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No regrets for Tony

by Umangi de Mel


Tony Ranasinghe

'Once Laurence Olivier said that through acting one creates reality through an illusion... Acting is a world of make-believe. Whether you are before a camera or an audience on stage it's the amount of conviction you put down on the role you're playing that counts. It's vital to convince your audience that you're somebody else when it comes to performing,' he says defining his profession and adding that a good actor needs to be sincere about it.

Much to do

"I'm a half educated man who regrets not having enough time to get myself educated. To compensate, I read a lot, so that I get to know things that I don't..." says Ranasinghe Hettiarachchige Ignatius Anthony Silva better known as Tony Ranasinghe in the Sinhala cinema.

"My brother and I used the name Ranasinghe from our young days. And Tony being a diminutive of Anthony, I eventually stuck to Tony Ranasinghe," says a man who once shook the cinema with his quite versatile acting. Smiling through a set of blue-grey eyes and hinting that he's living the autumn of his life, Tony takes a few steps down memory lane.

He was Kamala's boyfriend Sirisena in Parasathu Mal, a handsome womaniser called Siril in Ransalu, Suraweera, a compassionate husband in Duhulu Malak, a timid university student who came from the village in Hanthane Kathawa and a real thug who ran a brothel house in Saptha Kanya ... His ability to get into any role was unbelievable and today, he sits at home reading voraciously and doing his own thing.

Having started his studies at St. Anne's, Wattala, he moved to St. John's mixed school in Mutwal.

However, Tony spent his latter years of school at De La Salle College in Mutwal.

"I was a government stenographer in the late 50s before I came to the cinema. I never had an intention of becoming an actor, but I guess it would have been there subconsciously. Being a steno, I realised that I could do something more productive later on, and anyway as my brother was working for a newspaper, I used to write film reviews and short stories. But I didn't know what it was like to be an actor as I never had any qualifications.

"My brother was moving within a circle of aspiring artistes and in 1959 Arthur U. Amarasinghe introduced me to a veteran film director called Sirisena Wimalaweera who was about to start a film called Punchamma. But unfortunately for me, he died when the film was still under production and it didn't see a completion," says a partly amused Tony adding the fact that he was very embarrassed later on by his friends who would tease him about his movie.

In the latter part of 60s, Tony was taken to Lester James Peiris, to his house in Dehiwela. "But I was told that he had no role in his movie for me. But I was crazy to star in it that I asked if I could get at least a small role."

Fated

His luck didn't run out that particular day. Fortunately for him, he'd acted in a few stage plays, "Lester had seen me acting in a play called Boarding Karayo and was convinced that I could do the role of Baladasa in Gamperaliya," he says.

After 'Gamperaliya', he got to know people such as Gamini Fonseka and Joe Abeywickrama who, according to Tony have influenced his career as a film actor, as he had to take a vital decision, "I was obviously confused. Being a married man and a stenographer for several years, I wasn't sure if I could make it big as an actor.

At that particular time, the two of them helped me realise that I could earn my grub, being talented," he smiles gratefully. Tony who was merely a stage actor, started getting movies after 1963. Getavarayo, Duhulu Malak, Hanthane Kathava, Hulavali,' to name a few...

"I was on big league in movies. I'd to give up stage as I was required to concentrate more on movies. But I think if I'd continued my stage work which I really relished, I'd still be satisfied, may be more," Tony says pointing out his preference for stage plays rather than movies. "Although the movies made me part from my theatrical stuff for some time, I made a comeback in 1980, for the Sinhala version of the Merchant of Venice.

"At the time I was at De La Salle College, we were taken to see William Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Regal. Though I didn't understand a word they spoke, the acting really touched me. After some years we were taken to see Julius Caesar, where three famous actors like John Gielgud, James Mason and Marlon Brando did the main roles. Again I failed to understand the language, but it would've made some effect on me which was dormant in me until it was aroused much later."

Speaking about his stage plays, Tony says that he translated William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' which was also produced by him. "I also translated and produced Julius Caesar through which Gamini Fonseka made his debut on stage. Also an adaptation of 'Mid Summer Night's Dream' which was produced by a lady called Helena Lehtimati. The other adaptation is Oscar Wilde's 'Importance of Being Earnest'. Unfortunately because of the JVP riots we couldn't do a lot of shows in Colombo at that time".

Getting back to his life as a movie star, Tony admits that he's been very lucky to have worked with the cream of directors like Titus Thotawatte, Lester and Sumithra Peiris, Gamini Fonseka, D. B. Nihalsinghe and Sugathapala Senarath Yapa.

"It was a good experience and even my reading was directed by Lester and Gamini who wanted me to concentrate more on books on acting and cinema in particular."

Down memory lane

Having starred in over 100 movies including recent films like, Pavuru Valalu, Saptha Kanya, Duwata Mavaka Misa assumes that he's the only actor who did a variety of roles in the same movie, "In Delovak Athara Iranganie Serasinghe played my mother but later on I also played her husband in the movie.

Well, when I look back, I'm partially content and although we don't get much movies now since most of the stories are woven around young people, I feel great as I've fulfilled my wishes, getting what I've yearned for..."

Having been sceptical about leaving his steady job as a stenographer for movies, Tony says he was lucky to have lasted in the cinema with all of its ups and downs.

"I fought back and I'm happy I did now that I'm a grandfather and in the evening of my life..."

A talented person with a handsome face, Tony tried out script-writing." "I wrote stuff like Kotivalige which was directed by Gamini Fonseka, D. B. Nihalsinghe's Keli Madala which was based on a novel of Sumitra Rahubadda, G. B. Senanayake's Avaragira and Ekata Eka which I re-titled as Duvata Mavaka Misa, Prasanna Withanage's Pavuru Valalu and Sudath Deshapriya's Tharanaya.

His awards

Talking about his awards, Tony says he got the Governor General's award for Best Actor for the play Ran Thodu in 1963 and he got the taste of his first film award around 1965/1966 as best supporting actor in Parasathu Mal.

He was also awarded the Critics Award for Hanthane Kathava and the Best Script award several times.

"I got the first ever Presidential Award for Best Actor for Ahasen Polawata and for Saptha Kanya, I got four best supporting actor awards at the OCIC, Swarna Sanka, Sarasavi and Presidential Awards.

Also I got the Critics Award for Pavuru Valalu. And I've also had many love affairs," he says roaring with laughter. To him acting is part of life. Having done it for 44 years, he says he's partially satisfied and has no regrets. Nevertheless, for those who look down upon the profession, he says it's a very noble profession, and should be treated so.


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