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Mary Felicia Perera (born June 7, 1944, සෝනියා දිසා) ), popularly as Sonia Dissanayake or known professionally as Sonia Disa, is a former actress in Sri Lankan cinema. Starting her career in 1962, Disa became one of the most popular film actresses in Sri Lanka in the 1970s and 1980s. Apart from acting, she also produced 17 films and worked as a costume designer.

Personal life

Disa was born on 7 June 1944 in Kotahena, Colombo as Mary Felicia Perera. She was married to Karu Dissanayake, who was also a film actor and made his film debut with Soorayangeth Sooraya, later acting in popular films including Weli Kathara, Thushara and Janaka Saha Manju. He died on 17 November 2009. Disa lives in Australia with her two children, Udaya and Harshani, and her three grandchildren.

In 2017, Sonia was hospitalized due to a sudden heart attack. She recovered successfully after surgery.

Career

Disa was introduced to cinema by Anthony C. Perera at the age of 19. He brought Sonia into Titus Thotawatte and she acted as "club girl" in his 1962 film Chandiya. Her major cinematic breakthrough came through a supporting role in the 1964 film Heta Pramada Wadi, directed by Shantha Kumar Senevirathna. Some of her most popular films are Soorayangeth Sooraya, Thusara, Sadahatama Oba Magai and Janaka Saha Manju.

During the shooting of 1976 film Nedeyo, Sonia was severely injured when acting a scene in a car. She was admitted to the hospital in a comatose state and relieved after seven days. One of her eyes was severely damaged and the vision was lost in that eye. It took one year and six months for her to recover completely. Disa won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Obata Divura Kiyannam at Sarasavi Film Festival and Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Devduwa at the Presidential award festival.

Disa acted with Gamini Fonseka in 15 films, which enabled her to play in different levels in Sinhalese cinema. She acted in many villainous roles opposite Malini Fonseka. She then started to act in more dramatic roles which commenced with Jeewana Ganga directed by Dayananda Rodrigo. Finally, she was acted in many motherly roles in blockbuster movies such as Thaththai Puthai, Raja Wadakarayo, Hitha Honda Chandiya and Mamai Raja. With many western roles, her name was transferred to stage name Sonia Disa by Tissa Abeysekara.

In 1986, she produced her maiden cinema production Jaya Apatai along with Sunil T. Fernando.

In 2004, Disa celebrated 40 years of her cinema career with a grand ceremony at the BMICH. After 20 years, she acted in Dayaratne Ratagedara's poya day single episode teledrama Mudukku.

Arrest

16 February 2015, Disa was arrested by the Slave Island police for trespassing on the Nava Sama Samaja Party office premises at Barrack road Colombo 2. She charged that her house was unlawfully acquired by Wickramabahu Karunaratne. She also stated that the building was given to former minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara twenty years ago. However, six people including Disa, were produced before the Fort Magistrate Court. She was released on bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on 18 February 2015.

Filmography

As actress

As producer

As costume designer

References

1. "Actresses in Sri Lankan cinema - Sonia Disa". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
2. "Actresses in Sri Lankan cinema - Semini Iddamalgoda". National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
3. ^ "SONIA Dissa SO NEAR TO OUR HEARTS". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
4. "Karu Dissanayake". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
5. "Sonia speaks about Sunil T." Neth Gossip. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
6. ^ "Sonia Disa brought me luck". Saaraviya. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
7. "They never helped me". Dinamina. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
8. "Sonia Disa filmography". Sinhala Cinema Database. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
9. "Soniya Disanayaka filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
10. "Sonia Dissa's colleagues fete her". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
11. "No child's play!". Daily News. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
12. "A colourful career of four decades". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
13. "Chat with Sonia". Hiru FM. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
14. "Actress Sonia Disa arrested". News First. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
15. "Actress Sonia Disa released on bail". News First. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
16. "All about "Chandiya"". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
17. "Sri Lankan film maker Siva Sivanandan talks about his lost film 'Oba Dutu Da'". News Trails. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
18. "All about the film "Ohoma Hondada"". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
19. "All about Sahanaya". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
20. "Rise of the director-actor". The Nation. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
21. "All about the film "Thushara"". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
22. "All about the film "Kawuda Raja"". sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
23. "Deviyani Oba Koheda". sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
24. "Chin Chin Nona, who came before Tom Pachaya". sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
25. "Intriguing K.A.W. Perera And the roads he took us through". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
26. "All about Monarathanna". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
27. "All about the film "Hingana Kolla"". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
28. "All about 'Uthumaneni'". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
29. "කොටි සනා Koti Sana". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
30. "'Kauda Bole Alice': a rip-roaring comedy". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
31. "Old wine in new bottle". Daily News. Retrieved 19 November 2019.

External links

• “Actresses Always Took Advantage Of Me..” - Sunil T
• Sonia turns 75 in style
• සෝනියා දිසා ගේ රෝහල් බිල ගෙවීමේ අර්බූදයක

• Living people
• Sri Lankan film actresses
• 1944 births
• Sri Lankan film producers
• Sinhalese artists