Trelicia Abeykoon (born 14 October 1934 – died 26 April 1999 as ට්රිලිෂියා ගුණවර්ධන)), popularly as Trelicia or Trilicia Gunawardena, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television as well as a singer.[1][2] She is best known for the critically acclaimed roles in films Gamperaliya, Nidhanaya, Kaliyagaya and Beddegama.[3]
Trilicia Gunawardena ට්රිලිෂියා ගුණවර්ධන | |
|---|---|
| Born | Trelicia Abeykoon 14 October 1934 Kolonnawa, Sri Lanka |
| Died | April 26, 1999 (aged 64) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Education | St. Anthony's Balika Vidyalaya, Dematagoda Musaeus College |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, Singer, Dramatist |
| Years active | 1939–1999 |
| Spouse | Prof. A.J. Gunawardena |
Personal life edit
She was born on 14 October 1934 at Kolonnawa, Sri Lanka. She completed school education from St. Anthony's Balika Vidyalaya, Dematagoda and Musaeus College, Colombo.[4] Then she graduated with an honors degree from University of Peradeniya and worked as a teacher at Ananda Shasthralaya, Kotte. She also worked as a lecturer in the Aesthetic department at Peradeniya University as well as University of Kelaniya.[4] She also worked as an English Instructor at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts.[1]
She was married to Prof. A. J. Gunawardena, an English art critic and lecturer in the English Department at the then Vidyalankara University (Kelaniya University).[5] He also worked as a screenwriter for the films Kaliyugaya and Baddegama.[1]
She died on 26 April 1999 at the age of 64. Her body was cremated at General Cemetery, Borella.[1]
Career edit
Her drama career started with U.A.S Perera's Lama Pitiya program in Radio Ceylon. She sang the song Surathal Nangiye with U.A.S Perera and W. A. Wijepala in 1939.[6] Then in 1956, Gunawardena entered to stage drama with the main role as the first queen in play Maname by Ediriweera Sarachchandra.[7][8] She starred in Prof. Sarachchandra's Hasthikantha Manthare, Dayananda Gunawardena's Naribana and Mahagama Sekera's Kundalakeshi.[1]
Her maiden cinematic experience came through 1963 blockbuster movie Gamperaliya directed by award winning filmmaker Lester James Peries.[9] Later she appeared in several critics acclaimed films such as Mado Doova, Baddegama, Nidhanaya, Gehenu Lamai, Nomiyena Minisun, Tharanaya and Loku Duwa. Among them, her role of 'Anula' in the film Kaliyugaya, was called by film critics as her greatest role. In 1984, she won the Sarasaviya Award for Best Supporting Actress, and later won the Presidential Award for the role. She was also awarded the Certificate of Live Cinematic Merit at the OICC Honors Ceremony.[1]
She also starred in several teledramas including her role as 'Lucy Hami' in the drama Giraya was highly praised by the critics.[10] The teledrama, which aired on television for 10 consecutive weeks, is based on a novel by Punyakanthi Wijenayake. Then she acted in the teledrama Beddegedara directed by Sudath Rohana and later won an OCIC award for her role as a mother. She later joined English dramas and starred in the Belgian play Caligula produced by the Professor Rudy Corrense.[1]
As an author, she translated R. Ananthamurthy's Kannada novel 'Sanskara' into Sinhala.[1]
Notable theater works edit
- Maname
- Nari Bena
- Sinhabahu
- Kundalakeshi
Notable television works edit
Filmography edit
| Year | Film | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Gamperaliya | Anula | [13] |
| 1972 | Sahanaya | [14] | |
| 1972 | Nidhanaya | Dulcy | [15] |
| 1976 | Madol Duwa | Mrs. Dharmasinghe | [16] |
| 1978 | Gehenu Lamai | Jenny Liyanage | [17] |
| 1981 | Baddegama | Karalina, Silindu's sister | [18] |
| 1983 | Kaliyugaya | Anula | [19] |
| 1986 | Aadara Hasuna | Army officer's sister | [20] |
| 1988 | Sagara Jalaya Madi Handuwa Oba Sanda | Village Woman | |
| 1994 | Nomiyena Minisun | ||
| 1995 | Ayoma | ||
| 1996 | Loku Duwa | mrs. Perera | |
| 1997 | Tharanaya | ||
| 1999 | Padadaya | [21] | |
| 2011 | Dheewari | Josi. Posthumous release | [22] |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Actresses in Sri Lankan cinema - Trilicia Gunawardena". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ "Trelicia Gunawardena filmography". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Trelicia Gunawardena films". IMDb. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Trilicia finishes acting". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "Florence and Ranjith Goonewardene". Florence. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Artistes of Ananda - Poet monks and student writers". Daily News. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Between Home and the World". Frontline. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Trelicia Gunawardena obituary". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Trillicia Gunawardena films". Sinhala Cinema Database. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "When The Harvest Is Over". Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Giraya Teledrama review". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Sudath's stories on screen again". Sunday Times. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ "All about the blockbuster film "Gamperaliya"". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- ^ "All about Sahanaya". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ "40 years for the greatest film ever produced in Sinhala cinema". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ^ "All about Madol Duwa". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ "සදා මේ සංසාරේ අපේ හමුවීම නොවේ: ගැහැනු ළමයි". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "The Village in the Jungle (Baddegama)". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Filmography- 1981–2000". Lester James Peries. 2004. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "Parallel towards a Sinhala Cinema". Retrieved 27 September 2018.
- ^ "Screening of 2 new films". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Screened Films". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 March 2017.