Wijeratne Warakagoda


Rajakaruna Navaratne Atapattu Mudiyanselage Wijeratne Banda Warakagoda is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television.. Career spanning more than six decades, Warakagoda is also he is a singer and a voice artist in Radio Ceylon. He is best known for the role "Korale Mahaththaya" in radio sitcom Muwan Palessa.

Personal life

Wijeratne Warakagoda was born on 21 November 1933, in a small village in Kurunegala although his father's ancestry home town was Warakagoda in Harispattuwa, Kandy. His mother was Basnayake Mudiyanselage Ran Menika. Since his father worked for the police, he went to seven schools.
He studied at St. Anne’s College Kurunegala for nine years and ended up at Ananda College, Colombo. During school times, he was excellent in sports such as 5000m, 800m as well as for singing.
After school life, he first worked as junior clerk in a Kurunegala bank. Meanwhile, he applied for the government clerk exam and became the second from Sri Lanka. The month after the results, he got the job in the Kachcheriya. After few years of working, he applied for the Sri Lanka Police Service and became a Police Inspector in June 1956 after doing a written examination in Kandy and going to the Katukuranda Police Training College, Kalutara. After training, he was first appointed in Pettah Police and later to the Fort police. From there he was sent to the Police Transport Division for training. He served it for eight years as a Sub Inspector in crime division while he continued acting on stage. He is one of the active inspectors at the hospital when Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was shot and taken to the hospital.
In 1970, Warakagoda married Chithra, who was also a co-actor in Henry Jayasena's stage play Kuveni. The wedding was celebrated on 28 January 1970 at Hotel Taprobane. They had a son and a daughter; Vindya, born in 1972 is a dancer and Jananath born in 1977, is a musician.

Career

In 1960 Warakagoda was selected as an A-Grade singer in Radio Ceylon. First he sang the song Yanawada Maa Dama Sundari by Sisira Senaratne. In, 1962, film director Robin Tampoe invited Warakagoda for his film Suhada Divi Piduma, which marked his cinema career. Then, he acted in few Tampoe's films such as Samaje Api Okkoma Samanai and Sudu Sande Kali Wala.
In 1963, he acted in his first stage drama in Ajasaththa produced by Wimal Nawagamuwa. For his role as "Old King Bimbisara", he won the best actor award in the style section at Drama competition. Then Henry Jayasena invited him to play the role of "Puraka" in the drama Kuveni. He continued to act in many plays produced by Jayasena, such as Apata Puthe Magak Nathe, Mana Ranjana Wada Warjana, Hunuwataye Kathawa and Diriya Mawa Saha Aege Daruwo.
In 1964, Ediriweera Sarachchandra invited him to play the role of "Puraka" in the critically acclaimed stage play Maname. His relationship with Warakagoda Prof. Sarachchandra continued to grow, where Warakagoda acted his stage plays including, Sinhabahu, Prematho Jayathi Soko, Kapuwa Kapothi Mahasara and Lomahansa. He then played as "Jasaya" in the stage play Jasaya Lenchina produced by his classmate Dayananda Gunawardena.
He moved to radio drama as a voice artist for the radio drama Muwan Pelessa one of the longest running radio dramas in the recorded history of Sri Lankan radio. With that drma, Warakagoda became the only artist who has played a single role in the radio drama for over 55 years. Since Muwan Pelessa was only launched in late 1963, the SLBC has no record of it, and the only evidence to show that it was begun on March 12, 1964, was a photo of its founder Dr. Somaratne. The character started as "Arachchila" but later changed to "Korale" when Mudalinayaka moved to US when the JVP started its turmoil on April 5, 1971. During his peak time in acting career, Warakagoda went Saudi Arabia in 1982 to earn money. After return to Sri Lanka, he acted in the play Maha Giri Daba produced by Jayalath Manoratne. He also worked as Chief Security Officer of the Oruwala Steel Corporation for few years.
Warakagoda served as the Deputy Director General on the Tower Hall Theatre Foundation until 1990.

Theater works

YearNo.FilmRole
196290Suhada Divi Piduma
1963102Gam PeraliyaRathnapura doctor
1964112Samaje Api Okkoma SamanaiMob member
1965123La Dalu
1965128Adarayay Karunaway
1966139Sithala Wathura
1966145Delovak AtharaPolice inspector
1966151Parasathu MalTabla player
1967157Hathara Kendare
1968186Golu HadawathaSarath
1969200Samaja Sathuro
1969211BinaramaliHeen Banda
1970224Akkara PahaTeacher
1970230Priyanga
1970232Thun Man HandiyaActor. also as playback singer
1971247Samanala Kumariyo Samaga Api Kawadath Surayo
1971249Maha Hene Riri YakaRichard Perera
1972250NidhanayaSilva
1980457Muwan Palessa 2Korale Mahaththaya
1981474Beddegama
1981491Bandura Mal
1981494Anjana
1981499Aradhana
1982534Kale Mal
1982535Malata Noena Bambaru
1982541Kadawunu Poronduwa remakePsych ward nurse
1983554Chutte
1983561Senehasaka Kandulu
1983566Sister MaryJudge
1983572Rathu MakaraInspector
1984588Hitha Honda Kollek
1984598Ammai Duwai
1984600Arunata PeraBanda
1984601Batti
1985612Mihidum SaluArachchi Mahaththaya
1985613Mawubima Nathnam Maranaya
1985614Rajina
1985626Rosy
1985628Du Daruwo
1985629Varsity Kella
1985634Kirimaduwal
1986641Dushyanthi
1986648Sura SaradiyelAna Berakaru
1988673Chandingeth Chandiya
1994807YuwathipathiJanaraja's father
1997874Punaruthpaththiya
1997880Maha Mera UsataSarath
1997Engineer
1998890Gini Avi Saha Gini KeliParty singer
2001968Sundara Warada
2001971Rosa WasantheHansamali's father
2003Mother Teresa of Calcutta
20061068Samu Noganna Sugandika
20061078Double Game
20121171Wassane SenehasaMayadunne
20121176DaruwaneFather
20121180PrathirooBookstore owner
20131191Ira Laga Wadi
20141214Sathiyakata Mata Rata Baradendaalso as playback singer
20161250PaththiniKovalan's father
20181306Raigamayai GampalayaiArachchi
TBDAnora
TBDGunananda Himi Migettuwatte

Awards

Although he doesn't sing often, some of his songs have been written into the hearts of many music lovers in Sri Lanka. Below are some of his most famous songs.