Veteran movie and teledrama actor Amarasiri Kalansuriya passed away yesterday at the age of 82.
An old boy of Dharmaraja College, Kandy, Kalansuriya first appeared in Sugathapala Senarath Yapa’s Hanthane Kathawa (1969), which was incidentally Vijaya Kumaratunga’s first film as well. Kalansuriya bagged a Critics’ Award for his second movie Ahas Gawwa in 1974.
He was still a student when he acted in the short 8 mm movie Reyath Dawalath. Among his other films are Akkara Paha, Nim Walalla, Apeksha, Parithyagaya, Bambaru Awith, Podi Malli, Kanchana, Yasa Isuru, Sakvithi Suvaya, Pooja, Podi Wije, Ahas Maliga and Sagarayak Meda.
His last movie was Hima Tharaka in 2017. He also acted in Sri Lanka’s first episodic teledrama Dimuthu Muthu along with Devika Mihirani. He won a number of Presidential and Sarasavi awards. He also served in the Sri Lanka Army for around six years.