Geetha Kumarasinghe
Hon. Geetha Kumarasinghe ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ De facto MP | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born |
Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe 5 July 1955 Elpitiya, Sri Lanka |
Spouse(s) | Chris Fuhrer Ferdinand |
Awards |
Sarasaviya Best Actress Award (1991), (1996), (2000) and (2004) |
Member of the Sri Lanka Parliament for Galle District | |
In office 2015 – 2017 De facto | |
Succeeded by | Piyasena Gamage |
Personal details | |
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Political party | United People's Freedom Alliance |
Website | http://www.geethakumarasinghe.com |
Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe (born 5 July 1955, in Badulla), popularly known as Geetha Kumarasinghe (ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ, is an award-winning Sri Lankan film actress.[1] 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 made her mark in over 80 movies, winning the prestigious Sarasaviya Best Actress Award four times, in 1991, 1996, 2000 and 2004. She was also one of the few actresses to receive the Sarasaviya Most Popular Actress Award several times.
Early life
Geetha Samanmalie Kumarasinghe[2] was born as the eldest daughter of Wijaya Kumarasinghe, a journalist and Udula Kumarasinghe in 1955 at Badulla.[3] She grew up in Bentara, Elpitiya and had her education at Sanghamitta Girls 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.[4] 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.[5] 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 famous for casting in controversial roles, has also performed in foreign films which include 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. Her performance in Palama Yata[6] (Under the Bridge) where she plays the role of a woman in the slums earned raving reviews both in Sri Lanka and overseas.
She produced popular films like Palama Yata, Salambak Handai, Loku Duwa, Anuragaye Ananthaya, Wasuli and Geetha.[7] Both of her productions, Palama Yata and Loku Duwa won her the Best Film Awards at the Sarasaviya Awards Festival.
Awards
Year | Organization | Award | Film |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | National Film Festival | Best Supporting Actress | |
1988 | National Film Festival | Best Supporting Actress | |
1990 | OCIC Merit Awards | Palama Yata | |
1990 | Sarasaviya Awards Festival | Best Actress | Palama Yata |
1990 | Sarasaviya Awards Festival | Most Popular Actress | |
1990 | Swarna Sanka Film festival | Best Actress | Palama Yata |
1996 | Sarasaviya Awards Festival | Best Actress | Loku Duwa |
1996 | Swarna Sanka Film festival | Best Actress | Loku Duwa |
1997 | National Film Festival | Best Actress | Loku Duwa |
2000 | National film festival | Talented Performance | Anuragaye Ananthaya |
2000 | Sarasaviya Awards festival | Best Actress | Rajya Sevaya Pinisai |
2000 | National Film Festival | Best Actress | Rajya Sevaya Pinisai |
2004 | Sarasaviya Awards Festival | Best Actress | Ran Diya Dahara |
2005 | Signis Salutation | Most Outstanding Performance | Ran Diya dahara |
2005 | National Film Festival | Best Actress | Ran 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.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10][11]
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.[12]
Injury
On 2 September 2017, she was admitted to a private hospital in Colombo with burn injuries.[13] 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.[14][15]
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.[16]
- No. denotes the Number of Sri Lankan film in the Sri Lankan cinema.[17]
Year | No. | Film | Role |
---|---|---|---|
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 |
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 |
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 | also as producer. |
1997 | 884 | Raththaran Minihek | |
1998 | 892 | Yuda Gini Mada | |
1999 | 926 | Sathaydewi | Chandrawathi |
2000 | 938 | Rajya Sevaya Pinisai | Mahesha Upamali |
2000 | 943 | Anuragaye Ananthaya | Kanchana Swarnadipathi. also as producer. |
2004 | 1045 | Randiya Dahara | Amali |
2014 | 1203 | Siri Daladagamanaya |
References
- ↑ "පළා බබෙක් වෙන්න මට ඕනෑ නෑ". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ↑ Geeta's Official Website launched
- ↑ "Geetha talks about his mother". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ↑ Biography of Geetha
- ↑ Trivia of Geetha
- ↑ Geetha Kumarasinghe Dotty in Palama Yata
- ↑ Changing Looks
- ↑ http://www.adaderana.lk/news/32022/preferential-votes-general-election-2015
- ↑ http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Court-rules-Geetha-disqualified-to-be-MP-128196.html
- ↑ http://www.srilankamirror.com/news/news-in-brief/5637-geetha-can-t-be-a-mp-rules-sc
- ↑ http://www.adaderana.lk/news/43935/sc-upholds-ruling-on-geetha-kumarasinghe-mp-seat
- ↑ "economynext.com". www.economynext.com. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
- ↑ "Geetha Kumarasinghe hospitalized with burn injuries". Hiru News. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
- ↑ "Geetha Kumarasinghe admitted to hospital with burn injuries". Daily News. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
- ↑ "ගෙදර ගෑස් කාන්දුවෙන් අනතුරට ලක් වූ ගීතාගේ තත්ත්වය සුව අතට". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
- ↑ "[Film:Artist453175] - Geetha Kumarasinghe". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ↑ "Sri Lankan Cinema History". National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 9 August 2016.