Nihal Silva
| Nihal Silva | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born |
Nihal Silva 10 January 1954  Kirilapone, Sri Lanka[1] |
| Died |
3 December 1989 (aged 35) Dehiwala, Sri Lanka[1] |
Nihal Silva (Sinhala:නිහාල් සිල්වා) (10 January 1954 – 3 December 1989) was a Sri Lankan comedian and actor. He rose to fame playing Sajan Nallathambi in the play of the same name. The character was a stereotypical Tamil Hindu with a bald head, small moustache, police suit and Vibhuti, three lines of ash, on his forehead.
The play Sajan Nallathambi was one of the first Sri Lankan plays to be a financial success. It was hugely popular, even playing in the Middle East to Sinhala audiences.[2] After its run, a slew of similar comedies like Ralla, Commando Diyasena, and Vadamaarachi appeared in Sri Lankan theaters inspired by its success.[2]
Silva was born on January 10, 1954 in Kirilapone[3] and grew up in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. He came from a poor family, and began his theater career with Wesak dramas. He subsequently had roles in stage plays like Amal Biso and Le Kandulu.[3] He first played Sajan Nallathambi in the play Neinage Suduwa by Daya Vayaman.
Silva was shot to death by Sri Lanka Army soldiers as he ignored warnings and ran a checkpoint on December 3, 1989 in Dehiwela;[3] he possibly did not understand the situation due to inebriation.
References
- 1 2 Comedian Reminisced By Amalshan Gunerathne
- 1 2 "The Sinhala Theater of Sri Lanka: A Form of Discourse". TDR (MIT Press) 36: 126–137. 1992. doi:10.2307/1146202.
- 1 2 3 "NIhal Silva". Daily Mirror. 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-05-31.