SHANTHI KUMAR SENEVIRATNE

The 44th death anniversary of yesteryear film actor, director, producer, dance choreographer and scriptwriter Shanthi Kumar (Berty) Seneviratne fell on February 22.

Born Berty Seneviratne at Kurunegala in 1916, Shanthi Kumar made the second Sinhala movie Ashokamala – producing, directing, scripting and acting in it. The Trinity College old boy was a fine dancer too. Having returned from a dancing stint in India, he changed his name to Shanthi Kumar. Though he proposed the ‘Ashokamala’ film script to S. M. Nayagam who made the first Sinhala movie ‘Kadawunu Poronduwa’, consensus was not reached and thereafter Shanthi Kumar produced the second Sinhala film with Ceylon Theatres Ltd (owned by Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner). Shanthi Kumar played the male lead ‘Saliya’ in the film. He later acted and directed films like Eda Rea, Jeewitha Satana, Sansare and Kala Kala De Pala Pala De.

- Ramesh Uvais