Kahawitage Dona Leena Swarnalatha (ස්වර්ණා කහවිට; 1 November 1946 – 23 May 2022), popularly as Swarna Kahawita, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema.[1] One of the most popular film actresses in 1960s and 1970s of Sinhala cinema, Kahawita made award-winning appearances in the films such as Binaramalee, Onna Mame Kella Panapi and Suraya Surayamai.[2][3]
Swarna Kahawita ස්වර්ණා කහවිට | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kahawitage Dona Leena Swarnalatha 1 November 1946 |
| Died | 23 May 2022 (aged 75) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Education | Kotahena Central College Buddhist Ladies' College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1967–1981 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Ariyaratne Kahawita (brother) Mallika de Silva (sister-in-law) |
Personal life
editSwarna Kahawita was born on 1 November 1946 in Kotahena, Colombo, British Ceylon as the youngest of the family. Her father Alfred Perera worked in the printing department of Lake House. Later he continued his business in the lands in Padukka. Her mother Adeline Winifried Abeysekera was a housewife. Swarna completed her education from Kotahena Central College (then Nilveediya College) and Buddhist Ladies' College. Due to the strong reluctance of her parents,[4] she had to end the romantic relationship, who later became a doctor. After that, she lived without a marriage.[2][5][6] A film director proposed marriage to Swarna. After her refusal, he attempted suicide by jumping down a hill at a film set, but was rescued.[7] After the death of her parents, she sold the house in Kotahena and moved to the super luxury apartment complex in Maligawatte.
She had two elder sisters: Sriyalatha Piyaseeli, Chandralatha; and two elder brothers: Bernard Somapala, Ariyaratne Kahawita. Her elder brother Ariyaratne Kahawita was also a film journalist. Kahawitage Don Ariyaratne Perera was born on 8 May 1933 in Kotahena. He was educated at Gunananda College, Kotahena, and then entered Carey College, Colombo. Ariyaratne was married to Mallika de Silva, who was a popular radio singer that sang the songs "Hinehewi Bonikka", "Bakamuno Hum Hum" and "Thaniwama Ai Me Ude". They married on 12 June 1963 and had a daughter, Apsara; and a son, Chandima Nayanajith. He died on 22 July 1994, suffering from diabetes.[8]
Swarna died on 23 May 2022 at the age of 75 after a brief illness.[9] Her body was laid at Jayaratne parlor in Borella for public respect.[10] Her last rites were held at Kanatte Cemetery on 24 May 2022 at 4.30 pm.[11]
Career
editSwarna had the ability to sing songs from an early age where she sang poems at the School Literary Association and at various concerts.[12] Because of that innate ability, one of her uncles took her to Karunaratne Abeysekera's radio program Lama Pitiya. She passed the voice test and joined the Lama Pitiya. But she lost the opportunity after the parents protested, fearing that her education would be disrupted.[7]
She entered acting amid the strong reluctance of her parents. Even though her brother was involved in cinema, he refused Swarna to choose cinema as a profession. In 1967, she made her acting debut in the 16 mm film Rahas Dupatha directed by Irvin Jayamanne with a child role at the age of 13. In the same year, she had the opportunity to act in a film, Dharma Sri Caldera's film Rana Giraw.[13] Then she got the opportunity to have a lead role because of a reply letter she had placed to the actress' selection advertisement for the film Binaramalee based on popular radio series Muwan Palessa mentioned in the Sarasaviya newspaper.[12][14] She made her cinema debut in the film Binaramalee with the title role in 1969 directed by Mudalinayake Somaratne.[15] The film was a turning point in her cinema career where she later won the Sarasaviya Award for the Best Actress at the 7th Sarasaviya Awards for her role.[16][17][18]
At the peak of her popularity, she decided to quit acting and move to Japan in 1980 as a tourist because of a childhood passion.[12] In Japan, she got the opportunity to work in an advertising company until 1985.[17] However, she had to return to Sri Lanka due to her mother becoming paralyzed. When she first came to Sri Lanka she received invitations for teledramas but all of them were lost.[2][7]
Apart from that she later had lead and supportive roles in the films such as;[19] Onna Mame Kella Panapi, Rana Giraw, Pujithayo, Ran Onchilla, Abhirahasa, Hondai Narakai, Cyril Malli, Suraya Surayamai, Harima Badu Thunak, Unnath Dahai Malath Dahai, and Lassana Dawasak.[7] During her cinema career which spanned fourteen years, she mostly had lead roles opposite to Vijaya Kumaratunga.[20] Her final cinema appearance came in the 1981 film Dayabara Nilu directed by Kandapola Kumaratunga.[2] Although she was invited to act in the film Hingana Kolla, she dropped out of acting due to the loss of her role as 'Lama Hami', which she preferred to play.[7] Apart from feature films, she also acted in the documentary films such as, Sahan Eliya, Raththaran and Thangame Thangam.[12] In 2010s, she became very popular with the biscuit advertisement as "Chandra Kumara's mother".[21]
