Titus Thotawatte no more

Film veteran Titus Thotawatte passed away yesterday at a private hospital in Colombo. He was 82.

Born in 1929 Thotawatte was a unique character who introduced innovation to the cinema and later the television.

He joins the Government Film Unit in early 1950s as a film editor. Later Thotawatte joins Lester James Peries and Willie Blake in 1956 as an assistant director and film editor in making the Rekava film.

In 1965 he directed the film Chandiya, in 1969 Kawuda Hari?, in 1970 Thewatha and several others.

The evergreen children's film Handaya was directed by him in 1979. Among his film creations were Haralakshe, Sihasuna, Sagarika, Maruwa Samaga Wase and Mangala. He was also the film editor in several films under film directors of Gamperaliya, Ranmuthuduwa. The last film he edited was Gamini Fonseka's Nomiyena Minisun. He received the Best Director's Award for Handaya in 1980. He received his lifetime award the Sarasaviya Rana Thisara Award in 1995.

Bringing a change to the television screen Thotawatte made a turning point in the Sri Lankan cartoon field with a series of cartoons in Dosthara Honda Hitha was its highlight.

Titus Thotawatte was a product of Ananda College.