Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka (; 21 March 1936 – 30 September 2004) was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician. Often considered one of the greatest actors in Sinhala cinema, Fonseka dominated the industry in the 1960s and 1970s and won several Best Actor and Popular Actor awards throughout his career. Some critics and audiences regard Gamini Fonseka as the greatest actor in the Sri Lankan film industry, while others argue that title belongs to Joe Abeywickrama. Fonseka was the first to die among the three “crowned kings” of Sri Lankan cinema, followed by Joe Abeywickrama and then Tony Ranasinghe.
Apart from acting, he also served as the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 1989 to 1994 and the Governor of the North Eastern Province from 1995 to 1998. He also worked as a Director of the Capital Maharaja Group from 1998 to 2003.
Fonseka died on 30 September 2004 at the age of 68 at his residence in Ja-Ela.
Early life Fonseka was born on 21 March 1936 in Dehiwela as the third child of William and Daisy Fonseka. Starting school at a Presbyterian institution, he later transferred to S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. As a child, he gained a reputation for imitating administrative figures at school. Foneska also prospered in the study of the Sinhala language and literature (under the guidance of D. S. Jayasekera, who is also reputed to have introduced him to acting in stage plays) and placed in the upper fourth for a Sinhala literature prize. The award for this achievement was presented to him by S. Thomas' graduate and Sri Lankan Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake. Foneska was also an accomplished cricket player.
Film career
Fonseka abruptly ended his secondary education and dove into the film industry. He originally wanted to be a cameraman and in this line worked as the second Assistant Director on David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lester James Peries' Rekava (1956). Fonseka was first on-screen in Rekava as part of a crowd. He also did some work on an English television series filmed in Sri Lanka.
Fonseka's first credited acting role was in Daiwa Yogaya (1959) in which he played a minor role. Lester James Peries' Sandesaya (1960) first established Fonseka in a leading role. With films like Adata Wediya Heta Hondai, Ranmuthu Duwa, Getawarayo, and Dheevarayo, Fonseka achieved popularity and became a box-office draw.
Seeking to not play in only commercial roles, Fonseka appeared as Jinadasa in the groundbreaking Gamperaliya (1964), working again with Peries. In Titus Thotawatte's Chandiya, Fonseka played his first anti-heroic role in Sri Lankan cinema and in Mike Wilson's Sorungeth Soru (1968), he played the role of Jamis Banda, the Sinhalese James Bond. In 1964, at the first awards ceremony of the United Ceylon Fan Club held on 12 January at the Royal College Hall, Colombo, Gamini won the Best Actor award in 1963 for his role as Jinadasa in the film Gamperaliya. This was Fonseka's first acting award.
Fonseka also tried out directing many accolades. His debut directorial work Parasathu Mal was warmly received. He directed a political satire Sagarayak Meda. Other films directed by Fonseka include Koti Waligaya and Nomiyana Minissu. He entered television as well and became the best teledrama actor for the role he played in Kalu Saha Sudu.
Fonseka's role as Willie Abeynayake in Nidhanaya (1972) and as ASP Wicrema Randeniya in Welikathara (1971) are widely considered to be his crowning achievements. Both films have been recognised by Presidential Awards as amongst the 10 Best Sri Lankan films of all time. In 1979, Fonseka played Jaffna Tamil clerk Nadarajah in Sunil Ariyaratne's Sarungale. He has also written some songs for the movies Sarungale (1979) and Mayurige Kathawa (1980).
Political career In 1989, Fonseka entered politics after joining the United National Party. He was elected to Parliament in 1989 as a representative of the Matara District with the highest number of preferential votes and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He was later appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga as Governor of the now-defunct Northeastern Province.
Personal life Fonseka married his longtime girlfriend Dorothy Margaret Valencia also known as "Tina" in 1962, and the couple had four children: Chamila, Thanuja, Dammith and Ishara. Many years later he fathered Kaushalya and Poornima with his partner Angela Seneviratne.
Through his 6 children, Fonseka has 13 grandchildren: Yasara, Vivek, Indula, Daniel, Tarik, Janik, Hrithik, Ruveka, Isuru, Tiasha. Aria, Tyrese and Hazel Fonseka remained married to Tina until his death in September 2004.
His son Damith was a popular film actor in 1990s. He acted in many commercially successful films such as Chandi Rejina, Ira Handa Illa, Chandiyage Putha, Cheriyo Darling, and Raththaran Malli.
Awards
Year Award Film 1964 Best Actor Gamperaliya 1965 Sarasaviya Best Actor Award Deewarayo 1966 Popular Actor (Swarna Sanka) – 1967 Sarasaviya Best Actor Award Parasathu Mal 1967 Sarasaviya Most Popular Actor Award – 1968 Sarasaviya Best Actor Award Sorungeth Soru 1968 Sarasaviya Most Popular Actor Award – 1969 Sarasaviya Most Popular Actor Award – 1972 Popular Actor (Deepashika Award) – 1976 Popular Actor Kasthuri Suwanda (Sarasaviya Peoples Award)(He rejected this award)"Sinhala Cinema Wanshakathaawa" by "A. D. Nuwan Nayanajith Kumara" 1980 Sarasaviya Best Actor Award Sarungale (The Best Lyricist award is being awarded to Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne for the song "Bambarindu" by mistake. But he corrected it and handed it over to Gamini Fonseka) 1980 Sarasaviya Most Popular Actor Award – 1981 Sarasaviya Best Actor Award Uthumaneni 1981 Sarasaviya Most Popular Actor Award – 1982 Sarasaviya Best Director Award Sagarayak Mada 1982 Sarasaviya Most Popular Actor Award – 1986 Sarasaviya Best Actor Award Yuganthaya 1986 Sarasawiya Rana Thisara Award – 1986 Best Actor (President Awards) Yuganthaya 1987 Reviewers Award – 1995 Sarasaviya Best Actor Award Nomiyena Minisun 1997 U.W Sumathipala Commemorating Award –
Filmography Until his death, Fonseka acted in 102 films, 86 of them as a lead actor and 16 more as a supporting and guest appearance actor. He directed 10 films and produced 2 films.
