KUMARA THIRIMADURA MULTIFACETED MAESTRO ON STAGE, MINI SILVER SCREENS, RENOWNED SCRIPT WRITER,ILM PRODUCER, VOCALIST AND AWARDS WINNER – by Sunil Thenabadu
Photo source: findmyfare
One of the utmost universal aptitudes of gratifying professional pursued actors is that they play well with others and they’re able to make authentic acquaintances with everyone on set. They’re truly good people, passionate, purpose-driven, and dedicated sans ego. They always grip themselves with elegance and poise , they dare to bring their personalities to every protagonist delegated. One such inimitable actor who had vanquished the stage to an unprecedented elevations , to a lesser extent mini and silver screens with consummate extravagance for over three decades is celebrated actor Kumara Thirimadura from the tender age of sixteen to date.All his fans would wish him good health to continue in the same vein to underwrite to our arts as in the past.
Kumara was born on 17 April 1969, in Rawathawatta, Moratuwa.named Thirimadura Upula Kumara de Silva, as the sixth child of the family of eight siblings,four elder sisters, one elder brother, one younger sister and a younger brother. His father Thirimadura Rantin de Silva worked in the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. His mother Jothimuni Malini Miureen Perera worked as a cashier in a restaurant, but mostly a housewife who expired in year 2017.The names of siblings – Sandya, Udaya, Ramya, Soumya , Kosala, Bhagya and Chamila.] His eldest sister Sandya had died in April 2022. Kumara had been educated up to the fifth standard at the Romana Catholic Vidyalaya in Moratuwa thereafter at the Prince of Wales College Moratuwa up to advanced level in commerce subjects.Kumara had excelled in extracurricular activities while in school winning many awards at school level through many theatre works, which gave him a boost to the career he is in today. Kumara reminisces the hard time he has had when a school boy as unlike other children who brought snacks to eat in the tea interval he used to only look at them eating.All siblings used to have a small bite at home before leaving to school had to stay until they returned home after school at 1.30pm.The reason was mother could not afford to provide them snacks as she had to manage with father’s salary very carefully, especially for six or seven siblings. Kumara had been bit of a boisterous character in school had been vigorously involved with the activities of the JVP in pasting leaflets on walls.After leaving school had been loitering on streets when for his blessing had met his economics teacher Sepali Weerakkody who had told not to waste time had given a letter to the then Personnel Manager of Divaina, Upali Wanigasekera.Kumara had been an automatic choice to be made a journalist who by then too has had a high standard of Sinhalese vernacular, perhaps inherited. During his long tenure at the Divaina newspaper had been entrusted proof reading a very tough assignment where one has to be dead accurate editing the entire newspaper. In addition he had to compile the “Theeru Lipi’ very popular column which too he had done to precision.Owing to jealousy of co journalists who had undercut him, he had left Divaina after fourteen years of dedicated work.He reiterates that this had helped immensely to dominate in his new profession, but had continued his journalism exploits even after leaving Divaina.
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About this sequence of events at the Divaina also how his father a staunch SLFP supporter used to talk politics daily with Mr Perera lived in opposite flat at Soysa Pura, are described extensively in the book ‘Mage Jeewaya” published recently. Kumara had described the conversations between the two as the SLFP-UNP cricket match.When young Kumara had listened to the very interesting dialogues of the duo as such he too had developed the history of politics in native Sri Lanka.
At the tender age of sixteen while still school with the assistance of his first teacher in drama and theatre Tissa Gunawardena who arranged to portray a role of a fifty five year old man in the stage play Sakalajana by Dhamma Jagoda at the Lumbini theatre.Kumara recollects it was only his mother who had encouraged him ,while father was dead against his acting interests.This was his first exposure prior to appearing in street theatres directed by Gamini Haththotuwegama.
Kumara had acted in around one hundred to one hundred and thirty stage plays which he himself has no accurate count.He had portrayed roles in over sixty films and also in a number of tele dramas.A few of the stage plays he portrays roles even today are ‘Suba Saha Yasa’, “Balloth Ekka Be 2”,”Charitha Horu Aran”,”Ko Kukko”.” Nari Burathi”,”Ang Awoo”,”Deiyoth Danne Nehe”.Along with Gihan Fernando engaged in a comedy stage play “Giha Saha Kuma” a very popular in overseas countries too.
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Kumara recollects the shooting of this first Tele Drama directed by Jayantha Chandrasiri “Akala Sandya”. In this Tele dram the lyrics had been in ‘Malayani ‘which obviously was Greek to Kumara, the colleague artistes were legends like Jackson Anthony, Sriyantha Mendis and Sabeetha Perera to name a few.After a anxious wait when it came to his turn he had been dumbfounded unable to narrate the lyrics.Jayantha Chadrasiri had got furious and said stop have a tea and start again when he had somehow managed to recite the lyrics after a anxious endeavour.The tea boy while serving the tea had whispered “nanawa ne” which had further embarrassed Kumara.After which Kumara has had no embarrassing situations completing well over sixty Tele Dramas to astound all viewers a few of them that comes to one’s mind are “Paba”,”Katu Imbula”,”Ataka Nataka”,”Isuru Sangramaya”, and “Henduwa”.
