Prem Jayanth
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1933
Prem Jayanth ප්රේම් ජයන්ත් | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hettiarachchige Emmanuel Aloysius Rodrigo 1933 Grandpass, Sri Lanka |
| Died | 17 March 1997 (aged 64) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1942-1984 |
| Spouse | Nanda Leelanayake |
| Children | 7 |
| Relatives | Umaria Sinhawansa |
Hettiarachchige Emanuel Aloysius Rodrigo (1933–17 March 1997), better known as Prem Jayanth, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema as well as a producer and art director.[1][2] Considered as the first male superstar in Sinhala cinema, Jayanth rose to prominence with starring roles in the popular films Sujatha (1953) and Seda Sulang (1955).[3]
Jayanth was born in Layards Broadway, Grandpass and attended Joseph’s College, Grandpass and St. Lucia's College Colombo 13.[3]
Jayanth married actress Nanda Leelanayake sometime in the 1960s and had seven children, two boys - Jagath and Janith - and five girls - Sunila, Sandhya, Anusha, Nirma and Shiroma.[4] His son, Jagath Rohan appeared in few film including the 1980 film Sabeetha.[5]
Jayanth died on 17 March 1997 at the age of 64. Nanda died on 26 September 2014 at the age of 84.[4]