In 2019, she was awarded an honorary award at the 19th Presidential Awards held at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre.[22][23] In 2021, she was honored with lifetime achievement award during the ceremony held for 21 artists who made an invaluable contribution to Sinhala cinema in the early decades of Sinhala Cinema.[24]
Filmography
edit| Year | Film | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Rahas Dupatha | Rani | |
| 1967 | Rena Giraw | Arachchi Putha's girlfriend | |
| 1969 | Binaramalee | Binaramalee | [25] |
| 1971 | Poojithayo | Indrani Batuwantalawa | |
| 1971 | Ran Onchilla | Rekha | [26][27] |
| 1971 | Abhirahasa | Sunila 'Malini' | [28] |
| 1973 | Hondai Narakai | ||
| 1974 | Onna Babo Billo Enawa | Asha | [29] |
| 1975 | Cyril Malli | ||
| 1975 | Suraya Surayamai | Nita | [30] |
| 1975 | Lassana Dawasak | Nilanthi | |
| 1976 | Harima Badu Thunak | Gina 'Alice' | |
| 1976 | Unnath Dahai Malath Dahai | ||
| 1976 | Onna Mame Kella Panapi | ||
| 1977 | Hariyanakota Ohma Thamai | ||
| 1977 | Niwena Ginna | ||
| 1978 | Sasara | Nanda | |
| 1981 | Dayabara Nilu | Janaki |
References
edit- ^ "Swarna Kahawita - National Film Corporation". www.nfc.gov.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Swarna Kahawita - ස්වර්ණා කහවිට - Sinhala Cinema Database". www.films.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Swarna Kahawita passes away". ITN News (in Sinhala). 23 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "I lost him because of a caste issue ..." www.deshaya.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ Lifie.lk (10 April 2019). "She is still single - actresses who have lost their marriages". Lifie.LK. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ ""She got married and went abroad with her family. I experienced the sweetest pain of my life then. I still feel that pain today ..." - Swarna Kahavita". gossip.hirufm.lk (in Sinhala). Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Tears still well up in my eyes". Sarasaviya. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "Film magazine editor who won a gold medal for Abhidharma and a Parker pen in an amateur song competition: Ariyaratne Kahawita". සරසවිය. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Swarna Kahawita bids farewell". www.lankadeepa.lk (in Sinhala). Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Swarna Kahawita leaves the stage of life". Gold FM News. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ Rathanasekara, Sahan (23 May 2022). "Veteran actress Swarna Kahawita has passed away". NewsWave LK English. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Swarna Kahawita who went to the Muwan Palessa from the Rahas Dupatha". archives.sarasaviya.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Binaramali who passed away amidst sighs - Swarna Kahawita". සිළුමිණ (in Sinhala). 26 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Muwan Palessa caused by a deer". www.lankadeepa.lk (in Sinhala). Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Swarna Kahawita". BFI. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "ආල වඩන ගමනකි ඇය යන්නේ". සරසවිය. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Swarna: The Golden Era's Golden Girl". Retrieved 31 May 2022 – via PressReader.
- ^ "7th Sarasaviya Awards - 1970". www.films.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Veteran actress Swarna Kahawita bids farewell".
- ^ "The two converge as Lake and Flower". සරසවිය. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "This Chandra Kumara's mother won the Sarasaviya Award for her first film". archives.sarasaviya.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ JAYAWARDANA, Ruwini. "Bedazzled feat". Daily News. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "The three-year Presidential Awards are as follows". සරසවිය. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "An award for pioneering artists in cinema". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Binaramalee". Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Ran Onchilla - රන් ඔන්චිල්ලා - Sinhala Cinema Database". www.films.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "අපට කොයින්දෝ රන්වන් රං ඔන්චිල්ලා". සරසවිය. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Milestone movies marking golden jubilee this year". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "ඔන්න බබෝ බිල්ලෝ එනවා". archives.dinamina.lk. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "හිතලා බැලුවද ලොකු නෝනලා". සරසවිය. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2022.