Win Oo

In this Burmese name, the given name is Win Oo. There is no family name.

Win Oo (Burmese: ဝင်းဦး; pronounced [wɪ́ɰ̃ ʔú], 13 March 1935 – 14 December 1988) was a two-time Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards winning Burmese actor, singer, director, writer and publisher. He became publicly known for his acting, singing and directing. Win was considered one of the most important actors in history of Burmese cinema. He died of colorectal cancer in 1988.

Win Oo
ဝင်းဦး
Born	Hla Myint (1935-03-13)13 March 1935 Rangoon, British Burma
Died	14 December 1988(1988-12-14) (aged 53) Yangon, Myanmar
Other names	Ko Oo
Occupation(s)	Actor, singer, director, writer and publisher.
Awards	Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards (Best Leading Actor for 1967, 1970)

Youth

Win Oo was born on 13 March 1935 as Hla Myint in Rangoon (now Yangon) to his parents U Ba Nyunt (Chit-Dukkha), a history professor at Rangoon University, and Daw Hnin Yi, as the third of five children. He matriculated at TTC (Practicing High School, passing his 10th standard examinations at the age of 14. He subsequently attended Rangoon University, where he studied mathematics, economics, and French and wrote short stories under the pen name "Nyo Min Lwin."

In 1952, during his third year, he departed from his university studies and joined the Burmese Army. Win Oo was stationed in Maymyo (now Pyin Oo Lwin) and Meiktila, and spent 9 months in 1959 training in Australia. Upon his return to Burma, he became a more prolific writer, penning nineteen stories in Shumuwa, including a novel, A University Student (တက္ကသိုလ်ကျောင်းသားတစ်ဦး), in 1960. He was honourably discharged from the army as a captain in 1962.

Career

He launched his acting career in 1962, starring in Hna-Yauk Hte Nay-Gyin-De, adapted from his eponymous novel, directed by Tin Yu. But this movie was not his first film. Chit-Thaw-Thu-Ta-Yout was his first film in cinema but this movie was not commercially successful. He both directed and starred in Saung Einmet and Hmon Shwe Yee. He founded the Sanda movie company, established first "color offset printer" in Burma, established "Sanda Magazine Office" and published Sanda Magazine. He won numerous Myanmar Academy Award for his performances, including Best Actor for Hmon Shwe Yee in 1970. He starred in 27 films, before passing away in 1988. He wrote 31 novels. His most famous book is Main ma Hla Ah Mone.

Legacy

He is best known for his image, acting, unusual voice, and way of speaking and singing, which some artists often imitate as a fun way of entertainment, especially in traditional live performances on the stage. The BBC (Myanmar) described that in Myanmar, not many artists have great success beyond their age and grave, and that Win Oo is one of the few whose success and influence extend till these days. The late Hla Htut, a famous Myanmar pianist and composer, remarked that his use of low-pitched, nasal and legato voices in several songs like "Maung Do Cherry Myay" (Our Cherry Land) and his voices of interjection in such songs as "Mee Pon Pwe" (Bonfire) and "Ma Ma Moe" (Lady Moe) were quite distinct and earned his place in the category of remake-western songs in Myanmar. He directed and appeared as an actor in many films; in Ah Twe Ah Tar, an unusual film for that time because no actress appeared; the main roles are a child-actress and him only, and in a self-directed film, Chit Thu Yway Mae` Chit Ware Le` he acted in an octa-role with many actresses, which he even made it successful in spite of lack of high film-technology for that period. Hmon Shwe Yi is one of his prominent works, through which some elements and aspects of Myanmar Stage Performance and Entertainment can be observed. Last but not least, his love for songs by Myoma Nyein and participation in Mandalay Thingyan festival over a decade is still considered to be a cultural icon in Myanmar.

