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Buddhisena Dayaratne Wickrama (19 January 1939 – 5 January 2023), popularly known as Buddhi Wickrama, was a Sri Lankan actor in cinema, theatre, and television. He is most notable for the roles played in the television dramas Tharadevi, Suseema, Boomarangaya, and Amba Yahaluvo.

Biography

Wickrama was born in Heenatigala, Galle, British Ceylon on 19 January 1939, as the second child of the family. His father worked in the Department of Posts, and he had one elder brother and two younger sisters. He completed his primary education from Heenatigala Sariputhra College and his secondary education from Mahinda College.

While in school, he performed in the stage play Avurudda produced by Vinnie Vitharana. After that, he worked in the Department of Surveys in 1959 as a designer, where he met fellow actors Dhamma Jagoda, Santin Gunawardena, Shelton de Silva, and Mervyn Jayathunga. During this period, Buddhi joined the "Kala Pela" drama troupe founded by G. D. L. Perera. In 1962, he made his first theatre appearance in Perera's play Magul Mathe. Other stage plays he performed in include Andare, Parasthawa, Kāmarē Porē, Janēlaya, Thotupala, Mehew Lokayak, Kontharē, Manaranjana Weda Warjana, Hotabari Yuddē, Apāyē Avurudu, and Sri Wickrama. After leaving the Survey Department, Buddhi joined the Ceramics Corporation. His last stage performance was R. R. Samarakoon's Doovili.

In 1964, he made his first cinema appearance in the film Saama, directed by Perera. In 1967, he acted in the film Sadol Kandulu. He also appeared in foreign films and serials such as The Village by the Sea, Good Marriages, The Greatest Gift, and Water. He portrayed a friend of Gorin Mudalali in the film Welikathara, and as a robber in the film Haralakshaya.

In 1975, Wickrama married Irangani Wannakukorala and the couple had one daughter. They met while both were working at the Ceramics Corporation.

His first television appearance came through the 1987 serial Eka Mawakage Daruwo directed by Lucien Bulathsinhala. He then appeared in more than 40 television serials over two decades, including Kumarihami, Palingu Menike, Thara Devi, Doo Daruwo, Amba Yahaluvo, Gam Peraliya, Suseema, and Bawa Tharana as his final television appearance in 2012. Among them is the role he played as Punsiri's father in the teledrama Du Daruwo and the role 'Kendalanda' in the popular teen serial Amba Yahaluvo, which received critical acclaim.

In 2014, he underwent bypass heart surgery and retired from acting. Wickrama later became confined to a wheelchair, and then bedridden after suffering a dislocated hip. In 2017, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Wickrama died on 5 January 2023, at the age of 83. He was undergoing treatment at the General Hospital in Homagama at the time of his death.

Selected television serials

• Thara Devi
• Amba Yahaluvo
• Bawa Tharana
• Doo Daruwo
• Charitha Thunak
• Gamanaanthaya
• Gam Peraliya
• Hiruta Muwawen
• Kadathurawa
• Kalu Makara
• Kumarihami
• Palingu Menike
• Pitagankarayo
• Punchi Hapannu
• Sandagalathanna
• Sihina Nimnaya
• Sihinayak Addara
• Sonduru Sithaththi
• Suseema

Filmography

References

1. "Actors of Sinhala Cinema: Buddhi Wickrama බුද්ධි වික්‍රම". Digital Identity of Sinhala Cinema. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
2. ^ "Some even called me the son who killed my father". Deshaya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
3. ^ "Buddhi: The resourceful actor". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
4. ^ "They said son who killed father". Hiru FM. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
5. "Official Bored GDL Movies". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
6. "Playwrights and their creations – 19". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
7. "The first Sinhala drama to premiere in a foreign country". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
8. ^ "Oscar winner Murray Abraham is a good friend of mine – Veteran actor Buddhi Wickrama". Silumina. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
9. ^ "Death is ok, I told the doctor – Veteran actor Buddhi Wickrama". Divaina. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
10. Lk, Lifie (13 February 2021). "Unspoken Stories in Our Art World – Part 11". Lifie.lk. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
11. "Current situation of veteran dramatist Buddhi Wickrama". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
12. "Veteran actor Buddhi Wickrama passed away". Newswire.lk. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
13. "Veteran actor Buddhi Wickrama bids farewell to life" (in Sinhala). Ada Derana. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
14. "Nalan Mendis' taste for "Doo Daruwo" in their thirties". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
15. "Buddhi Wickrama achives". Torana Video. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
16. "All about Dahasak Sithuvili". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
17. "My dreams are Roses for my love". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
18. "A woman between two men: Weli Kathara". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
19. "True stories from Ashokamala to Mathew". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
20. "Memory Lane of Preethi". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
21. "The river of life must be "crossed" with patience. Tharanaya". The Leader. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
22. "Sudath films a new story". Sunday Times. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
23. "The twinkling star in 'Water'". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 29 June 2021.

External links

• Buddhi Wickrama at IMDb

• 1939 births
• 2023 deaths
• Sri Lankan male film actors
• Sri Lankan Buddhists
• Sri Lankan male television actors
• Sri Lankan male stage actors
• People from Galle
• 20th-century Sri Lankan male actors
• 21st-century Sri Lankan male actors
• Alumni of Mahinda College