Vasantha Doreen Peterson (born 18 October 1959: ), popularly known as Vasanthi Chathurani, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. An extremely natural actress, Vasanthi Chathurani is one of the most successful personalities on Sri Lanka's silver and small screen. At the age 16, she made her debut as a teenager in Sumitra Peiris's Gehenu Lamai.
Personal life She was born on 18 October 1959 in Bandarawatta, Gampaha, Sri Lanka. Her father Stanley Peterson, served in the Army, and her mother Lilavathi Peterson, died when she was a child. She had one older sister, Vinita Helen. Both of them grew up in the house of her grandmother, Maggie Nona and grandfather, K.K. Albert. She completed education from Holy Cross Convent, Gampaha.
At the age of 20, she married the businessman Kumarasiri Gunawardhana on October 18, 1981 by an arbitrary decision. They have one son named Kavinda Asanga Gunawardena, a graphic designer. Her husband died suddenly on February 10, 1992, when Vasanthi was 33 years old.
Career Chathurani was a school girl when director Sumitra Peiris chose her for a lead role in Gehenu Lamai in 1978. Her most acclaimed role in the silver screen was that of 'Nirmala', a mentally-ill girl in the blockbuster Ganga Addara opposite late Vijaya Kumaratunga in 1980. She was mere nineteen-year-old at that time. I 1981, she was awarded Best Actress for her performance in this film, at the Sarasaviya Awards Festival and Presidential Awards.
She won the Sumathi Most Popular Actress Award in 1997 and the Sumathi Best Teledrama Actress Award in 1998, 2002 and 2009. Her career came to a temporary halt, when she got married in 1979, but was once again welcomed by her fans with her performance in Adara Hasuna. Some of her other successful films include Gehenu Lamai, Duwata Mawaka Misa and Sudu Sevanali. Vasanthi played dramatic roles in the films Amal Biso, Siribo Aiya, Hansa Vilak and Bththi Hathara. In 2003, she starred in the Lester James Peiris drama film Wekande Walauwa which received critic acclaim.
Chathurani also made her mark as a teledrama actress, in shows such as Māyā Mandira, Iṭipahan, Chala Achala, Durgānthaya, Giraya, Hingana Kollā, Kadulla, Gajaman Nōnā and Kulavamiya. Chathurani recently got into teledrama productions, financing successful teledramas such as Aga Pipi Mal, Sedona and Ranga Soba. All three of them were directed by Premakumara Jayawardene and written by Sumitra Rahubadde. She has acted many genre television serials in Sri Lanka.
Selected TV serials
Aga Pipi Mal Dahas Gawdura Denuwara Manike Dhawala Kadulla Diya Matha Ruwa Durganthaya Gajaman Nona. Giraya Idorayaka Mal Pipila Ilandariyo Ira Handa Payana Lokaya Itipahan Kadulla Kulawamiya Mano Mandira Pem Piyawara Ranga Madala Samu Gani Ranga Soba Sedona Senehase Geethaya Senehase Nimnaya Ulamage Rathriya Uththamavi Walakulu Yaddehi Gedara Yaso Mandira
Filmography
Year Film Role Ref. 1978 Gehenu Lamai Kusum Liyanage 1978 Ahasin Polowata Pushpa's sister 1979 Amal Biso 1979 Chuda Manikya Vajira 1980 Siribo Ayya Biso 1980 Parithyaga Rohini 1980 Ganga Addara Nirmala Atapattu 1980 Para Dige Madhu 1980 Hewanali Ada Minissu Piyawathi 1980 Hansa Vilak Samanthi Weerasinghe 1981 Samawenna Nimalka 'Nimmi' 1982 Ayachana Sarojini 1982 Biththi Hathara Mallika 1984 Kakille Rajjuruwo Daughter 1986 Dinuma Sujatha Senarath 1986 Aadara Hasuna 1987 Mangala Thegga Thilina 1988 Satana 1990 Saharawe Sihinaya 1990 Madhu Sihina Madhu 1990 Himagiri Menaka Abeydheera 1990 Wana Bambara 1990 Awaragira Vasantha 1991 Uthura Dakuna Sarojani 1991 Raja Sellan 1992 Sinha Raja 1992 Kiyala Wadak Na Kushari 1992 Kula Geya Suchithra 1992 Sargant Nallathambi Kalawathi 1993 Sasara Sarisarana Thek Oba Mage 1994 Ambu Samiyo Subhadra 1994 Dhawala Pushpaya Soba 1995 Awaragira Wasantha 1996 Raththaran Malli 1996 Thunweni Ahe 1997 Duwata Mawaka Misa 1997 Punaruthpaththiya 1997 Visidela Police Inspector's Daughter 1998 Julietge Bhumikawa Saroja 1999 Bahu Bharya Navoda 2001 Kinihiriya Mal Renuka 2001 Poronduwa Pooja 2002 Sansara Prarthana 2002 Sudu Sewaneli Podi Menika 2003 Wekande Walauwa Sita 2003 Sakman Maluwa 2004 Sumedha Sumedha 2007 Yahaluvo Burgher music teacher. Also as playback singer 2011 Challenges Ranuk's mother 2018 Vaishnavee Laxmi's mother 2019 Sangile Lady monk
Awards Sarasaviya Awards
|| 1980 ||| Ganga Addara || Best Actress ||
Sumathi Awards
|| 1997 ||| People's Vote || Most Popular Actress || |- || 1998 ||| Durganthaya || Best Actress || |- || 2002 ||| Kulawamiya || Best Actress || |- || 2006 ||| Aga Pipi Mal || Best Actress ||
Raigam Tele'es
|| 2005 ||| Sedona || Best Actress || |- || 2006 ||| Aga Pipi Mal || Best Actress ||
References
External links Vasanthi Chathurani's Biography in Sinhala Cinema Database
Evergreen Sri Lankan Actress Vasanthi Chathurani