Filmography

Lists of Films

No.	Year	Film	Co-Stars	Note
1	1962	Chit Thaw Thu Ta Yauk	Khin Than Nu
2		Hna Yauk Htae Nay Chin Tal	Tin Tin Mu, Daisy Kyaw Win
3		Mone Ta Hlae Pyone Ta Hlae	Tin Tin Aye
4	1963	Saung Ta Nya Wal	Wah Wah Win Shwe
5		Bain Mi Thar Ra	Tin Maung, Kyi Kyi Htay, Kyi Kyi Nyunt
6		Mharna Takhon	Tin Tin Aye
7		Padauk Yake Wal	Tin Tin Aye, Hnin Si
8		Bawa Mattan	Tin Tin Aye
9		Myat	Myint Myint Khin, Tin Tin Nwet, Chit Sabal
10		Ta Pwint Tae Pan Mal	Kyi Kyi Htay, Thi Thi
11		Maung Doh Cherry Myay	Khin Than Nu
12		E San Eain Wal	Wah Wah Win Shwe
13		Chit Thaw Mg Mg	Thi Thi
14		Maung Chawt Myu Pa Mal	Kyi Kyi Htay
15		Yin Thway Yin Nit	May Thit, Wah Wah Win Shwe
16	1964	Thit Sar Tu Pyaing	Myint Myint Khin
17		Bal Yat Htar Nay	Wah Wah Win Shwe
18		Maung A Chit Taw	Tin Tin Mu, Chit Sabal
19		Myittar Pan	Myint Myint Khin, Khin Than Nu
20		Thi Kyar Say Thet Thay Nhyun	Wah Wah Win Shwe, Khin Than Nu
21		Nyi Nyi Lwin	Wah Wah Win Shwe
22	1965	Mone May Par Naing	Tin Tin Mu, Thi Thi, Wah Wah Win Shwe, Aung Lwin
23		Chit Thel	Wah Wah Win Shwe
24	1966	Su Htoo Nge Pan Ywal Thun	Daisy Kyaw Win, Nwet Nwet San
25	1967	Yee Sar Da Mya	Khin Than Nu
26		Maung Maung Nae Theingi	San Shar Tin, San San Win
27		Hnin Pyauk Tae Nway	Tin Tin Mu, Tin Tin Aye
28		Saung Einmet	Tin Tin Aye, Aye Aye Thin
29	1968	Ko Chit Thu Bal Mhar Shi Tal	Khin Than Nu
30		Thoe	Khin Than Nu
31		Tein Hlwar Moht Moht Lwin	Myint Myint Khin
32	1969	Kyaukme A Kyin Thar	Khin Than Nu
33	1970	Hmone Shwe Yee	Khin Than Nu, Aung Lwin, Po Par Gyi
34	1971	Ta Kyawt Hna Kyawt Tay Ko Thi	Tin Tin Mya, Cho Pyone
35	1972	A Twal A Tar	Sandar Lin
36	1973	Latt Latt	Khin Than Nu
37		Mone Par Tal Maung Ko	Myint Myint Khin
38		Pan Myo Taw Tho Chay Lann Lay Sal	Kyaw Swar Win, Cho Pyone	Guest
39	1975	Chit Thu Yway Mal Chit Wae Lal	Myint Myint Khin, Tin Tin Nwet, San San Aye, Myint Myint Khine, Cho Pyone, Nwet Nwet Mu, Sandar
40	1976	Min Bal Pyay Ma Lae Mi Cho Thel	Sandar
41	1977	Tein Oo Lay Pyay Maung Ko Say	Khin Yu May, Tin Tin Nwet
42	1980	Thet Tan Paw Ka Lu Ta Yauk	Khin Than Nu, Aye Aye Thin
43	1981	Main Ma Nae Yauk Kyar	Myint Myint Khine, Yin Yin Aye
44		Kyun Taw Pyaw Thaw A Chit A Kyaung	Khin Than Nwe
45		Myittar Kabar Char Lay Thu	Nwet Nwet Mu
46		Chit Thu Kyin Thu Myat Noe Thu	Myint Myint Khin, Myint Myint Khine
47		Zar Ti Thway	Kyi Kyi Htay, Swe Zin Htaik
48	1982	Yarma Lattkhana Lo A Chit Myo	Swe Zin Htaik
49		Woot	Kyaw Swar Win, May Win Maung
50		Moe Palae Yadanar	Saw Mya Thandar, Thidar Win
51		Hna Yauk Htae Nay Chin Tal	Aye Min Win, Cho Pyone, May Win Maung	Director
52	1987	Ngwe Hlaing Zar Paw Mhar	Kyaw Swar Win, Cho Pyone
53	1992	Khine Mar Lar Hnin Si	Yan Aung, Khin Than Nu

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result
1967	Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards	Best Actor	Saung Einmet	Won
1970			Hmone Shwe Yee	Won

References

• Cartoon Win Aung's famous artist published in 2006.

External links

• Win Oo' Songs
• Myanmar chronicle
• Win Oo at IMDb