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Titus Thotawatte
Born
Thotawattege Don Manuel Titus de Silva

17 April 1927
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Died15 October 2011(2011-10-15) (aged 84)
Alma mater Ananda College, Colombo, Heywood Institute of Art [1]
Occupation(s)film director, screenwriter, editor

Thotawattege Don Manuel Titus de Silva ( Sinhala:ටයිටස් තොටවත්ත), popularly as Titus Thotawatte, was a Sri Lankan director and editor who made several popular Sri Lankan action movies in the 1960s and 1970s and later developed Sinhala children's programmes. Thotawatte died on 15 October 2011 in Colombo. [2]

Early life

He was born on 17 April 1927 in Colombo. [3] He was the second child in a family of three children, with 1 elder brothers and one younger sister. He attended Ananda College in Colombo and studied art under J.D.A. Perera and Stanley Abeysinghe and Matara Technical College.

Career

Thottawatte joined Lester James Peries and Willie Blake [4] as editor to make Rekava in 1956. [5] It was an attempt to make a truly Sinhalese movie in contrast with the Southern Indian copies then in vogue.

Thottawatte debuted as a director with Chandiya in 1965. The film starred Gamini Fonseka in the first villains role of Sinhala Cinema. [6] Other early films include Kauda Hari (1969), Thewatha (1970) and Haralaksaya (1971). [7]

In 1980,Thotawatte wrote and directed the children's movie Handaya, [7] which was awarded Best Picture at the Sarasaviya Film Festival.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he dubbed English cartoons such as Bugs Bunny, Doctor Dolittle and Top Cat into Sinhala for Sinhalese audiences with the popular titles Ha Ha Hari Hawa, Dosthara Honda Hitha and Pissu Pusa respectively. He is considered to be the pioneer of dubbing programmes in Sri Lanka. These continue to air on Sinhala Television channels. Thotawatte created puppet characters like Eluson.

When the first National Media Awards took place in Sri Lanka, Thotawatte, was awarded a gold medal for his contribution to television and media in Sri Lanka.

Filmography

Year Film Roles Ref.
1956 Rekava Film Editor
1960 Sandesaya Film Editor
1962 Daskon Film Editor, Technical Advisor
1962 Ranmuthu Duwa Film Editor
1964 Getawarayo Film Editor
1964 Dheewarayo Film Editor
1965 Saaravita Film Editor
1965 Chandiya Director, Screenwriter, Film Editor [8]
1966 Parasathu Mal Film Editor [9]
1967 Sorungeth Soru Film Editor
1967 Vasanthi Film Editor
1968 Punchi Baba Film Editor
1969 Baduth Ekka Horu Film Editor
1969 Hanthane Kathawa Film Editor [10]
1969 Kawuda Hari Director, Film Editor
1970 Thevetha Director, Screenwriter, Film Editor
1971 Haaralakshe Director, Screenwriter, Film Editor [11]
1972 Atheethayen Kathawak Assistant Director, Film Editor
1974 Sihasuna Director, Film Editor, Producer
1974 Sagarika Director, Film Editor
1975 Sikuruliya Film Editor
1976 Mangala Director, Screenwriter, Film Editor
1977 Maruwa Samaga Wase Eddie. Director, Film Editor
1979 Handaya Director, Screenwriter, Film Editor

References

  1. ^ "Sri Lanka News | Sundayobserver.lk".
  2. ^ "Sri Lanka News-Adaderana-Truth First – VIDEO: Titus Thotawatte passes away". Adaderana.lk. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Features | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers". archives.dailynews.lk. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  4. ^ "Online edition of Daily News – Features". Dailynews.lk. 21 June 2004. Archived from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  5. ^ "Titus Thotawatte".
  6. ^ "|| Impact". Sundayobserver.lk. 22 October 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Sinhala Cinema Database". Films.lk. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  8. ^ "All about "Chandiya"". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  9. ^ "All about "Parasathu Mal"". sarasaviya. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  10. ^ "All about Hanthane Kathawa". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Invaluable Haara Lakshe". sarasaviya. Retrieved 12 January 2021.

External links

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