Wasantha Wittachchi

Wasantha Wittachchi was born on 21 December 1959 in Colombo as the youngest of the family. His father from Bentara was a police officer and mother was a teacher. Vittachchi had four elder sisters and one brother.^[5] He completed education from Wellampitiya Sedawatta Siddhartha Central College.^[6]

Wittachchi was married to his longtime partner Anula Hapugoda.^[6] He met Anula at a workshop at the Russian Sri Lanka Friendship Centre. Anula is a retired teacher in charge of art, drama and dancing at the St Mary’s Kandana. Apart from that, she also acted in the teledramas such as: Yasorawaya, Sannali as well as in the stage plays: Ekathipathi, Makarashya, Trojen Kanthawo, Yaksha Gamanaya, Ath, Mora and Senehe Bara Dottie. The couple have one daughter, Chanalee.^[6]

His nephew Sanjaya Epa Seneviratne is a renowned voice artist.^[7]

After completing school education in 1975, Wittachchi was involved in a Russian language diploma course at the Soviet House of Culture.^[5] His friend Nimal Pathirana asked him about starting a drama for a role.^[6] Then he played the role named "Lucas", a weapons maker in Pathirana's play Raththo...^[1] Meanwhile, he joined with Lionel Wendt Art School and got the opportunity to study drama from Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Dhamma Jagoda, Bandula Jayawardena and Sunanda Mahendra.^[6] His colleagues in the art school are Jackson Anthony, Sriyantha Mendis, Mahendra Perera, Jayantha Chandrasiri and Parakrama Niriella.^[8][9]

Outside Lionel Wendt, he studied drama and theatre in the workshops conducted by Dr. Solomon Fonseka and several overseas teachers such as: Frank Jungmann, Frederick Doff, Wolf of Mehrin Fix Benefits and Herina Lechchimati. With that, Wittachchi got the opportunity to participate in the Asian Young Dramatists' Conference held in Finland in 1983.^[1][6]

Even though he started as an actor, Wittachchi excelled in makeup artistry for several generations.^[8] The pathway was started when his friend Christy Shelton Fernando produced the stage play Pani Hatana Samaga Gon Dennek.^[6] Vittachchi did not get a role in the play, but involved as an helper for Ranjith Wickramasinghe, who worked under renowned makeup artist, dancer and actor Shesha Palihakkara.^[8] Then he got the opportunity to work as the assistant makeup artist under Palihakkara in the Adara Kathawa directed by Chandran Rutnam in 1984 and then in Bridge on the River Kwai.^[1][10][9]

During the same time, he also involved as the supportive makeup artist for the play Mama Nilame produced by Namal Priyadeva.^[1] In 1983, Wittachchi won the Youth Award for Best Makeup for the play Abuddassa Kolama produced by Janak Premalal.^[6] Apart from them, he also acted and makeup in the dramas such as: Niriella's Galileo Galilei, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake's Yakshagamanaya, Jayalath Manoratne's Thalamala Pipila, Jayantha Chandrasiri's Ath, Mora and Ajith Mendis' Kema Lesthi.^[9] He involved in the drama Mīyō Næthuva Bǣ only as the makeup artist.^[8] He acted and involved as the makeup artist in all stage dramas produced by Sriyantha Mendis, including: Pænsa Dekē Hansayā, Pādaḍa Asapuva (2000), Gæbbara Minisā, Rōmaya Giniganī remake, Suba Saha Yasa and Sudu Kalu.^[11][9]

His first teledrama acting came through the teleplay Kada Ima directed by Niriella.^[6] Then he played the popular role "Uncle Norris" in the serial Bumuthurunu and later in the serials Thara Devi, Danḍubasnāmānaya and Veda Hāminē.^[1][9] In 2012, he won the Award for the Best Makeup as well as Best Supporting Actor at the State Tele Awards for the serial Arungal.^[8]

His maiden cinema acting came through the film Siri Medura in 1989. Then he contributed in more than 25 commercial and critically acclaimed films over the four decades such as: Væḍa Bærinam Væḍak Næhæ (1991), Māruthaya (1995), Sudu Sevaṇæli (2002), Arumōsam Væhi (2002), Sikuru Hathē (2007), Māthā (2012), Paththini (2016), Gharasarapa (2018), Kadira Divyarāja (2023) and Kathuru Mituru (2023).^[9] As a makeup artist, he involved in about 18 films such as Peraḷikārayō (1986), Siri Mædura, Gurugedara, Ayōmā, Sihina Dēśhayen, Chanda Kinnarī, Juliyeṭgē Bhūmikāva, Millē Soyā, Udnganyāmaya, Uppalavaṇṇā, Abā, Māthā, Vijaya Kuvēṇi, Kusa Pabā, Samanaḷa Sandhvaniya, Ahælēpoḷa Kumārihāmi, Kosthāpal Puññasōma and Presiḍenṭ Supar Sṭār.^[9]

Apart from acting and makeup artistry, Wittachchi worked as a teacher at the Sripali Mandapa, Youth Service Council and Tower Hall Theatre Foundation for several years.^[8] A felicitation ceremony titled "Wasanthata Dawasak" was held on 27 March 2022 at the Western Province Resort at 2.30pm.^[12]

Wittachchi suffered from an illness for a long time and had to take frequent medications. He was rushed to KDU Hospital due to illness in August 2024, where the treatment costs over one hundred thousand rupees per day.^[26] Several donations and stage dramas were staged to provide financial assistance for treatment by his fellow artists.^{[27][28][29][30]}

He died on 26 February 2025 at the age of 65 while receiving treatment at the Kotelawala Defence Hospital in Werahera.^[31][32][33] His body was laid to rest at his residence in Polpithi Mukalana, Kandana on 27 February at 6 pm and then laid at the Jayaratne Parlour, Borella from 8 am to 3.30 pm on 1st of March for public rites. The body was later buried at the Borella Cemetery at 4.00 pm on the same day.^[34][35]