Dayananda Gunawardena

Hettipathirannehelage Dayananda Gunawardena (Sinhala: දයානන්ද ගුනවර්ධන) (15 October 1934 – 24 June 1993), better known as Dayananda Gunawardena, was a Sri Lankan playwright, actor, lyricist, dramatist, radio play producer, and Sinhala Radio Play writer.

Early life Dayananda Gunawardena was born on 15 October 1934 in Halgampitiya, Udugampola Sri Lanka. His father, Don Simon, was an English teacher. Gunawardena completed his schooling at the Ugampola Government School (1943–46) and continued his education at the Veyngoda Government Secondary School (1946–51). Beginning in 1951, he attended Ananda College in Colombo.

While at school, he was active in many societies such as the drama society, in which he acted as the Junior Cadet Captain, and won the trophy of "best cadet".

Gunawardena also served as the vice-president of the college geographic society. At Ananda College he was awarded the D.B. Jayatilleke Literary Award and the Amarasena Art Award. In 1957 he joined the University of Peradeniya and completed his General Arts Qualifying Examination. He married Irangani Ranatunga of Gampaha on 28 September 1967 and they had three children. His next play, Bakmaha Akunu (1962), based on the French drama The Marriage of Figaro, was made into a film. Kaamare Pore (1962), produced as a single stage drama in Sinhala, is an adaptation of the play Box and Cox by English playwright John Maddison Morton. It was first staged without songs. Another notable play of Gunawardana is Madhura Javanika (Joyous Scenes).

Television He produced programs for Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (1961–1989). He directed programs there for Audio Research (1989–1990) and English Service (1990–1992).

Education He attended the International Student and Youth Festival (Moscow, 1957). He was the Sri Lankan Representative at the International Drama Federation and Study of Drama in Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Russia (1962). He was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship for Study of Radio and Television at BBC by Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (1966). He served as the Sri Lankan Representative at the First Television Festival of the Non-Aligned (1979). He conducted research on Buddhism and Korean Theatre following a scholarship awarded by the South Korean International Cultural Foundation (1991).

Works Gunawardena produced works for theatre, television and cinema:

Theatre Swarnathilaka– 1958 – Produced by Kegalu Vidyalaya Drama Society Paraassa – 1959 – Staged by National Drama Circle NariBena -1960 – First Production for Thurstan College Drama Society, 1961 – Second Production for Amateur Drama Society Kamare Pore – 1960 – Adaptation from English Drama "Box and Cox" Emathi Pattama– 1960 – Adaptation from the Bulgarian Drama "Golemanov" Pinguththara– 1961 – Produced by the Sinhala Society of the University of Colombo Bakmaha Akunu– 1963 – Adaptation of the French Drama "Marriage of Figaro" (Introduced the Revolving Stage to Sri Lanka for the first time) Denna Depole– 1964 – Produced from Hemasiri Prewardhana's script Jasaya Saha Lenchina– 1965 Jeevana Vanchawa hewath Ibikatta– 1965 Vikaraye Akaraya– 1967 – Produced for the Drama Festival of 'Lassana' Newspapers Kabaye Habe– 1971 Padmawathi– 1974 – Produced along with Lakshman Jayakody after editing the original publication of Charles Dias Gajaman Puwatha – 1975 Banku Natakaya – 1977 – Produced for the 10th Anniversary of the People's Bank Madhura Javanika– 1983 – Produced in association with Jones Overseas 1984 – Winner of Peace Award (Drama) Ananda Jawanika– 1986 – Awarded Best Direction and Special Award for Script at the 1987 State Drama Festival. In addition, certificates awarded for Best Music, Stage Management and Acting. Mathaka Bhaktha– 1990 – Produced on the invitation of the Police Sub Services Headquarters

Film Bak maha Deege– 1969 (Following the Bakmaha Akunu Drama)

Performed films

Kurulu Bedda Ran Salu Wesathuru Siritha