Hugo Fernando

Kanupulage Ugo Singho (14 July 1912 – 12 April 1999), popularly known as Hugo Master or Hugo Fernando, was a Sri Lankan film personality. Debuting in the first Sinhalese film Kadawunu Poronduwa, Fernando had an over 30 year career as a character actor, lyricist, assistant director and music director.

Hugo Fernando හියුගෝ ප්‍රනාන්දු
Born	Kanupulage Ugo Singho (1912-07-14)July 14, 1912 Negombo, Sri Lanka
Died	April 12, 1999(1999-04-12) (aged 86)
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Other names	Hugo Master
Education	Dalupotha Roman Catholic School
Occupation	Actor, composer, lyricist, screenplay writer
Years active	1947-1996
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Fernando (m. 1935)
Children	6
Parents	Peduru Fernando (father) Liyanage Elizabeth Fernando (mother)

Personal life

Fernando was born on 14 July 1912 in Periyamulla, Negombo as the eldest of the family. His father was Peduru Fernando, who was famous for repairing village houses. His mother Liyanage Elizabeth Fernando was a housewife. He has one younger sister, Martha Mary Fernando.[1] He attended Dalupotha Roman Catholic School but was forced to drop out in the seventh grade to support his poverty stricken family. His father fell from a scaffolding and unable to move since then. Therefore his mother started to work in coir mill. He took to working at coir mills, estates, tobacco stores, fish stalls and in masonry to this end.[2]

After stopping at the coir mill, he joined a group of fishermen in Kukulawa, Trincomalee, where he joined a fishing group at the village Alambala, 24 miles from Mullaitivu. After few months, he joined to a tobacco store in Hiriyale with a friend and worked as a cook. Later, he worked as a "kankanam" in a garden in Puttalam. During this period, he used to learn English and cookery from a tamil teacher. He changed Ugo's name into "Hugo" due to famous French writer Victor Hugo, teacher's favorite. At the age of 16, Hugo went to work as an assistant mason.[1]

He was married to Elizabeth Fernando in 1935. The couple has six children - eldest Bridget Malini, then son Nimal Anthony, daughter Lalitha, three sons Gamini Malcus, Sarath and Brito. Brito Fernando was a member of the Negombo Municipal Council for some time and currently works for the family of the missing in The Human Rights Council.[1]

He died on 12 April 1999 at the age of 86.[3]

Cinema career

An encounter with Welgampola Malachias Perera, better known as "Malathias Master", led to Fernando joining the musician's orchestra as a mouth organ and mandolin player. His first play was broadcast on the 1934 radio station.[1] He then joined the Minerva Theatre Group and wrote music for B. A. W. Jayamanne's play Awatharaya. Fernando contributed to the recording of Rukmani Devi and H. W. Rupasinghe's song Sri Buddha Gaya Vihare in 1939.[2]

In 1947, Fernando took a triple role in the production of the first Sinhalese film Kadawunu Poronduwa, an adaption of a B. A.W. Jayammane play. In addition to playing a role in the movie, he sang the song Sandyawe Shriya with Rukmani Devi and penned its songs such as Eddie Jayamanne's "Lapate Rupe Age".[2] At the same time, Hugo joined the drama group of P. S. Kularatne's "Sirilak Limited". Hugo has been performed all over the country as the harmonium player of Shanthi Kumara Seneviratne's dance troupe. He then produced the play Gehenu Hitha, written by the Malathias Master.[1]

Fernando worked extensively in the 1950s in such trades as assistant director on Banda Nagarayata Pemineema (1952) and Prema Tharangaya (1953), screenwriter on films like Puduma Leli (1953), Ahankara Sthree (1954), Mathalang (1955) and Duppathage Duka (1956) and music director and singer in Pitisara Kella (1953) and Saradiel (1954). He played the lead role for the first time in the film Prema Tharangaya as well as the songwriter. Additionally, he played major roles in many of these films.[2] In 1954, five of his songs in the film Ahankara Sthree were popular.[1]

Subsequently, Fernando has portrayed characters in such films as Sandesaya (1960), Dheewarayo (1964), Allapu Gedara (1965), Surekha, Sihasuna, Sahayata Danny (1974), Kawda Raja (1976), Chin Chin Nona (1977) and Hitha Honda Minihek (1975).[2]

