Sathischandra Edirisinghe passes away

 Veteran artist Sathischandra Edirisinghe, who rendered an outstanding service to the Sri Lankan art field for over six decades, has passed away. His family members confirmed that he passed away yesterday (22) while receiving treatment at a private hospital due to an illness.

Mr. Edirisinghe, who was 84 years old at the time of his death, was the brother of veteran singer Sunil Edirisinghe and a unique artist who succeeded in nurturing the local art field. Born on February 11, 1941, Mr. Edirisinghe can also be described as a foundational pillar of Sri Lankan cinema as well as tele-drama art.

Entering the art world at a very young age, he joined the 'Lamapitiya' program of the Radio Corporation in 1953 and succeeded in winning the Best Actor award in the Southern Province for his performance in Anton Chekhov's play 'The Proposal' at a school drama competition.

He entered cinema in 1966 through the film 'Sadol Kandulu' directed by Senator Reggie Perera, portraying the character of a Buddhist monk in his first cinematic performance.

Having contributed to over 35 films, he gained international attention through the film 'Adhishthana', which represented Sri Lanka at the Mannheim International Film Festival in Germany in 1982. In addition to his artistic endeavors, Mr. Edirisinghe held various positions in his professional life, serving as a clerk at Lankem in 1965, then as the Manager of Cultural Affairs at the Mahaweli Authority from 1986 to 1998, and also as a Cultural Affairs Advisor to the Ministry of Irrigation in 2008.

Having also made a significant contribution to the field of literature, he authored nearly 25 books, including works such as 'Our Precious Gems', 'Fence Around the Mouth', 'Water and Man', 'Love and Marriage', 'Our Father', and 'Portraying Teacher Roles', among which are eight children's literature works.

Mr. Sathischandra Edirisinghe, who received numerous awards during his artistic career, won the Presidential Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1985 for his performance in the film 'Hima Kathara', and in 1990, he was honored with the 'Kala Suri' award by President Ranasinghe Premadasa. Additionally, he received the U.W. Sumathipala Memorial Award at the Sumathi Awards ceremony in 2003, and the 'Prathibha Prabha' honorary award at the Raigam Tele'es Awards ceremony in 2010. In 2006, the University of Kelaniya also conferred an honorary doctorate upon him.