Geetha Kumarasinghe

Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe (born 5 July 1955, in Badulla), popularly known as Geetha Kumarasinghe, is a Sri Lankan film actress and Member of the Parliament.She made her debut in veteran director K. A. W. Perera's 1975 film, Wasana but it was Neil Rupasinghe's Lassana Kella which was released first. Since then, she has appeared in over 80 movies, winning the Sarasaviya Best Actress Award four times, in 1991, 1996, 2000 and 2004. She has also receive the Sarasaviya Most Popular Actress Award several times.

Geetha Kumarasinghe
ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ
Personal details
Born
Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe

(1955-07-05) 5 July 1955
Elpitiya, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lanka
Political partySri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Spouse(s)Chris Fuhrer Ferdinand (1977-2018)
ResidenceGalle
Alma materSangamitta Girls College
OccupationFilm actress
AwardsSarasaviya Best Actress Award
Sarasaviya Most Popular Actress Award
Member of the Sri Lanka Parliament
for Galle District
Assumed office
20 August 2020
Majority63,357 Preferential Votes
In office
1 September 2015 – 3 May 2017
Succeeded byPiyasena Gamage
Majority63,955 Preferential Votes

Early life

Geetha Samanmalie Kumarasinghe[1] was born as the eldest daughter of Wijaya Kumarasinghe, a journalist and Udula Kumarasinghe in 1955 at Badulla.[2] She grew up in Bentara, Elpitiya and had her education at Elpitiya Ananda College, Aluthgama and Holy Family Convent, Kalutara.

As a child, she showed her talent for singing and dancing. She was crowned a beauty Queen, competing among 100 contestants in a beauty contest organised by a local newspaper in 1973.

Career

Though Geetha’s father did not approve of a career in movies or her participation in the beauty pageant, her mother was always with her. Her aunt, Anula Wickramapala, was also a friend of renowned director Lester James Peiris. Incidentally, her aunts' mansion was used as the location for his film Ransalu.[3] Little Geetha, who used to spend her school vacations in her aunt’s house in Kollupitiya would imitate Punya Heendeniya, her childhood heroine.

She signed contracts for 21 films before her debut film was released, a record in Sri Lankan Cinema.[4] It was in the year 1975 that Geetha debuted in K.A.W. Perera's Vasana but it was Neil Rupasinghe's Lassana Kella which reached cinemas first.

Kumarasinghe, who is often cast in controversial roles, has also performed the foreign films Pakistani, Hindi, Japanese, Tamil and French productions. She acted opposite Sivaji Ganesan in Mohana Punnagai which was released on 1981.

She received critical acclaim in roles such as 'Dulcie' in Pembara Madhu, 'Dotty' in Palama Yata, 'Punna' in Lokuduwa and 'Amali' in Ran Diya Dahara. In 2006, she launched official website with a ceremony at Water's Edge at Battaramulla.[5]

She produced the films Palama Yata, Salambak Handai, Loku Duwa, Anuragaye Ananthaya, Wasuli and Geetha.[6] Both of her productions, Palama Yata and Loku Duwa won her the Best Film Awards at the Sarasaviya Awards Festival.

Awards
YearOrganizationAwardFilm
1981National Film FestivalBest Supporting Actress 
1988National Film FestivalBest Supporting Actress 
1990OCIC Merit Awards Palama Yata
1990Sarasaviya Awards FestivalBest ActressPalama Yata
1990Sarasaviya Awards FestivalMost Popular Actress 
1990Swarna Sanka Film festivalBest ActressPalama Yata
1996Sarasaviya Awards FestivalBest ActressLoku Duwa
1996Swarna Sanka Film festivalBest ActressLoku Duwa
1997National Film FestivalBest ActressLoku Duwa
2000National film festivalTalented PerformanceAnuragaye Ananthaya
2000Sarasaviya Awards festivalBest ActressRajya Sevaya Pinisai
2000National Film FestivalBest ActressRajya Sevaya Pinisai
2004Sarasaviya Awards FestivalBest ActressRan Diya Dahara
2005Signis SalutationMost Outstanding PerformanceRan Diya Dahara
2005National Film FestivalBest ActressRan Diya Dahara

Political career

Geetha was an ardent supporter of Mahinda Rajapakse at 2010 presidential elections and was appointed as the chief organizer to Elpitiya electorate. She unsuccessfully contested at the 2010 general elections and blamed election irregularities for her defeat.

