Palitha Silva

Garanduwa Baarage Palitha Silva, born on August 30, 1967, and known by the name පාලිත සිල්වා (Sinhala), is a multi-talented personality from Sri Lanka. He is renowned as an actor, dramatist, producer, director, scriptwriter, and author. Silva's journey in the entertainment industry began at the age of 15 when he was selected to train at the prestigious Professor Solomon Fonseka's school of Acting. Over the years, he has left a remarkable impact, starring in more than 400 television serials.

Among his notable works are the roles in teledramas such as "Keetaya," "Deweni Inima," and his portrayal of the titular character in the biographical film "Anagarika Dharmapala Srimathano."

In recognition of his dedicated service towards Buddhism in Sri Lanka, he received two honorary titles: Maanava Hithavadee Keerthi Sri Veeraputra Deshabandu in June 2019 and Kalaashubana Janaranjana Keerthi Sri Deshamanya in July 2021. Notably, he also had a role in the international film "Shadow of the Cobra," alongside actors like Art Malik, Michael Woods, and Arthur Dignam.

In his personal life, Palitha Silva is happily married to Namalee Silva, whom he has known since they were 10 years old. Namalee holds the position of Deputy Chief Superintendent in the Marketing Division of Sri Lanka Insurance. She pursued her education at Holy Family Convent in Bambalapitiya and Devi Balika Vidyalaya in Colombo. Later, she earned a marketing degree from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in London. Both Palitha and Namalee grew up in the same village, Mount Lavinia, and attended the Mount Lavinia Dhammodaya Dhamma School together.

Palitha Silva's theater career took off with Dharmasiri Bandaranayake's drama "Ekadhipathy." At a young age of 16, he won his first state youth award for scriptwriting, directing, and acting in "Thawath ek wiroopiyek" in 1983. He further gained recognition for his performance in the critically acclaimed stage drama "Sargent Nallathambi," where he acted alongside Nihal Silva. Additionally, he honed his acting skills under the directorship of Helena Lehtimäki in productions of Bertolt Brecht's "Mr Puntila and his Man Matti" and William Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dreams." His talent was recognized when he was nominated for the best actor award at the National State Drama festival in 1988, for his role as Estragon in Samuel Beckette's "Waiting for Godot." Furthermore, in 1994, he secured the Best Actor Award at the State Drama festival for his performance in "Kaspa."

As a theater director, Palitha Silva first showcased his talents with the play "Ballangen Pravesam Wenu" in 1984, which received numerous awards and accolades at the National Youth Drama festival. He continued to direct stage plays for schools like Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. Moreover, he collaborated with various British and German dramatists in his theatrical journey.

After a gap of 28 years, in 2012, he returned to direct another stage play called "Circus Karayo," which premiered at the Lionel Wendt Theater on July 31, 2012.