Pearl Vasudevi


Pearl Peiris, popularly as Pearl Vasudevi, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema as well as a singer.

Personal life

Vasudevi was born as Pearl Peiris in Galle on March 30, 1915 to a Burgher family. She studied at the Good Shepherd Convent, Colombo and became interested in theater at a young age.
She was married to fellow actor Eddie Junior. The couple has one daughter, Sujeewa Lalee. Sujeewa also acted in few films including maiden acting in Sithijaya. Vasudevi died 19 June 1987 at the age of 72 following a brief illness.

Career

Vasudevi made her debut as an actress in 1930 playing the role of a princess in the play Aparikshakari Nadu Theenduwa at the age of 15. With her fluency in English, she also secured a leading role in an adaption of Merchant of Venice. Vasudevi joined Eddie Master's troupe shortly after acting in the role of Seetha in Ramayanaya. The dramatist's son Eddie Junior composed the music for the play. Through their work together, Pearl and Eddie Junior would fall in love and got married in 1940. She also served as a Radio Ceylon singer at Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
Vasudevi made her film debut with husband Eddie Junior in Sirisena Wimalaweera's 1949 movie Amma. She would subsequently appear in over 150 films including Sithijaya with her daughter Sujeewa Lalee.

Filmography