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Denipitiya Vithanage Sumana Amarasinghe (Sinhala: සුමනා අමරසිංහ; 21 February 1948 – 5 June 2022)[2][3] was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television.[4] Highly versatile actress from drama to comedy, she is usually known as the Sweet girl in Sinhala cinema. Apart from acting, she also worked as an assistant director, production manager, costume designer as well as a producer.[5] She was also the only actress to contribute to the production, singing, co-directing and co-editing of Sri Lankan cinema.[6]

Sumana Amarasinghe සුමනා අමරසිංහ
Born	Denipitiya Vithanage Sumana Amarasinghe 21 February 1948 Kandy, Ceylon
Died	5 June 2022(2022-06-05) (aged 74) Colombo, Sri Lanka
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Education	Mount Lavinia Buddhist Girls' College
Occupation	Actress, film producer, assistant editor
Years active	1975–2022
Spouse	Roy de Silva (1975–2018)[1]

Personal life

Sumana was born on 21 February 1948 in Ranawana, Katugastota, Kandy, Sri Lanka, as the second child in a family with six siblings. Her father worked in the Inland Revenue Department. Since her family could not stay in Kandy, they came to Colombo and stayed in a rented house in Mt. Lavinia. She first went to the Mount Lavinia Buddhist Girls' College and later to Kalubowila Buddhaghosha Maha Vidyalaya. She has one sister and four brothers.[7]

Amarasinghe was married to Roy de Silva, who was also a renowned actor and director. She met de Silva during the 1969 film Hathara Peraliya. The wedding was celebrated on 30 August 1975.[8] The couple had two children.[9][10][11] De Silva died on 30 June 2018 while treated for a heart attack at Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital. His remains were buried on 2 July 2018 at Borella Cemetery.[12]

In 2014, Amarasinghe was admitted to the hospital due to sudden illness. During her tour to India for a film, she is known to have had a drink which contained a poison. It has affected her liver as well as her heart. At one point her heart even stopped. This germ has not entered her brain and she recovered slowly.[13] She worked at her own beauty shop, Salon Sumana.[14] As a livelihood, she ran 'Salon Sumana' beauty salons in all three cities, Moratuwa, Thalahena and Rajagiriya. Then all this had to be closed due to she could not stay in the salon and a lot of problems arose. All three salons closed during Roy's lifetime.[15]

Amarasinghe died on 5 June 2022 at the age of 74 while receiving treatment at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital due to a sudden illness.[16]

Acting career

She contested the beauty pageant "Lassana Muhuna", while she was in school times and won the title. Then she acted in the film Hathara Peraliya directed by L.M. Perera. Her maiden cinematic experience came through 1967 film Pipena Kumudu, directed by Ruby de Mel.[17] Her father allowed Sumana to go only for that movie due to Ruby de Mel. However, she lied to her father and later played a lot of other movies such as Rena Giraw, Dahasak Sithuvili, Samanala Kumariyo and Hathara Peraliya.[7]

In addition to acting, she was involved in the beauty industry, where she learned beauty courses in India, Singapore, Canada in 1980.[18] Her first major breakthrough came through 1975 film Sukiri Kella, which earned her nickname "Sweet girl in Sinhala cinema".[19]

She acted in a few films with her real husband, which made a cult in Sinhala cinema. Then she joined Tissa Wijesurendra in many popular films screened for more than 100 days which include Sudu Paraviyo and Sithaka Suwanda.[19] In 1982, she acted in Kadawunu Poronduwa remake, where she acted the role previously acted by Rukmani Devi.[19] Even though she started film career with dramatic roles, she turned to comedy roles in later stages particularly through films directed by her husband. Some of her popular films are Binaramalee, Sunethra, Jonsun and Gonsun and Re Daniel Dawal Migel trilogy.[20]

After the July 1983 riots, many producers left the film industry, however Sumana contributed to the production of films such as Tom Pachayā, Thaṇa Giravi, Sudu Piruvaṭa and Jonsan hā Gonsan. In addition, she has been a Production Executive, Line Producer, Local Coordinator, Singer, Editor, Assistant, Hairstylist and Costume Designer. She excelled in her artistic career and was one of the pioneers in founding the corporation "Hela Nalu Nili Coalition" in 1969 and fought for the establishment of a state corporation for the film industry for the manifesto of Sirimavo Bandaranaike's policies in the 1970 general election.[21]

