Dharmasiri Bandaranayake

Dharmasiri Bandaranayake (born 6 October 1949) is a Sri Lankan film director and playwright. Particularly working as a playwright, Bandaranayake is an artist who attempts to connect the sociopolitical environment with the civil society through art.

Career Bandaranyake's debut Hansa Vilak in 1980 dealt with facets of a society at odds with itself. His other films like Thunveni Yamaya (1983), Suddilage Kathaawa (1984), Bawa Duka and Bawa Karma (1997) followed similar themes. Two films Bawa Duka and Bawa Karma challenged the repressive dogma of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Common arcs in Bandaranayake's films follow the conflicted lives of men and women, transformation of private lives into public affairs, the unpleasant reality of marriage and society and the dark side of human desire.

He produced many stage plays such as Eka Adhipathi, Makarakshaya, Dhawala Bheeshana, Yakshagamanaya and Trojan Kanthavo have all dealt with current issues of national and political importance. In 1999, Bandaranayake first staged the play Trojan Kanthawo which adapted Euripides' Greek drama The Trojan Women for a Sinhala and Tamil audience. It is meant as an anti-war statement and proved to be controversial with the Sri Lankan government despite critical acclaim.

Bandaranayake received several death threats in 2001 after he made plans to stage the play in predominantly Tamil areas. In 2021, his film Hansa Vilak, a new copy has been reprinted with colored format and screened in cinemas from March 10.

Filmography

As actor Year Film Role Ref. 1969 Bakmaha Deege Premadasa 1978 Veera Puran Appu Punchi Rala 1979 Palagetiyo Sarath Gunewardena 1980 Sevaneli Aeda Minissu Victor 1980 Hansa Vilak Nissanka Weerasinghe 1981 Bamba Ketu Hati Sugath 1981 Sathara Pera Nimithi Sudath 'Sadhu' 1983 Muhudu Lihini 2015 Bora Diya Pokuna Desmond

As director Year Film Other roles Ref. 1980 Hansa Vilak Screenwriter, producer 1983 Thunveni Yamaya Screenwriter 1985 Suddilage Kathaawa Technical Advisor 1997 Bawa Duka Screenwriter 1997 Bawa Karma Screenwriter