Vasanthi Chathurani

Vasantha Doreen Peterson (born 18 October 1959: Template:Langx), popularly as Vasanthi Chathurani, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. An extremely natural actress, Vasanthi Chathurani is one of the most successful personalities on Sri Lanka's silver and small screen. At the age 16, she made her debut as a teenager in Sumitra Peiris's Gehenu Lamai.

Personal life

She was born on 18 October 1959 in Bandarawatta, Gampaha, Sri Lanka. Her father Stanley Peterson, served in the Army, and her mother Lilavathi Peterson, died when she was a child. She had one older sister, Vinita Helen. Both of them grew up in the house of her grandmother, Maggie Nona and grandfather, K.K. Albert. She completed education from Holy Cross Convent, Gampaha.

At the age of 20, she married the businessman Kumarasiri Gunawardhana on October 18, 1981 by an arbitrary decision. They have one son named Kavinda Asanga Gunawardena, a graphic designer. Her husband died suddenly on February 10, 1992, when Vasanthi was 33 years old.

Career

Chathurani was a school girl when director Sumitra Peiris chose her for a lead role in Gehenu Lamai in 1978. Her most acclaimed role in the silver screen was that of 'Nirmala', a mentally-ill girl in the blockbuster Ganga Addara opposite late Vijaya Kumaratunga in 1980. She was mere nineteen-year-old at that time. I 1981, she was awarded Best Actress for her performance in this film, at the Sarasaviya Awards Festival and Presidential Awards.

She won the Sumathi Most Popular Actress Award in 1997 and the Sumathi Best Teledrama Actress Award in 1998, 2002 and 2009. Her career came to a temporary halt, when she got married in 1979, but was once again welcomed by her fans with her performance in Adara Hasuna. Some of her other successful films include Gehenu Lamai, Duwata Mawaka Misa and Sudu Sevanali. Vasanthi played dramatic roles in the films Amal Biso, Siribo Aiya, Hansa Vilak and Bththi Hathara. In 2003, she starred in the Lester James Peiris drama film Wekande Walauwa which received critic acclaim.

Chathurani also made her mark as a teledrama actress, in shows such as Māyā Mandira, Iṭipahan, Chala Achala, Durgānthaya, Giraya, Hingana Kollā, Kadulla, Gajaman Nōnā and Kulavamiya. Chathurani recently got into teledrama productions, financing successful teledramas such as Aga Pipi Mal, Sedona and Ranga Soba. All three of them were directed by Premakumara Jayawardene and written by Sumitra Rahubadde. She has acted many genre television serials in Sri Lanka.

Selected TV serials

• Aga Pipi Mal
• Dahas Gawdura
• Denuwara Manike
• Dhawala Kadulla
• Diya Matha Ruwa
• Durganthaya
• Gajaman Nona.
• Giraya
• Idorayaka Mal Pipila
• Ilandariyo
• Ira Handa Payana Lokaya
• Itipahan
• Kadulla
• Kulawamiya
• Mano Mandira
• Pem Piyawara
• Ranga Madala Samu Gani
• Ranga Soba
• Sedona
• Senehase Geethaya
• Senehase Nimnaya
• Ulamage Rathriya
• Uththamavi
• Walakulu
• Yaddehi Gedara
• Yaso Mandira

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Ref.
1978	Gehenu Lamai	Kusum Liyanage
1978	Ahasin Polowata	Pushpa's sister
1979	Amal Biso
1979	Chuda Manikya	Vajira
1980	Siribo Ayya	Biso
1980	Parithyaga	Rohini
1980	Ganga Addara	Nirmala Atapattu
1980	Para Dige	Madhu
1980	Hewanali Ada Minissu	Piyawathi
1980	Hansa Vilak	Samanthi Weerasinghe
1981	Samawenna	Nimalka 'Nimmi'
1982	Ayachana	Sarojini
1982	Biththi Hathara	Mallika
1984	Kakille Rajjuruwo	Daughter
1986	Dinuma	Sujatha Senarath
1986	Aadara Hasuna
1987	Mangala Thegga	Thilina
1988	Satana
1990	Saharawe Sihinaya
1990	Madhu Sihina	Madhu
1990	Himagiri	Menaka Abeydheera
1990	Wana Bambara
1990	Awaragira	Vasantha
1991	Uthura Dakuna	Sarojani
1991	Raja Sellan
1992	Sinha Raja
1992	Kiyala Wadak Na	Kushari
1992	Kula Geya	Suchithra
1992	Sargant Nallathambi	Kalawathi
1993	Sasara Sarisarana Thek Oba Mage
1994	Ambu Samiyo	Subhadra
1994	Dhawala Pushpaya	Soba
1995	Awaragira	Wasantha
1996	Raththaran Malli
1996	Thunweni Ahe
1997	Duwata Mawaka Misa
1997	Punaruthpaththiya
1997	Visidela	Police Inspector's Daughter
1998	Julietge Bhumikawa	Saroja
1999	Bahu Bharya	Navoda
2001	Kinihiriya Mal	Renuka
2001	Poronduwa	Pooja
2002	Sansara Prarthana
2002	Sudu Sewaneli	Podi Menika
2003	Wekande Walauwa	Sita
2003	Sakman Maluwa
2004	Sumedha	Sumedha
2007	Yahaluvo	Burgher music teacher. Also as playback singer
2011	Challenges	Ranuk's mother
2018	Vaishnavee	Laxmi's mother
2019	Sangile	Lady monk
Template:TableTBA	Template:Pending film
Template:TableTBA	Template:Pending film

Awards

Sarasaviya Awards

Template:Awards table |- || 1980 ||| Ganga Addara || Best Actress || style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"|Won

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Sumathi Awards

Template:Awards table |- || 1997 ||| People's Vote || Most Popular Actress || style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"|Won |- || 1998 ||| Durganthaya || Best Actress || style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"|Won |- || 2002 ||| Kulawamiya || Best Actress || style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"|Won |- || 2006 ||| Aga Pipi Mal || Best Actress || style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"|Won

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Raigam Tele'es

Template:Awards table |- || 2005 ||| Sedona || Best Actress || style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"|Won |- || 2006 ||| Aga Pipi Mal || Best Actress || style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"|Won

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External links

• Vasanthi Chathurani's Biography in Sinhala Cinema Database
• Template:Trim/ Vasanthi Chathurani at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidata
• Evergreen Sri Lankan Actress Vasanthi Chathurani