Rita Philomina Ratnayake (18 February 1934 – 6 November 2006 රීටා රත්නායක) was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema.[1] She became very popular in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s early Sinhala cinema particularly with the role 'Daisy Attanayake' in the blockbuster Kele Handa in 1953.[2]

Rita Ratnayake
රීටා රත්නායක
Born
Rita Philomina Ratnayake

(1934-02-18)February 18, 1934
DiedNovember 6, 2006(2006-11-06) (aged 72)
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationSt. Agnes' College, Matale
OccupationActress
Years active1953–1988
SpouseW. A. Wilfred Silva (m. 1961)
Children2
FatherEmil Ratnayake

Personal life

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She was born in 1934 in Matale, Sri Lanka. Her father Emil Ratnayake was a famous violinist.[3] She grew up in her mother's hometown of Matale and studied at St. Agnes' College, Matale (currently known as St. Thomas' Girls' College). During school period, she played the role 'Queen Pramila' in the stage play Daskon. Also known as a school singer, she was famous among Matale students for singing the song Ko Mama Nandage Male. Rita also worked for the Sri Lanka Hotel Corporation for some time.[2]

Rita married W.A. Wilfred Silva on February 18, 1960. Wilfred is best known as a songwriter, storyteller and film director. The couple had a daughter and a son named Sadhana and Bandula. In late years, she went to France for a job.[2]

She died on 6 November 2006 at the Jayewardenepura Hospital on the same day she received an honorary gift from the Silumina 'Rasaduna' newspaper. She was 72 years old at the age of demise.[4] As her last request, she was buried at the Matale Cemetery where her mother was buried.[2]

Career

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By the time she got involved in the arts, two of her uncles were playing female characters in stage plays. She was a die-hard fan of Rukmani Devi and watched all her movies since she was a child, also wanted to see Rukmani Devi. Popular actress Clarice de Silva was her close friend where Rita asked Clarice to come up with a way to see Rukmani Devi.[3]

Ratnayake was first noticed when she ran into film actors B. A. W. Jayamanne, Rukmani Devi and Eddie Jayamanne while on a pilgrimage to Madhu Church in 1952[n 1] This encounter led to her casting in Kele Handa. A 16 year old Rita played the adult role of 'Daisy Attanayake'. Several people said that her Sinhala pronunciation was not successful and trained her for about 6 months.[3] After Kele Handa, Rita played the role of an innocent girlfriend. Seeing her acting prowess, K. Gunaratnam used Rita for the lead role in the film Warada Kageda in 1954. The she acted in the role 'Prabhawathi' in Ramyalatha (1956) and had leading roles in Radala Piliruwa (1954), Sukumali (1957) and Sithaka Mahima (1964).[4]

Over the next 20 years, Ratnayake had roles in Suneetha, Sepali (1958), Sundara Birinda (1960), Daruwa Kageda (1961), Suhada Sohoyuro (1963), Suba Sarana Sepa Sithe (1964), Sweep Ticket, Sakaya (1965), Ethulweema Thahanam (1966), Amathaka Wunada (1967), Dan Mathakada (1970), Suhada Pethuma (1973), Sheela, Shanthi, Onna Babo Billo Enawa (1974), Awa Soya Adare (1975), Haratha Hathara, Dewiyange Theenduwa (1976), Hithuwoth Hithuwamai, Saja (1977), Mage Ran Putha (1978), Eka Hitha (1979), Dayabara Nilu (1981), Samawenna (1981), Wathura Karaththaya (1982), Rail Para (1982), Bonikka (1983), Shirani, Kokila, Namal Renu (1984) and Wana Rejina (1988).[4][5]

She acted a lot with the fellow actor Asoka Ponnamperuma, mostly as his wife. Rita won the Best Actress award for the film Sithaka Mahima at the 2nd United Lanka Fans Society Award in 1966. In 1985, she won a Merit Award for Sitaka Mahima at the 1965 Sarasaviya Awards.[2] In 1997, she won the "Swarna Jayanthi" Award at 11th Presidential Award. Then in 1998, she was honored with "Namaskara Pooja" Special Award at the 25th Sarasaviya Awards.[1] She later appeared in the television serial Kahala Nadaya.

Filmography

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Year Film Role Ref.
1953 Kele Handa Daisy Attanayake [6]
1954 Warada Kageda Vineetha
1954 Radala Piliruwa Nanda
1956 Ramyalatha Pabawathi [7]
1957 Sukumali Leela [8]
1958 Suneetha Suneetha
1958 Sepali
1960 Sundara Birinda Soma
1961 Daruwa Kageda Premawathie
1963 Suhada Sohoyuro
1964 Sithaka Mahima
1964 Suba Sarana Sepa Sithe
1965 Sweep Ticket
1965 Sekaya Manike
1966 Athulweema Thahanam
1967 Amathaka Unada
1970 Dan Mathakada Alice
1973 Suhada Pathuma
1974 Sheela Mrs. Karunaratne
1974 Shanthi
1974 Ona Babo Billo Enawa Asha's mother
1975 Awa Soya Adare
1976 Haratha Hathara
1976 Deviyange Theenduwa Susila
1977 Sajaa
1977 Hithuwoth Hithuwamai Apsara's mother
1978 Mage Ran Putha
1979 Eka Hitha
1981 Dayabara Nilu Violet 'Mommy'
1981 Samawenna Nimalka's mother
1982 Wathura Karaththaya Sampath's wife
1983 Bonikka Rupa Wickremasinghe
1984 Shirani Namal and Manjula's mother
1984 Kokila
1984 Namal Renu
1988 Wana Rajina

References

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  1. ^ a b "Actresses in Sinhala Cinema: Rita Rathnayake". Digital Identity of Sinhala Cinema. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Here is Daisy Attanayake of Kele Handa". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  3. ^ a b c "Rita loses Lester's Rekava". Divaina. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  4. ^ a b c Uvais, Ramesh (November 9, 2006). "Rita Ratnayake bids farewell to nation". Daily Mirror.
  5. ^ "Farewell lovers of Sinhala cinema". lifie. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  6. ^ "Vishnubai's concert". saaravita. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  7. ^ "Devdas Sinhala Translation: Ramyalatha". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  8. ^ "Guinness World Record holder for South Indian actress Manorama in a Sinhala film: Sukumali". suratha. Retrieved 2021-02-13.

Notes

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  1. ^ Divaina newspaper cited she met them in 1948 during an interview with Rita Ratnayake. However leading cinema source Sarasaviya recorded she met Jayamanne and Rukamani in 1952.
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