SUMMARYPHOTOS
Baptist Fernando
බැප්ටිස් ප්‍රනාන්දු
1933 - 2017
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60% |   1853  Vote(s)
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SUMMARY

Baptist Fernando බැප්ටිස් ප්‍රනාන්දු
Baptist Fernando
  • Birthday : 1933 July 09
  • Died : 2017 February 01
  • NATIONAL AWARDS

    1Favourite Actor [4th]
    Swarnadhara Award Ceremony 1959
    2"Namaskara Pooja" Special Award
    25th Sarasaviya Awards - 1998
     
    FILMOGRAPHY


    AS CAST MEMBER

    1Perakadoru Bena
    Actor
    1955
    2Awishwasaya
    Actor
    1959
    3Purusha Rathnaya
    Actor
    1959
    4Sithaka Mahima
    Actor
    1964
    5Sepatha Soya
    Actor
    1965
    6Satha Panaha
    Actor
    1965
    7Athulveema Thahanam
    Actor
    1966
    8Sigiri Kashyapa
    Actor
    1966
    9Ranrasa
    Actor
    1967
    10Oba Nathi Nam
    Actor
    1969
    11Ohoma Hondada
    Actor
    1970
    12Sahanaya
    Actor
    1972
    13Thushara
    Actor
    1973
    14Hondata Hondai
    Actor
    1973
    15Duppathage Hithawatha
    Main Actor
    1974
    16Siril Malli
    Actor
    1975
    17Pradeepe Ma Weva
    Actor
    1976
    18Kauda Raja
    Actor
    1976
    19Deviyani Oba Kohida
    Actor
    1977
    20Chin Chin Nona
    Actor
    1977
    21Ege Adara Kathawa
    Actor
    1977
    22Vanagatha Kella
    Main Actor
    1977
    23Mage Ran Putha
    Actor
    1978
    24Tikira
    Main Actor
    1978
    25Sally
    Actor
    1978
    26Raja Kollo
    Actor
    1979
    27Subhani
    Actor
    1979
    28Sudu Ayya
    Main Actor
    1982
    29Eka Diga Kathawak
    Actor
    1982
    30Namal Renu
    Actor
    1984
    31Ahinsa
    Actor
    1987
    32Angulimala
    Actor
    1988
    33Mamai Raja
    Actor
    1989
    34Shakthiya Obai Amme
    Actor
    1989
    35Walavuve Hamu
    Main Actor
    1990
    36Kristhu Charithaya
    Actor
    1990
    37Raja Kello
    Actor
    1991
    38Shakthi
    Actor
    1994
    39Sabe Mithura
    Actor
    1996
    40Sihina Vimane Raja Kumari
    Actor
    1996
    41Cheriyo Darling
    Actor
    1996

    AS CREW MEMBER

    1Sarana
    Producer
    1967
    2Sahanaya
    Producer
    1972
    3Duppathage Hithawatha
    Producer
    1974
    4Tikira
    Producer
    1978
    5Sudu Ayya
    Producer
    1982
    6Eka Diga Kathawak
    Producer
    1982
    7Namal Renu
    Producer
    1984
    8Angulimala
    Director / Producer
    1988
    9Raja Kello
    Dialogs
    1991
    BIOGRAPHY

     It is said old is Gold. We could also say old is credible and solid. There was a Star in the 70’s decade in Sinhala Cinema, who dreaded filmgoers with his portrayal of the villain. He eventually became a much-loved Hero on the Silver Screen. Further, he expanded his horizons as a producer and a director. He is non other than the Evergreen Baptist Fernando. These are excerpts of a very recent interview, Daily News had with Baptist Fernando.

     
    Waranakularuisya Maha Lekamge John Baptist Fernando’s Alma Mater was Joseph Vas College in Wennappuwa. He had been a sports enthusiast and his favourite sport was wrestling. When Baptist was in Senior Level class, he practiced wrestling with the then heavyweight champion, Basil Rodrigo.
     
    Baptist’s good friend S.A. Fernando had noticed not only the macho body of his buddy, but also the photogenic qualities he possessed.
     
    Thus he had taken few photographs of Baptist at a Church feast and posted them to the late B. A.W. Jayamanne (Eddie Jayamanne’s elder brother). This had led to calling for a screen test for Baptist at ‘Jaya Ruk’ (Eddie and Rukmani’s home). The film was ‘Perakadoru Bana’.
     
    Baptist was selected for the main villain’s role and flew to India for shooting. He was still in the senior level class in College and had to say ‘adios’ to his alma mater, while flying to India.
     