As a director Parasathu Mal (1966) Uthumaneni (1980) Mayurige Kathawa (1980) Sagarayak Mada (1981) Bandura Mal (1981) Ra Manamali (1981) Sakwithi Suwaya (1982) Koti Waligaya (1986) Nomiyena Minisun (1994) Anthima Reya (1998)
As an actor Year Film Role1956 Rekava Patient 1959 Daiwayogaya Manamoola1960 Sandesaya Dhamitha1960 Pirimiyek Nisa1962 Daskon1962 Ranmuthu DuwaBandu1963 Gamperaliya Jinadasa1963 Adata Vediya Heta HondaiGamini1964 Getawarayo Jayasena Fernando1964 Dheewarayo Francis1965 Chandiya Chutte1965 Sudo Sudu Adiriyan1965 Adarayai-Karunawai1965 Satha PanahaNimal1965 Yatagiya Dawasa1966 Senasuma Kothanada1966 Seethala Wathura1966 Sigiri Kashyapa Kashyapa1966 Parasathu Mal Bonny1966 Oba Dutu Da1966 Sanasili Suvaya1967 Sorungeth Soru James Banda1967 Ipadune Aye1967 Rena GirawuDisa1967 Okkoma HariSudantha, Aaron1967 Sura Chauraya Veera1968 Dehadaka Duka1969 Oba Nethi Nam1969 Baduth Ekka Horu1969 Surayangeth Suraya1969 Paara Walalu1969 Mee Masso1970 Aathma Puja1970 Ohoma HodadaSirimal, Siri1971 Hathara Denama Surayo Podde1971 Welikathara ASP Randeniya1972 Sahanaya Piyal1972 Nidhanaya Willie Abeynayake1972 Edath Suraya Adath Suraya Gamini1972 Adare Hithenawa Dakkama Ricky1972 Miringuva1973 Hondata Hondai1973 Sadahatama Oba Mage1973 Hodama Velava1973 Hodai Narakai1974 Kasthuri Suwanda Kamal1974 Onna Babo Billo Enawa1974 Sanakeliya Priyantha1975 Hitha Hoda Minihek1975 Raththaran Amma1975 Awa Soya Adare Gamini1975 Rajagedara Paraviyo1975 Cyril Malli1975 Suraya SurayamaiGamini, Frank1976 Kawuda Rajaa Manuel1976 Hulavali Dhaara1976 Nilla Soya Dhamme1976 Nayana1977 YakadayaSumanadasa aka Yakadaya1977 Chin Chin Nona1977 Deviyani Oba Koheda Father Sebastian1977 Chandi Putha Gamini1978 Chandi Shyama1978 Asha Daasin Nalin1978 Hitha Mithura1978 Apsara1978 Seetha Devi Ravi Ranaraja aka Ravana1979 Amal Biso Bayisa1979 Minisun Athara Minihek Maithree1979 Neelakadalin Orathile (Tamil film)1979 Sarungale Nadarajah1980 Mal Kekulu Manjula1980 Uthumaneni Siripala1980 Mayurige Kathawa1980 Sankapali Sanka1981 Chanchala Rekha Sirisena1981 Thavalama1981 Bandura Mal Thirakotuwe Arachchi1981 Ridee ThellaPodda1981 Sagarayak Meda Dr.Moladanda, Frederick Ramanayake1982 Sakvithi Suvaya Bucket Harry1982 Miss Mallika1982 Hello Shyama1983 Yuganthaya Simon Kabalana1986 Yali Hamuvennai1986 Koti Waligaya Police officer Sarath Ranasinghe1986 Puja A condemned1987 Sathyagrahanaya Minister1987 Ahinsa Himself1987Ottui Baruwata1989Sebaliyo1989 Shakthiya Obai Amme1991 Uthura Dakuna Ramanayake1993 Sajant Nallathambi Police chief1994 Nomiyena Minisun Colonel Ranabahu1994 Shakthi Police chief1994 Pavana Raluviya1995 Mama Baya Ne Shyama1995 Demodara Palama Chutte1996 Loku Duwa Marasinghe1997 Apaye Thathpara Asu HaradahakKing Yama1998 Anthima Reya Linton Cooray
As a producer Year Film Director1967 Sorungeth Soru Mike Wilson1972 Sahanaya J. Selvarathnam
References
External links
Official Website – Gamini Fonseka Foundation Official Website – National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka Gamini Fonseka: A Man of the Troops Gamini's Film History in Sinhala http://www.nfc.gov.lk/artist/gamini-fonseka-132/ ගාමිණී 13 යි දැවැන්ත වෘක්ෂයේ සෙවණ ලැබූ අපේ සිනමාවේ සරුඵල
Further reading ගාමිණි – විශ්වීය රූපණවේදයක ආසියානු පුරෝගාමියා අපේ සිනමාව ගැන ලියැවුණු මිළ අධිකම ග්රන්ථය රුපියල් 6000 ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකලා හිටියේ එක්කෙනයි එයාට හිටියෙත් එක පුතයි සමන් පිච්ච මල් අරණක කවි, ගී පබැඳූ ගාමිණී.. හෙළ සිනමාවට මිණි කැටයක් වූ මගේ වීරයා, ගාමිණී අයියා....