Saumya Liyanage Explained

Saumya Liyanage
Native Name:	සෞම්‍ය ලියනගේ
Native Name Lang:	si
Birth Place:	Sri Lanka
Nationality:	Sri Lankan
Years Active:	1992–present
Alma Mater:	University of Kelaniya Flinders University La Trobe University
Parents:	Hemasiri Liyanage (father) Kusum Liyanage (mother)
Relatives:	Indrachapa Liyanage (brother)
Awards:	Best Actor Best Supporting Actor
Occupation:	Actor, lecturer

Saumya Liyanage (Sinhala; Sinhalese: සෞම්‍ය ලියනගේ) is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television.^[1] He is a senior lecturer and currently the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies^[2] in University of the Visual and Performing Arts by profession.^[3] Highly versatile actor mainly involved in dramatic roles, Saumya is the son of veteran dramatist Hemasiri Liyanage and brother of musician Indrachapa Liyanage.^[4]

Personal life

Liyanage completed his bachelor's degree of arts (BA) from University of Kelaniya and then master's degree in Creative Arts from Flinders University, South Australia.^[5] He completed Phd. from La Trobe University, Melbourne in Drama Program under the guidance of Dr. Rob Conkie.^[6]

Career

He started stage work early 1990s when he is an undergraduate at the Kelaniya University. After that, he became a continues leading actor in stage drama.^[7] His maiden television acting came through the drama Sittara Gurunnanse in 1992. He acted handful of television dramas and particularly rejecting soap operas and mega teledramas. He went Australia in 2010 for academic activities and returned in 2014. By 2010, he performed in Rajitha Dissanayake's stage play Apahu Harenna Ba, where he won the Best Actor Award at the State Drama Festival that year. Then he acted in Indika Ferdinando's stage play Colombo Colombo. The play was selected for the International Women's Drama Festival in India and held two seasons for Indian audiences in New Delhi and Mumbai.^[8]

Liyanage started his film career with Padadaya back in 1999, directed by Linton Semage.^[9] His most popular cinema acting came through films Aba, Walapatala and Nimnayaka Hudekalawa.^[10] The role in Aba as Habaraa was highly praised by the critics.^[11] In 2014, he appeared in the Asoka Handagama's play Antique Kadayaka Maranayak.

Selected theater works

• Clouds Nine (1994) Produced by the Department of English, University of Kelaniya
• N’Kruma Ni Africa Ni (1995)
• Kontharaththuwa (2005)
• Hansaintath Man Asai (1996)
• Daru Prashne Puthra Prashne (1997)
• Gabsawa (1998)
• Last Bus Eke Kathawa (1999)
• Mata Wedi Thiyan Nedda? (1999)^[12]
• Dawasa Thama Gewne Ne (1999)
• Mata Erehiwa Mama (2001)
• Closer (2001) (An Original Play by Patrick Maber) - Performed at the Flinders University, South Australia
• Horu Samaga Heluwen (2005)^[13]
• Weeraya Merila (2006)
• Apasu Herenna Be (2008)^[14]
• Colombo Colombo (2008)^[15]
• The Irresistible Rise of Mr. Signno (2016)^[16]

Selected television serials

• Sittara Gurunnanse (1992)
• Kalpanthayak (1993)
• Ramya Nagaraya (1995)
• Bambara Sakmana (1995)
• Manasthapaya (1996)
• Itipahan (1996)
• Imadiya Mankada (1997)
• Nikini Paluwa (1999)
• Mangalam (2001)
• Apparitions (2006)
• Diul Gase Kola Sulange Wisira Yathi (2007)

Author work

• Meditations On Acting.^[17]

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Ref.
1987	Padadaya	Home guard	^[18]
1999	Theertha Yathra		^[19]
2001	Aswesuma	Thug	^[20]
2001	Me Mage Sandai		^[21]
2001	Mathu Yam Dawasa	Dhammika	^[22]
2002	Mage Wam Atha	Kamal's boss	^[23]
2002	Salelu Warama	Darshan	^[24]
2005	Sulanga Enu Pinisa	Palitha	^[25]
2006	Udugan Yamaya		^[26]
2007	Aganthukaya	Sampath	^[27]
2007	Nisala Gira	Marko	^[28]
2008	Walapatala	Dr. Delgoda	^[29]
2008	Aba	Habaraa	^[30]
2008	Machan		^[31]
2010	Ira Handa Yata	Mahasen	^[32]
2010	Vidhu	Politician	^[33]
2017	Nimnayaka Hudekalawa	Vishwa	^[34]
2017	Heena Hoyana Samanallu	Aditya Wijebandara	^[35]

Awards and accolades

He has won several awards at the state theater festivals and local film festivals.^[36]

Sarasaviya Awards

|-|| 2007 ||| Aganthukaya || Best Actor || |-|| 2008 ||| Walapatala || Best Supporting Actor || |-|| 2017 ||| Nimnayaka Hudekalawa || Best Actor || ^[37]

