Tony Ranasinghe

Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony Silva, who later gained popularity as Tony Ranasinghe, was born on July 31, 1937, in Modara. He was the second child of Emmanuel Cyril and Lilian Fernando, and he had eight siblings, including his elder brother Ralex and younger siblings Stella, Marie, Gina, Romwell, Christopher, and Daya. Tony received his education at St. Anthony's College in Wattala and De LaSalle College in Modera. His father worked as a Technical Officer in the Department of Posts and Telecommunications. During his school days, he developed a love for cricket and collected photographs of Don Bradman.

Initially, Tony started his career as an English stenographer but left the job after a few months. He changed his name following the influence of his brother Ralex, who suggested it for an advertisement related to the 1962 drama "Bodinkarayo."

Tony Ranasinghe was married to his long-time partner, Sirima Indrani Wickramasuriya. Their wedding took place on April 30, 1962. Sadly, Tony passed away on June 16, 2015, at a public hospital in Colombo, at the age of 77.

Career-wise, Tony began his journey in theater with a role in Dharmasiri Wickramaratne's "Ran Thodu" in 1963, which earned him the Governor General's Award for Best Stage Actor, presented by Minister T. B. Ilangaratne. His first film appearance was in Sirisena Wimalaweera's "Punchi Amma," although the film was not released due to an economic crisis.

Tony made his film debut in Lester James Peries' "Gamperaliya" (1964) and continued to showcase his talent in movies like "Ran Salu" and "Delovak Athara," where he played diverse roles. He went on to portray leading roles in several critically acclaimed blockbusters, including "Parasathu Mal," "Baddegama," "Hulawali," "Duhulu Malak," "Hanthane Kathawa," "Pawuru Walalu," and "Le Kiri Kandulu."

During his early days, Tony also appeared in numerous stage dramas in collaboration with Sugathapala de Silva's drama group, "Ape Kattiya." Some of the plays he acted in include "Bodimkarayo," "Thattu Gewal," "Waguru Bima," "Virupi Muhuna," "Harima Badu Hayak," "Julius Caesar," and "Veniciye Velenda."

In addition to his film and theater work, Tony also made appearances in several television serials, such as "Awarjana," "Suwanda Kekulu," "Raigam Yaluwo," "Ekata Getuma," "Hathe Wasama," "Manokaya," "Soorya Vinsathi," and "Kadamuna."

Apart from acting, Tony contributed to scriptwriting and drama production. He worked on productions like "Koti Waligaya," "Awaragira," "Tharanaya," "Pawuru Walalu," "Kelimadala," and "Duwata Mawaka Misa." He also produced stage plays like "Julius Caesar," "Balawa Nawaka Aruma," and "Dolosweni Rathriya." Additionally, Tony was a talented author who wrote books such as "Jogi Hamarai," "Hemadama Oba Mage," and "Mata Kawuruth Adare Na." He also serialized the novel "Adarane