Filmography

As actress

Year	Film	Role	Ref.
1967	Pipena Kumudu
1967	Rena Giraw	Dissa's sister	[22]
1968	Dahasak Sithuvili	Sagara's office receptionist	[23]
1969	Hathara Peraliya
1969	Binaramalee	Sobani	[24]
1970	Sumudu Bharya
1970	Den Mathakada	Somawathie	[25]
1971	Samanala Kumariyo Samaga Api Kawadath Soorayo
1972	Singappuru Chali
1972	Hathara Wate
1972	Me Desa Kumatada	Mala
1972	Lokuma Hinawa	Renuka
1973	Suhada Pathuma		[26]
1973	Sinawai Inawai
1973	Sunethra	Sunethra
1974	Duleeka	Mano	[27]
1974	Sheela	Anula Karunaratne
1975	Mage Nangi Shyama
1975	Sukiri Kella	Geetha / Sujee Gunathilake
1975	Obai Mamai	Samanthie 'Saman' Jayasinghe
1975	Ranwan Reka
1975	Sadhana
1975	Hadawathaka Wasanthaya
1976	Mangala
1976	Ran Thilaka
1977	Pom Pachaya	Kalyani
1977	Sudu Paraviyo	Kumari
1977	Niwena Ginna
1977	Honda Hitha
1977	Neela
1978	Sithaka Suwanda	Surekha Samson
1978	Mage Ran Putha
1978	Geethanjali
1979	Nuwan Renu	Amitha
1979	Samanmalee	Nithinda's wife
1979	Anusha	Asha
1980	Jodu Walalu	Sumana
1980	Silva
1981	Hondama Naluwa
1981	Ajasaththa	Kosala Devi
1981	Bamba Ketu Hati	Menika's Akka
1982	Mihidum Sihina	Rajini
1982	Pethi Gomara	Purnika
1982	Kadawunu Poronduwa	Ranjani Jayasena
1982	Rahasak Nathi Rahasak
1982	Thana Giravi	Nayana Kulasekara / Daisy
1983	Sumithuro
1984	Hadawathaka Wedana
1984	Birinda
1984	Hitha Honda Kollek
1985	Sudu Mama
1985	Aya Waradida Oba Kiyanna
1987	Thaththi Man Adarei
1987	Ahinsa	Indu
1988	Gedara Budun Amma	Menike
1988	Angulimala
1989	Okkoma Rajawaru
1990	Christhu Charithaya	Herodias	[28]
1990	Hitha Honda Puthek	Manike
1990	Madhu Sihina
1991	Cheriyo Doctor	Nayana Randenigala
1992	Rumathiyai Neethiyai	Lawyer
1992	Sathya
1992	Okkoma Kanapita
1993	Sasara Serisaranathek Oba Mage
1993	Mawila Penewi Roope
1994	Sudu Piruvata	Sujatha Ediriweera
1994	Love 94	Mrs. Wickramasinghe
1994	Nohadan Kumariye
1995	Cheriyo Captain	Teena	[29]
1996	Cheriyo Darling	Madam	[30]
1997	Ramba Saha Madhu
1998	Re Daniel Dawal Migel	Mrs. Kulawansha	[31]
2000	Sansara Prarthana
2000	Re Daniel Dawal Migel 2	Mrs. Kulawansha	[32]
2001	Jonsun and Gonsun	Mrs. Ranasinghe	[33]
2002	Love 2002
2004	Clean Out		[34]
2004	Ra Daniel Dawal Migel 3		[35]
2004	Selamuthu Pinna		[36]
2007	Mr Dana Rina		[37]
2007	Hai Master	Piyambika
2009	Sir Last Chance		[38]
2011	It's a Matter of Love		[39]

As producer

Year	Film
1982	Kadawunu Poronduwa
1977	Tom Pachaya
1982	Thana Giravi
1994	Sudu Piruvata
1996	Cheriyo Darling
2011	It's a Matter of Love

Awards

Sarasaviya Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1970	Binaramalee	Merit Award	Won

Signis OCIC Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2018	Contribution to the cinema	International Felicitation Award[40]	Won

Sumathi Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2019	Contribution to the cinema	U.W. Sumathipala Awards[41]	Won

References

External links

• Sumana Amarasinghe on Sinhala Cinema Database
• රිදී තිරයේදී ගාමිණීට මගහැරුණු සුමනා

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