Kumara Thirimadura had commenced his film career with ‘Julietge Bumikawa’ back in 1998 at a relatively young age of thirtyyears, directed by Jackson Anthony. Through that, he performed many dramatic and comedy roles in more than 40+ films to date. Apart from acting, he was also the Production Manager in film “Sonduru Dadabime” , released wo decades ago.Kumara is a skilled screen play writer jointlyng with Sarath Kotalawela had scripted two award winning screenplays in films “ Thanna Rathi Ranga” and the “The Newspaper “ a joint production, the duo portraying the lead roles and directing too.. The roles portrayed in these films were highly praised by the critics and clinched award at Derana Lux Film Awards in 2014 for the “Thanna Rathi Ranga”. His first cinema direction came through Newspaper co-directed with Sarath Kothalawala was released on 29 June 2020, a box office film even though it was during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown tenure.
In March 2021, a film festival featuring five films starring Kumara Thirimadura was held for five days at the Liberty Hall, Kollupitiya. The festival is named as the “uncrowned prince’s felt cinematic procession”. Kumara has been described as one of the greatest five actors in Sri Lanka.Kumara had added that he had learnt a lot about films having watched many Iranian and French films.He had conveyed that when he was sixteen pretended to be eighteen years old had joined the communist party after which he had received many literature on art which had become useul to his forward journey.
Kumara Thirimadura’s singing prowess need to emphasised. He is a auditioned ‘A’ grade singer at the SLBC.Though he had recorded many songs had not been able to launch all of them owing to his very busy acting schedules.Kumara is a follower and a huge fan of legendary Victor Ratnayake He had released his first solo visual song ‘Ae Mata Adarei” in June 2016. He also appeared in the music video of song Bodima sung by Theekshana Anuradha.Kumara performed his first musical show at the Maharagama National Youth Services Centre on 31st March 2017 titled “Kumaraya Man -Deveni Gamana”.During the concert he had launched his first musical album “Ae Mata Adarei” containing fourteen songs
On 31 March 2017, Thirimadura performed a musical show at Maharagama Youth Society Hall at 7pm. He titled his show as ‘Kumaraya Man – Deveni Gamana’. At the show, he launched his 14-songs music album ‘Ae Mata Adarei’ as well. Kumara is well conversant in the Sinhalese vernacular having authored the popular boiok “Mage Jeewithe” in year 2019 recognised as an educational book by the Sri Lanka Education Department.He also authored a book “ Karaliye Rasa Katha” including his own writings extracted from the “Theeru lipi “ columns.
During his tenure as an actor on stage, mini and silver screens had been adjudicated for many awards though never had portrayed roles anticipating them. Initially he was adjudicated as the Best Actor in State Drama Festival in year 2005, then a merit award in Sumathi awards in year 2011,Best actor in a supporting role in ‘Gamani” at Derana Film awards in year 2012,Best screenplay writer : Thanha Rathi Raga” at 3rd Derana Lux film awards 2014,Merit award at Sumathi Awards in year 2017,Jury award at Sumathi awards year 2017, Merit award “Grahambell Wath Sithuwada” -Raigam Tel’es 2017, Best supporting Actor Hiru Golden Film Awards 2018.The film ‘The newspaper” had been acclaimed and awarded the best Asian film at the International film festival held in Bangladesh.
Kumara married Thushari as life partner two decades ago .The duo are blessed with two daughters Amanda and Suchetha.The former is attached to Dialog while the younger is married having found her partner.Kumara had added that though he is not that conversant in the English vernacular the two daughters are very fluent having sent for classes by car with a driver to the British Council for English classes. has been said that Kumara get all his travel documents like visa applications etc are filled by the daughter duo Kumara had reminisced that his mother had sent him to an English class to one Lakshan Mapatuwa at Ratmalana where the monthly fee was Rupees one hundred and fifty.Owing to financial constraints of the family she could not pay the fees beyond the first month, .Both are talented in singing too.Once living in Rukmalgama some years back had invited pretty younger daughter Suchetha to act in a Tele Drama by the television tele drama producer Nirosh Ruckman, the instant answer the she had given was cannot pursue the Thaththa’s “Pissu Weda”. This had made Nirosh and Kumara astonished.. Again, recently at a party she had sung a song which had surprised father Kumara and those who attended the event.Kumara had been so surprised had said later she should be sent to Janaka Wickremasinghe to be trained in singing. It is learnt that all activities of the daughter duo are fingered by mother with Kumara having absolutely no say which in a way is a blessing as he could attend to his art work sans hindrance.In a recent television interrogation Kumara had lamented that the daughters are contemplating on settling down in a foreign country.Kumara does help them in their endeavour says if they succeed asks to accompany he may have to certainly say goodbye to Sri Lanka. This information he had informed the media for the first time.
Kumara Thirimadura is undoubtedly an ‘uncrowned prince’ on stage,mini and silver screen acclaimed as one of the best five actors in Sri Lanka.All fans would wish him good health and longevity to perform many more roles in the same disposition.
Sunil Thenabadu
e mail sthenabadu@hotmail.com
WhatsApp 0061444533242
