේ තරුණයා සිනමාවෙන් මැවූ නළුවා
• 78 යි තාම තරුණයි - කලං
• Rodney reaches a ‘Ridi Tharaka’

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