Andara Vaas Patabedige Vincent (7 November 1922 – 6 May 2004 වින්සන්ට් වාස්), popularly known as Vincent Vaas was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema. Often considered one of the best character actors in Sinhala cinema, he made several critically acclaimed roles in a career spanned for more than five decades.[1] Apart from cinema, he was also a singer and musician.[2]
Vincent Vaas වින්සන්ට් වාස් | |
|---|---|
| Born | Andara Vaas Patabedige Vincent November 7, 1922 Kalutara, Sri Lanka |
| Died | May 6, 2004 (aged 81) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Education | Beruwala Roman Catholic College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1954–2004 |
| Spouse | Agnes Cooray (m. 1959) |
| Children | 5 Including Chinthaka Vaas |
| Parents |
|
| Awards | Rana Thisara Award |
Personal life
editVaas was born on 7 November 1922 in Beruwala, Kalutara, Sri Lanka as the seventh child in a family of nine siblings.[2] His father Leon Vaas was a talented violinist. His mother Monica Fernando was a housewife. He studied at the Roman Catholic College in Beruwela.[3]
He was married to Agnes Cooray where the wedding was celebrated in 1959.[4] He first met her at the Wadduwa church. Vincent and Agnes are about 18 years apart. The couple has one sons: Milal and Chinthaka, and three daughters: Virani, Janaki and Inoka.[5]
Chinthaka Vaas studied at Saint Joseph's College, Colombo and is also an actor who acted in the films: Aba, Address Na, Usaviya Nihadai, Ginnen Upan Seethala and television serials: Modara Bambaru, Golu Thaththa and Deyyange Rate. Chinthaka works at Lake House.[3] Chinthaka is married to Asha Madushani. He met her while Chinthaka was singing in church. They have three children: Ginod Joseph, Minod Rafail, and Vindali Marieta.[6]
Towards the end of his life, Vass and his family lived in a small house in Mahabudgamuwa.[7][8] He died on 6 May 2004 at the age of 81.[1]
Career
editHe loved drama from the time he was at the school. He took to the streets by singing Christmas carols and gradually became a prominent actor in plays staged in the village huts including; Maraka Dayadaya, Sinhala Kolla and Yuddha Bhoomiya and Veniciye Welenda. However his father thought of rescuing his son from drama mania and sent him to a grocery store in Balangoda to gain experience in retail. After 10 months of being frustrated with the boring life at the grocery store, Vaas came back to the village to achieve his success in drama.[3]
After few years, Benedict Fernando directed him to the performance on the public stage. He had the opportunity to act in the play Bhayanaka Mankollaya co-produced by Benedict Master and Matthias Fernando. It was during this time that Vass emerged as a singer. He received the opportunity to sing the songs Naade Naade, Vida Satana Maala, Ae Mal Uyane, Nimala Sri Saara in Radio Ceylon under the guidance of H. W.W. Rupasinghe and Tabla Master J. A. Podi Appuhamy.[3]
Meanwhile, he met the musician R. Muttusamy who introduced Vass to cinema. Vaas made his debut cinema appearance in the film Ahankara Sthree directed with A. B. Raj with the popular role 'Juwan'.[1] Then his notable role came through the film Sandesaya directed by Lester James Peries. In the film, he played as the 'Sandeshaya Carrier' who later became the prisoner of the Portuguese.[2] Later, he has played a variety of roles in a number of films. In Duppathage Duka, he acted as IGP, a father in Vanamohini and as Muthusami, the boat owner in Ranmuthu Duwa. Then he played as Bandusena in Gatavarayo, as Vijaya's brother in Eya Dan Loku Lamayek, as Nade Guru in Christhu Charithaya, as Nadeeka's father in Vajira and as Kalang's father in Podi Wije and played as Vijay's father in Waradata Danduwam. In the film Uthumaneni directed by Gamini Fonseka, Vass acted as a bedridden paraplegic. From 1954 to 2004, he contributed with more than 70 films across many genre.[3]
In 2002, he was awarded with Rana Thisara Lifetime Award at the 27th Sarasaviya Awards.[2]
Filmography
edit| Year | Film | Roles | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Ahankara Sthree | Juwan Appu | |
| 1956 | Duppathage Duka | ||
| 1957 | Suraya | ||
| 1958 | Sepali | ||
| 1958 | Vana Mohini | ||
| 1959 | Sirimali | Sirimali's Father 'Maha Rala' | |
| 1960 | Sandesaya | Sandeshaya Carrier | |
| 1960 | Veera Vijaya | ||
| 1962 | Ranmuthu Duwa | Muttusamy | |
| 1964 | Getawarayo | Bandusena | [9] |
| 1964 | Sasaraka Hati | Siriwardena | |
| 1966 | Senasili Suwaya | Sumith's father 'Mudalithuma' | |
| 1968 | Punchi Baba | ||
| 1969 | Surayangeth Suraya | ||