    The film was screened in 1955. Baptist had bitter experiences in the sets of his first film itself. Young Baptist silently made a pledge to him self; that he will produce and play the main role in his own film one day.
     
    Baptist did ‘Purasha Ratnaya’(1959) with Prem Jayanath, which had he evergreen song ‘Aiyata Mae Raja Gae Malli Hadala’.
     
    He played as the villain firstly in ‘Sithaka Mahima’ (1964). The cast was, Prem Jayanth, Rita Ratnayake, Ashoka Ponnamperuma and the alluring Sandhya Kumari. Gamini Fonseka chose Baptist to play the villain in ‘Ohoma Hondada’. Filmgoers in 70’s decade would still recall the popular song ‘Rajakam Keruwath... kalakam pala dae’ which Gamini sang, while pounding Baptist with a whip.
     
    Baptist recalls, “I have had many fight scenes with Gamini. I always told Gamini to hit me hard to give credibility to the fight scene.
     
    Even the film directors at that time thought, I was the best match for Gamini as the villain. Indian directors at that time who directed Sinhala films had been very professional, serious and corporative.”
     
    ‘Satha Panaha’ (1965) is another film in which Baptist played villain apposite Gamini. Baptist’s portrayal of villain was different.
     
    Though he was soft spoken, his evil acts on the screen dreaded many. Baptist went on to say, laughingly, “Even Malani Fonseka had told me once that she was scared even to look at me even outside the set.”
     
    Baptist played villain in Satha Panaha, Ohoma Hondada, Sahanaya (1972) Kawada Raja (1972) and Thushara (1972). Thushara was the last film which projected Baptist as villain. In the new version of ‘Thushara,’ Sahan Wijesinghe plays the role originally played by Baptist. “Sahan has done justice to my role” says Baptist.
     
     
    Baptist and Jenita Samaraweera in Tikira
    Baptist formed ‘Seven Arts’ with Prem Jayanath and produced ‘Sahanaya’ jointly in 1972. “Eventually, I got fed up by playing villain” says Baptist. “I wanted my fans to love me as a hero, although at that time, film goers loved the hero and villain alike”, he says.
     
    Thus Baptist produced his own film ‘Duppathage Hithawatha’ amidst many warnings and objections from peers. “People in the film trade never thought I could project the image of the hero on silver screen, since I was branded as most dreadful villain”, Baptist says smilingly.
     
    The film became a box office hit. This phenomenal achievement, led Baptist to produce a gamut of films with himself in the lead role, Tikira, Eka diga Kathawak, Namal Renu, Sudu Aiya to name a few. ‘Eka diga Kathawak’ was dubbed in Tamil as ‘Oru Thalei Kadal’ to be screened in Jaffna.
     
    Significance in Baptist’s own productions was, none of the actors, actresses or technicians signing agreements. He was a ‘Pay Master’ and his colleagues knew that. Baptist was a good businessman too. What he earned from his businesses was invested in producing films with a view to rejuvenating the dying Sinhala film industry in the 80’s which was a just cause. (Introduction of colour TV had hit the Sinahala film industry hard at that time.)
     
    He was once the Treasurer of ‘Nalu Nili Sangamaya’ and had done a great deal of justice to his post.
     
    Baptist used to fight against injustice in real life too. His film ‘Tikira’ was deprived of screening in Lido, Zainstan led film halls.
     
    Authorities wanted to screen ‘Weera Puran Appu’ instead in this circuit. Baptist took a court order against this decision, which led the authorities to introduce a new circuit called ‘5th Circuit’ to screen ‘Weera Puran Appu’. ‘Tikira’ became a box office hit. The back and forth summersault (‘Balti’) Baptist introduced in Tikira became very popular among his fans.
     
    Baptist produced and directed the Epic film ‘Angulimala’ (1998) with Ravindra Randeniya and Joe Abeywickrama in leading roles. He further produced/ directed ‘Raja Kello’ with Sithara Priyadharshani (1991).
     
    Baptist pronounces 70’s decade as the golden era of Sinhala Cinema. “The industry in 70’s had a good range at actors, directors, technicians and also script writers and producers.
     
    “The plot in a particular film was so strong that the hero’s character as well ass the villain’s character got highlighted,” says Baptist. He has a regard for late H.D. Kulatunga who played villain in ‘Chandiya.’
     
    From : www.dailynews.lk/2009/12/01/fea31.asp
     
     
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