Kumari Perera
Kalabhushana Thotagamage Bhadra Kumari Perera was a Sri Lankan actress and television presenter. One of the earliest television and radio presenters in Sri Lanka, Perera made a significant role in Sinhala television culture in a career spanned more than five decades. Apart from that, she was also a voice actress, concert stage presenter, dance singer, and B-grade radio singer.
Family background
Kumari Perera was born on 12 September 1956 in Colombo as the youngest child of the family. Hailed from an artistic background, her father Thotagamage Wilbert Perera, was a famous Tower Hall artist as well as A-grade singer in Radio Ceylon. Wilbert Perera's play began with the Vittachchi Tourist Dance Company, organized by Joseph de Silva and Vittachchi. He then joined the Tower Hall Ariya Sinhala Drama Council and performed in stage plays. He performed well in the play Othello that he won a gold medal and the character of "Victor Hamu" in the play Heladiva Puragana also won a gold medal.Kumari's mother, L. A. K. Somakantha is also a stage actress as well as an A-grade Nadagam and Noorthi singer. She won gold medals for her role as "Princess Chintamani" in the play Chintamani in 1935 and for the role of "Kumarihami" in the play Ehelepola in 1937. Both of her parents were dancers as well as circus performers.
Kumari had five elder brothers, Arthur, Shelton, Gretion, Danson, Rexon and one sister, Suriya Rani. Shelton Perera was born on 20 March 1939 and died on 18 September 1986, was a renowned musician and a singer who began his career as a tabla player, but later became one of the most influential singers in Sri Lankan classical music industry. He was also a prolific percussionist as well as a film composer. Shelton was married to Kumari Shashi, a Hindi girl who came to study dance at Bhatkhande University. The couple has five children – Sathish, Sanjaya, Subash, Anuradha and Anupama.
Shelton's son Sathish Perera was a popular singer who started the singing career to continue his father's legacy in 1989. Sathish released two successful music albums, Pem Hasun and Egodaha Yanno. His hits include both his father's and his own creations, such as "Awasan Liyumai", "Sundarai Oba", "Kadulu Walin Pem Hasuna", "Mihirathi Wasantha Kale", "Kandalame Wewa Balanna", "Adareta Haduwak Tharam" and "Maha Muhudu Wimane". On the early morning of 23 April 2012, Satish died at the Oasis hospital at the age of 42 due to leukemia. Shelton's daughter Anuradha Perera is also a popular singer. Daughter Anupama Perera is a dancing teacher who studied from Bhatkhande University.
Her elder sister Suriya Rani was a film and stage actress. Her daughter Kusum Perera is also an actress. Sooriya Rani died on 10 October 2022 at the age of 81. Kusum's husband Leslie Perera is also a well known artist and actor. The couple has two daughters: Nilakshi Perera and Harshika Madhavi, both are popular actresses. Another daughter of Suryarani is Samudra Perera, who was an announcer as well as a theater singer. Samudra's son Kamila Navod worked as child actor for some time.
Career
She completed education from Lawrence College, Maradana and started her career at the age of 7, where she made debut stage drama acting with the role "Krishnajina" in the Tower Hall noorthi play Wessanthara produced by Romulus de Silva. Then she appeared in the stage drama Kuradana Pencha produced by Jayashantha Wanaguru. Since then, she acted in several critically acclaimed stage plays such as Ediriweera Sarachchandra's Maname, Sinhabahu, and Tower Hall plays such as Vidura, Sivamma Dhanapala, Sirisangabo, Ramayana, and Padmavati. She played the lead roles "Maname Kumariya" in the play Maname and "Sinha Seevali" in the play Sinhabahu from 1972 to 1980. Apart from that, she also made appearances in more than 150 popular stage dramas including, Sikuruvannama, Suraasura, Chithrāgē Prēma Katāva, Abusæmiyō, Divæs Helanu Mæna, Surūpī Virūpī, Kontha Nōnā, Sunbun, Piṭastharayō, Iri Kǣli Thunak, Ransevaṇa, Aegē Nama Rathī, Sarasaviyayi Maha Muhudayi, Giragga Samajja, Sikuruvāraya, Andarēlā, Amal Bisō and Uḍahagedara Rattaran.She learned dance from the Lionel Wendt Theatre School and selected as one of the six coordinating presenters recruited to the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation in 1985 under the guidance of Dhamma Jagoda. In the meantime, she also worked as a program presenter for the "Welanda Sevaya" of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and Rupavahini to host popular programs such as: Nethsæra, Gee Anuvādana, Sigithi Kathā, Nimnāda, Ayubōvan, Geeta Manjarī, Kōmala Rēkhā, Bharata Gee Ravaya, Madhu Rasanga and Madhura Gītham. She became an icon in Sinhala radio program history and highly appreciated among the public through listener requests and women's programs.