She contested the provincial council elections in 2014 and took oath as a counselor at the Southern Provincial Council.

Geetha contested for the 2015 Parliamentary Election from Galle District. She was elected to the 15th Sri Lankan Parliament by receiving 63,955 preferential votes.[7]

On 3 May 2017, the Sri Lanka courts disqualified her as a member of parliament because she had held dual citizenship in Sri Lanka and Switzerland. Under the constitution of Sri Lanka, no person can be elected to the parliament if they hold dual citizenship.[8] She applied in supreme courts, but the supreme courts reconfirm that she is disqualified to hold office as a member of parliament because she had held dual citizenship in Sri Lanka and Switzerland.[9][10]

Controversy

In a parliament session in November 2015 Kumarasinghe complained the lack of time given to her and made a communal statement claiming that ethnic minority Tamil members from the north received more time than her unaware that the time allocated for her was decided by her own party. She also criticised the lifting of highly discriminatory taxes on imported English and Tamil dramas. Kumarasinghe's parliamentary seat could be taken away as a result of the ongoing court case challenging her becoming a lawmaker while holding Swiss nationality and is having her own court battle after being accused of ignorance of the constitution.[11]

Injury

On 2 September 2017, she was admitted to a private hospital in Colombo with burn injuries.[12] Reports said that injuries sustained in a domestic accident when a gas leak caused an explosion in her home, where her abdominal area and legs were sustained with injuries.[13][14]

Filmography

Though her first act came through film Wasana, it was released on cinemas on 1975 after two of her late films were screened. She quit from cinema after award winning film Randiya Dahara and focused on politics. However, after 10 years, she played a minor role in Siri Daladagamanaya in 2014.[15]

