BIOGRAPHY

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Chandra Kankanamage Kaluarachchi (April 6, 1943 – November 1, 2019), popularly known as Chandra Kaluarachchi, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Since her debut role as a 19-year-old woman in Raththaran putha by Arnold Wickramasuriya in 1962, Chandra was recognized for playing motherly and other figures on stage, film, radio and television serials.

She died on 1 November 2019 at the age of 76. She was the wife of musician Lakshman Wijesekara and mother of popular actress Ama Wijesekara. Kaluarchchi is best known for performances in Welikathara (1971), Ira Madiyama (2003) and Nisala Gira (2007) and numerous notable roles in television serials.

Personal life

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Chandra Kaluarachchi grew up in Narahenpita, near Colombo. Her early touches with nature. In the meantime the program named Lamapitiya was encouraged to pursue acting in radio. After leaving college she played the leading role in several Sri Lankan stage productions. Dramatist Premaranjit Tilakaratne A House without a roof ' he identifies produced 'Wahalak Neti Geyak'. It got recognition at the State Drama Festival 1964 winning awards for the Best Actress as Chandra Kaluarachchi. Chandra Kaluarachchi played a grandmother in the S. Karunaratne play Erabadu Mal Pottu Pipila in 1967. Dayananda Gunawardena’s Gajaman Puwatha, first in the genre of "docudrama", which he introduced to the Sinhala stage on 14 October 1975. It is colorful figure of Ranchagoda Lamaya was acted by her