In 1976, Perera wons the Outstanding Talent Award for the role of "Rupavathi" in the stage play Udahagedara Raththaran and then for the role of "Hamine" in the play Amal Biso at the State Drama Festival. She worked as a regular singer and dancer at the SLBC since 1988 and then as a presenter since 1995.
In 1982, Perera made her debut teledrama acting with the lead role of "Sumanawathi Bokundara" in the teledrama Atharamaga Nawathenak produced by Bhadraji Mahinda Jayathilake. The serial is recorded as the first television drama in Sri Lanka to shoot in a studio. Since then, she appeared in many popular television serials such as Gæhænu Kavuruda, Sankrānthi Samaya, Ira Handa Yaṭa, Prathirāvaya, Uḍaha Gedara, Raththaran, Avurudu Dā Goḍageravili, Kapuru Kanda, Kaḷu, Kande Gedara, Poda Wassa, Bodima, Irata Handana Mal, Sathsara Rangana, Dharmādhikaraṇaya and Kopi Kade. She appeared in the Kopi Kade series from the beginning which first aired on 1 April 1987, and played the role "Malini" for the first 52 episodes.
Apart from television acting, she excelled as a dubbing artist and joined with many dubbing programs and cartoons directed by Titus Thotawatte such as Oshin and Thoththa Babala. Meanwhile, she had the privilege to work as the presenter at every dramatic, musical and concert festival organized by the Tower Hall Theatre Foundation and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
In 1964, she made her maiden cinema appearance in the film Wesathuru Siritha as a child artist. Then she made sporadic appearances in the films such as Sikuru Dasawa, Thevetha and Gini Avi Saha Gini Keli. She also acted in few documentary films and contributed to the dialogues of the film Sangeetha as well.
In 2013, Perera received an honorary award at the Colombo District Literary Festival for her outstanding 50 years service in the fields of acting, dancing, voice acting, broadcasting and singing. Apart from that, she was also honored with Kalabhushana and Kala Keerthi Diriya Matha Honorary Degree in 2010. In later stage, she was honored with Prasad Pooja Award by the University Creative Arts Faculty.
Selected stage plays
AbusæmiyōAegē Nama RathīAmal BisōAndarēlāChithrāgē Prēma KathāvaDivæs Helanu MænaGiragga SamajjaIri Kǣli ThunakKontha NōnāManamePadmavathiRamayanaRansevaṇaPiṭastharayōSarasaviyayi Maha MuhudayiSikuruvannamaSikuruvārayaSinhabahuSirisangaboSivamma DhanapalaSri WickramaSunbunSuraasuraSurūpī VirūpīUḍahagedara RaththaranVidura- ''Wessanthara''
Selected television serials
Avurudu Da GodageraviliBambara AsapuvaBodimaDharmadhikaraṇayaGahaenu KavurudaIrabaṭa TharuvaIrata Handana MalIra Handa YaṭaLoku AyyaKande GedaraKaprukaKapuru Kande KaluKopi KadeKurulu VahalaMaḍol DoovaNeḷanna Baeri MalPoda WassaPrathiravayaRaththaranSakvithi KiruḷaSandungira GiniganiSankranthi SamayaSathsara RanganaSitu MeduraUḍaha GedaraUḍavaḍiyā MalVeeduru GevalWessantara Kathāva- ''Yakage Billa''