ADSA Awards

|-|| 2011 ||| ‘My body taught me how to act – towards an epistemology of actor learning and apprenticeship || Best Paper || ^[38]

22nd Bunka Awards

|-|| 2015 ||| Drama/Acting || Creative activities in culture and arts || ^[39]

External links

• My Body Taught Me How to Act: Towards an Epistemology of Actor Learning and Apprenticeship
• Annual Int’l Research Symposium - 2018 “Changing World, Challenging Boundaries”
• A research network for the field of Performance Philosophy
• Critique on critiques
• Critique theatre at its compelling best
• He remains pseudo-puritans change

Notes and References

1. Web site: Saumya Liyanage bio . Rate your music . 25 April 2019.
2. Web site: Theatre is political! - Dr Saumya Liyanage. Lankanewsweb.net . 25 April 2019.
3. Web site: Saumya Liyanage profile . Academia. 25 April 2019.
4. Web site: Award winning actorSaumya Liyanage talks of actors and caricaturs . The Island . 25 April 2019.
5. Web site: Officers in University of the Visual and Performing Arts. vpa - University of The Visual & Performing Arts . 25 April 2019.
6. Web site: SAUMYA LIYANAGE In Alumni 2010s PhD (Drama Program). La Trobe University . 25 April 2019.
7. Web site: My final destination cinema and theatre - Saumya Liyanage . Daily News . 25 April 2019.
8. Web site: I was always on stage without being seen - Saumya Liyanage . 2021-06-04 . Silumina.
9. Web site: Saumya Liyanage - සෞම්‍ය ලියනගේ films . Sinhala Cinema Database. 25 April 2019.
10. Web site: Saumya Liyanage filmography . IMDb . 25 April 2019.
11. Web site: Saumya Liyanage - Talented Sri Lankan Actor . srilankaactors . 25 April 2019.
12. Web site: Rajitha's maiden public show . Sunday Times . 25 April 2019.
13. Web site: Prasanna returns to theatre . Sunday Times . 18 August 2019.
14. Web site: Glamour of theatrical reality in genuine art . Sunday Observer . 25 April 2019.
15. Web site: Kaleidoscopic 'Colombo Colombo' On stage . Daily News . 25 April 2019.
16. Web site: An appreciation of 'The Irresistible Rise of Mr. Signno' . Daily FT . 25 April 2019.
17. Web site: Meditations On Acting . Sarasavi Bookshop (pvt) Ltd. . 25 April 2019.
18. Web site: The Outcast (Padadaya) . National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka . 3 October 2016.
19. Web site: Theertha Yathra - තීර්ථ යාත්‍රා . Sinhala Cinema Database . 3 October 2016.
20. Web site: 'Aswesuma' a film with a novel theme . Sunday Times . 3 October 2016.
21. Web site: 'Me Mage Sandai' breaks all traditions . The Sunday Times . 11 March 2017.
22. Web site: Mathu Yam Dawasa - මතුයම් දවස . Sinhala Cinema Database . 3 October 2016.
23. Web site: Linton soon in town with "Pickpocket" . Sunday Times . 25 April 2019.
24. Web site: Vasantha spins a 'Web of Love' . Sunday Times . 25 April 2019.
25. Web site: The Forsaken Land . Sunday Times . 25 April 2019.
26. Web site: Against the Tide . The Island . 25 April 2019.
27. Web site: 13. Aganthukaya (The Outcast) - 2007 . Vasantha Obesekere films . 11 March 2017.
28. Web site: 'Nisala Gira' fights against narcotics . Sunday Times . 25 April 2019.
29. Web site: Microscopic view of the systemic ailment . Sunday Observer . 25 April 2019.
30. Web site: 'Aba' aims international heights . Sunday Times . 25 April 2019.
31. News: Machan . 22 March 2011 . Edward Porter . 22 November 2009 . The Sunday Times.
32. Web site: 'Ira Handa Yata' shines in Fiji . Sunday Times . 25 April 2019.
33. Web site: 'Vidhu', child's hunt for value of life . The Sunday Times . 8 March 2017.
34. Web site: Nimnayaka Hudakalawa' for a limited engagement . Sunday Times . 25 April 2019.
35. Web site: Sri Lanka Screened Films . Sarasaviya . 17 August 2017.
36. Web site: රංගනය වෙනුවෙන් ඕනෑම දෙයක් කරන්න මම සුදානම් නෑ - Saumya Liyanage. Sarasaviya . 25 April 2019.
37. Web site: Star-studded Sarasaviya Festival . Sunday Observer . 25 April 2019.
38. Web site: Sri Lankan star wins best paper award . La Trobe University . 25 April 2019.
39. Web site: Six Sri Lankan artistes honoured with Bunka (Cultural) Awards . Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. . 25 April 2019.