Fernando has been involved to introduce many new faces to Sinhala cinema, where they became the popular stars in the coming years. He trained Clarice de Silva as an actress and introduced Rohini Jayakody and Ravindra Rupasena to cinema with the film Ahankara Sthree. Then he introduced Anthony C. Perera through Duppathage Duka and Vijitha Mallika through Sooraya. He also introduced Thilakasiri Fernando and Jeevarani Kurukulasuriya to Lester James Peries. Popular actors, Anton Gregory, Bernard Reginald and Andrew Jayamanne entered cinema under the guidance of Hugo Fernando.[1]

Hugo also worked as an assistant director in the film Vana Mohini.[1]

Filmography

Year	Film	Acting role	Other roles
1947	Kadawunu Poronduwa	Settiyar	Composer, Lyricist, Playback Singer
1952	Banda Nagarayata Peminima	Blind singer	Assistant Director, Lyricist
1953	Pitisara Kella		Music Supervisor
1953	Puduma Leli	Lata's father	Lyricist, Dialogue Writer
1953	Prema Tharangaya	Walpola Mudalali	Screenwriter, Lyricist, Playback Singer
1954	Saradiel	Music Arranger
1954	Ahankara Sthree	Siamis Mudalali	Screenwriter, Lyricist, Assistant Director
1955	Matalan	Chitravali's father
1956	Dosthara	Banda	Lyricist
1956	Duppathage Duka	Sethan	Lyricist
1956	Sooraya		Screenwriter
1957	Siriyalatha	Jurmis Perera
1957	Soorasena
1958	Sepali		Lyricist
1958	Wana Mohini		Screenwriter
1960	Sandesaya	Vithana Rala
1960	Veera Vijaya		Screenwriter
1963	Adata Wadiya Heta Hondai	Gabriel 'Mudalali'	Screenwriter
1964	Dheewarayo		Screenwriter
1965	Chandiya	Appuhamy	Screenwriter
1965	La Dalu
1965	Allapu Gedara	Visharada 'Master'	Screenwriter
1966	Oba Dutu Da
1967	Rena Giraw	Virindu singer
1967	Sura Chauraya
1968	Ruhunu Kumari		Screenwriter, Lyricist
1968	Amathikama
1968	Ataweni Pudumaya		Dialogue Writer
1969	Mee Masso
1969	Pancha
1970	Thevetha
1970	Suli Sulang		Screenwriter
1970	Dan Mathakada	Caretaker	[4]
1970	Ohoma Hondada
1972	Singapore Charlie
1974	Sagarika
1974	Sahayata Danny
1974	Surekha
1974	Sihasuna
1975	Hitha Honda Minihek	Master
1975	Suraya Surayamai	Martin Appuhamy 'Daddy'
1975	Kokilayo
1975	Rajagedara Paraviyo
1976	Ganga
1976	Unnath Dahai Malath Dahai
1976	Mangala
1976	Kawuda Raja	Loku Hamu 'Daddy'
1976	Hariyata Hari	Mudalali	Dialogue Writer
1977	Chin Chin Nona
1977	Maruwa Samaga Wase	Mudalali
1978	Apsara
1978	Deepanjali
1979	Muwan Palessa	Arachhila
1980	Hondin Inna
1980	Seetha
1980	Muwan Palessa 2	Korale Mahathaya
1980	Kinduru Kumari	Gurunnanse
1981	Kolamkarayo	Club owner
1982	Thakkita Tharikita
1982	Kadawunu Poronduwa remake
1983	Muwan Palessa 3	Arachhila
1983	Sandamali	Mudalali
1983	Hithath Hondai Wadath Hondai
1984	Mala Giravi	Meena's Appa
1984	Kekille Rajjuruwo
1986	Yali Hamuwennai	Priyanthi's father
1987	Kele Kella	Mudalali
1987	Obatai Priye Adare	Johnny
1988	Chandingeth Chandiya
1989	Waradata Danduwama		Lyricist
1990	Jaya Kothanada
1991	Cheriyo Doctor	Patient
1991	Alibaba Saha Horu Hathaliha		Dialogue Writer
1992	Sinha Raja
1992	Okkoma Kanapita
1992	Muwan Palesse Kadira
1992	Sakkara Suththara
1994	Okkoma Hondatai
1995	Cheriyo Captain	Party goer
1996	Sathi

References

1. "The cinema legend laughed through dialogues". Sarsaviya. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
2. Uvais, Ramesh (2006). "Hugo Master: The Multi-Faceted Entertainer". Daily Mirror.
3. "Hugo Master". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
4. "All about Dan Mathakada". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 22 February 2020.

External links

• Hugo Fernando's Biography in Sinhala Cinema Database
• Hugo Fernando on IMDb