Sri Lankan comedian and veteran actor Berty Gunathilake passed away today aged 97.
He was most notable for the role “Baba” in the television comedy sitcom Vinoda Samaya.
Gunathilake joined the Radio Ceylon in 1947. Then he joined the 1948 radio play Vinoda Samaya along with Joseph Seneviratne, Vincent Weerasekera, Harriet Suraweera, Pitipana Silva and Sisira Kumara Manickaarachchi.
The trio – Berty, Annesley and Samuel were included in television’s founding program Nandana Vindana. Since 1960 to 1990, they appeared in almost every comedy show in television and radio. Once, Gunathilake pretended a role “Two Tone” as a schoolboy, wearing a pair of shorts, a teat in his mouth, a bottle of water, a pencil and a book in the popular comedy sitcom Vinoda Samaya. The character was highly popularized. He has written most of the episodes of Vinoda Samaya, such as “Apuru Maluwa”, “Santhoshaya”, “Athe Amaruwa”, “Apuru Adaraya”, “Maduru Mediri Resweema”, and Uu mata Gehuwa, Mata uu Gehuwa. (Colombo Gazette)
Post a Comment