  • No. denotes the Number of Sri Lankan film in the Sri Lankan cinema.[16]
YearNo.FilmRole
1975 317 Lassana Kella Geetha
1975 324 Damayanthi
1976 336 Wasana Pushpa
1976 341 Kolomba Sanniya Susila
1976 347 Asha
1976 351 Onna Mame Kella Panapi
1976 358 Ran Thilaka
1977 366 Niluka
1977 367 Pembara Madhu
1977 375 Chandi Putha Geetha [17]
1977 377 Aege Adara Kathawa Kanthi
1977 378 Maruwa Samaga Wase Menika
1978 408 Ahasin Polawata
1978 389 Seetha Devi Goddess Ramba
1978 391 Maduwanthi Maduwanthi
1978 396 Saara Sara
1978 403 Deepanjali
1978 407 Apeksha Menaka
1979 410 Samanmalee Samanmali
1979 412 Minisum Athara Minisek Indu
1979 414 Jeevana Kandulu Geetha
1979 428 Akke Mata Awasara Thanuja
1979 430 Sawdan Jema Vinodani
1979 433 Podi Malli Nalika
1980 449 Siribo Ayya Emma Nona
1980 455 Ganga Addara Miss de Soysa
1980 456 Karumakkarayo J.A Somawathi
1980 466 Api Dedena Himali
1981 Mohana Punnagai Gawiri. Tamil film, acted with Sivaji Ganesan
1981 470 Kolamkarayo Naticia
1981 473 Ranga Sunali "Punchi Hamu"
1981 477 Walampuri Rasamma
1981 494 Anjana
1981 497 Sathara Diganthaya
1981 495 Hodama Naluwa
1982 506 Mahagedara Kumari Malwinna [18]
1982 526 Kiri Suwanda Madani
1982 527 Sithara
1982 530 Thakkita Tharikita
1982 532 Major Sir
1983 550 Yali Pipunu Malak
1983 549 Siv Ranga Sena Surangi
1983 573 Hithath Hondai Wadath Hondai
1983 575 Bonikka Renuka 'Renu' Serasinghe
1984 602 Maya Neela Dias
1984 597 Himakathara Manika
1984 610 Jaya Sikurui
1985 613 Mawbima Nathinam Maranaya
1985 615 Chalitha Rangali Producer and actor
1986 Nobody Is Perfect
1986 645 Jaya Apitai
1986 646 Koti Waligaya Nilmini
1986 648 Sura Saradiyel Thangamma
1986 652 Sinha Patau
1987 661 Yukthiyada Shakthiyada
1987 665 Rajawadakarayo Rekha
1987 668 Obatai Priye Adare Tina
1988 672 Ayya Nago
1988 676 Amme Oba Nisa
1988 679 Durga
1989 686 Badulu Kochchiya
1990 709 Palama Yata Dottie. Also as producer.
1991 720 Dolos Mahe Pahana
1991 731 Salabak Hadai also as producer.
1992 752 Malsara Doni Teena
1992 764 Muwan Palessey Kadira
1993 787 Nelum Saha Samanmali
1993 789 Lagin Giyoth Aehak Naha
1993 791 Madara Parasathu Jinadari Dias
1994 802 Abiyogaya
1994 799 Ambu Samiyo Nandawatte Manike
1995 820 Inspector Geetha Inspector Geetha
1995 841 Chandini Chandini
1995 843 Sudu Walassu
1996 857 Hitha Honda Gahaniyak
1996 860 Loku Duwa [19] also as producer.
1997 884 Raththaran Minihek
1998 892 Yuda Gini Mada
1999 926 Sathaydewi Chandrawathi[20]
2000 938 Rajya Sevaya Pinisai Mahesha Upamali
2000 943 Anuragaye Ananthaya Kanchana Swarnadipathi. also as producer.[21]
2004 1045 Randiya Dahara Amali
2014 1203 Siri Daladagamanaya
gollark: I mean, demolitions people can do it and that's fine. But the tower's owners let them. (EDIT: and they do not contain people at the time)
gollark: Blowing up towers and stuff is very uncool, thus I consider them evil.
gollark: Exactly!
gollark: > the blame for 9/11 lies in the hands of America’s own leadershipThe blame for 9/11 lies in the hands of the people who decided to hijack a plane or whatever.
gollark: I'm currently physically away from the osmarks.tk servers for a week, so hopefully nothing bad will happen which requires intervention!

References
  1. Geeta's Official Website launched
  2. "Geetha talks about his mother". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  3. Biography of Geetha
  4. Trivia of Geetha
  5. "Geetha goes on line". Sunday times. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  6. Changing Looks
  7. http://www.adaderana.lk/news/32022/preferential-votes-general-election-2015
  8. http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Court-rules-Geetha-disqualified-to-be-MP-128196.html
  9. http://www.srilankamirror.com/news/news-in-brief/5637-geetha-can-t-be-a-mp-rules-sc
  10. http://www.adaderana.lk/news/43935/sc-upholds-ruling-on-geetha-kumarasinghe-mp-seat
  11. "economynext.com". www.economynext.com. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  12. "Geetha Kumarasinghe hospitalized with burn injuries". Hiru News. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  13. "Geetha Kumarasinghe admitted to hospital with burn injuries". Daily News. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  14. "ගෙදර ගෑස් කාන්දුවෙන් අනතුරට ලක් වූ ගීතාගේ තත්ත්වය සුව අතට". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  15. "[Film:Artist453175] - Geetha Kumarasinghe". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  16. "Sri Lankan Cinema History". National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  17. "All about Chandi Putha". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  18. "All about Maha Gedara". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  19. "Loku Duwa appears on Rupavahini". Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  20. "'Sathyadevi' comes wit a human touch". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  21. "'Anuragaye Ananthaya' : A struggle between a woman and society". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
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