| 1971 | Haara Lakshe | 1st beating pariticipant | |
| 1974 | Duppathage Hithawatha | Vincent | [10] |
| 1975 | Suraya Surayamai | David Appuhamy | [11] |
| 1977 | Deviyani Oba Kohida | Elizabeth's father | [12] |
| 1977 | Eya Dan Loku Lamayek | Vigilante leader | [13] |
| 1977 | Sikuru Dasava | ||
| 1978 | Veera Puran Appu | Cruel Master | |
| 1978 | Bambaru Avith | Anton's friend | |
| 1979 | Geheniyak | Charlie | |
| 1979 | Monarathenna | [14] | |
| 1980 | Doctor Susanthaa | ||
| 1980 | Parithyagaya | Anula's uncle | |
| 1980 | Muwan Palessa 2 | Mali's father 'Pincha Mama' | |
| 1980 | Sankhapali | ||
| 1980 | Paara Dige | ||
| 1980 | Sinhabahu | ||
| 1980 | Uthumaneni | [15] | |
| 1981 | Beddegama | [16] | |
| 1981 | Valampuri | Diver | |
| 1981 | Vajira | Mudalali | |
| 1981 | Amme Mata Samawenna | Vasantha's father | |
| 1981 | Dayabara Nilu | Kankanama | |
| 1982 | Pethigomara | Sudhira's father | |
| 1982 | Ridee Nimnaya | ||
| 1982 | Sithara | ||
| 1983 | Ran Mini Muthu | ||
| 1983 | Niliyakata Pem Kalemi | Music master | |
| 1983 | Subodha | ||
| 1983 | Hasthi Viyaruwa | Korala | |
| 1983 | Sister Mary | Caretaker | |
| 1983 | Hithath Hondai Wedath Hondai | ||
| 1983 | Muhudu Lihini | ||
| 1984 | Walle Thanu Maliga | Peduru | |
| 1984 | Deveni Gamana | [17] | |
| 1984 | Podi Ralahamy | Siyadoris | |
| 1984 | Namal Renu | ||
| 1984 | Hima Kathara | ||
| 1985 | Araliya Mal | Veda Mahathaya | |
| 1986 | Maldeniye Simion | Gammuladani | |
| 1986 | Devuduwa | ||
| 1986 | Aadara Hasuna | Andiris | |
| 1987 | Podi Vijay | ||
| 1987 | Obatai Priye Adare | Mudalali | |
| 1989 | Waradata Danduwam | ||
| 1990 | Pem Rajadahana | ||
| 1990 | Christhu Charithaya | Vandana Nadaya leader | [18] |
| 1991 | Dolosmahe Pahana | ||
| 1991 | Sihina Ahase Wasanthaya | ||
| 1992 | Salli Thibunata Madi | ||
| 1992 | Suranimala | ||
| 1992 | Sathya | ||
| 1992 | Rajek Wage Puthek | ||
| 1994 | Mawubime Veerayo | ||
| 1995 | Demodara Palama | Simon | |
| 1995 | Chandani | Gunapala | |
| 1995 | Ayoma | ||
| 1996 | Sathi | ||
| 1996 | Amanthaya | ||
| 1997 | Puthuni Mata Wasana | ||
| 1997 | Raagaye Unusuma | ||
| 1997 | Apaye Thappara 84000k |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Remembering Vincent Vaas". Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 2021-02-20 – via PressReader.
- ^ a b c d "Death of Vincent Vass, great loss to cinema". Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). 9 May 2004. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ a b c d e "අහංකාර ස්ත්රී තුළින් සිනමාවට පිවිසි ජුවානිස් වින්සන්ට් වාස්". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 2 May 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "වාස් ජීවිතය කැප කළා නිෂ්පාදකයෝ ගොඩ ගියා: වින්සන්ට් වාස්ගේ බිරිය කියයි". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ ඇල්වලගේ, සචිත්ර. නිශ්ශංක, නාරද (ed.). "දස වසරකට පෙර සමුගත් වින්සන්ට් වාස්". Divaina (in Sinhala). Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ වාස්, චින්තක. "සරසවිය එදත් මගේ පිහිටට ආවා". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "අපි අසරණ වෙලා වගේ හිතට දැනෙනවා". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "අගැයුමක් නැති මිනිස්සු". Dinamina (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "ඈත ගව් ගණන් දුරින් "ගැටවරයෝ". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 24 January 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "දුප්පත් පොහොසත් දෙකක් ඕන නෑ". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "හිතලා බැලුවද ලොකු නෝනලා". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 25 July 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "ආදර පූජාසනේ දෙවියනි ඔබ කොහිද?". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 22 October 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "ආයෙත් එයා දැන් ලොකු ළමයෙක්". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 19 March 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "ඔහුට ඇය හිමිවුණා වේ". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 10 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "යුක්තිය රජයන ලොවකට අප රැගෙන යන්න". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 1 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "ලෙනාඩ් වුල්ෆ්ගේ නවකතාවෙන් සිත්තමක් වූ බැද්දේගම". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 12 December 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "චාමර සැලුණාවේ "දෙවෙනි ගමන"". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 29 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "All about Christhu Charithaya". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-02-20. [dead link]
External links
edit- Vincent Vaas at IMDb