Robin Fernanado with stars of his Charlie’s Angels-inspired action film
Sura Dhoothiyo.
Popular Sri Lankan actor and daring stuntman Robin Fernando passed away on January 8 at 84 years of age.
Robin made his debut in the movie ‘Chandiya’ in 1965 in a famous fight scene over a swimming pool with the yester-year mega hero, Gamini Fonseka. That daring stunt was Robin’s springboard to success.
“Ariyarathne Kahawita, the journalist who edited a film weekly, introduced me to films,” Robin told me as I went to his Anderson Flats for an interview for the Sunday Observer in 1985. It was just after his popular action film Sura Dhoothiyo, a faithful film version based on Hollywood’s popular television series Charlie’s Angels, was released.
Kahawita introduced me to director Titus Thotawatte, who was looking for a stunt actor and offered me the part in Chandiya. I was paid Rs 300 for the fight scene, which was a princely sum those days,” he said with a chuckle. His wife Viola and son Channa were present at the interview.
Robin showed me his pet toy, a crossbow, and demonstrated how it worked. It looked deadly having the power to kill someone, but he said it was not banned in Sri Lanka.
Sura Dhoothiyo, incidentally, became a box office hit due to its high-octane stunts and the three beautiful actresses. Lead actress Rosy Senanayake won the prestigious Mrs. World beauty title in 1985, and when she was acting in the film, she held the title of Miss Sri Lanka. The other two leading ladies were Visakha Siriwardane, who passed away last year and Akushla Selliah.
“To keep up with the image of the popular Charlie’s Angels, I taught the actresses all kinds of stunts like martial arts, shooting, fencing, boat racing, and they excelled in all those departments,” he said.
Stunts were in Robin’s blood. While studying in Koahena St. Benedict College, he mastered athletics, karate and boxing while one of his favourite pastimes in school was jumping through live-fire rings.
Some of his schoolmates became prominent film personalities. He studied with future film directors Lenin Moraes and Premnath Moraes and also knew other artists like Vijaya Kumaratunga, Ravindra Randeniya, Sudesh Gunaratne, Roy Handapangoda in school. Musician Melroy Dharamarathne of the famous Dharmaratne Brothers quartet was junior to him in school.
According to his filmography that began in 1965 with Chandiya, he acted in more than 90 films, some of which are landmarks in the Sri Lankan film industry. They include Dheewarayo, Hara Lakshaya, Weera Puran Appu, Hathara Kendare, Sikuruliya, Bicycle Hora and Visidela.
In Hara Lakshaya, he experienced many scary incidents as the movie contained several high-speed car chases and other daring stunts. In one incident, cameraman Andrew Jayamanna who was going on top of a car holding his camera, fell and hurt himself.
In Siripala Saha Ranmenika, Robin had to flee the cops chasing to catch him. The escape scene started on the roof of a train going at high speed, and later Robin and his co-star, Ravindra Randeniya, were hanging under a train compartment just a few inches from the railway track to evade the cops.
Cinematographer Donald Karunaratne recently told me that he was injured while filming the scene as he was thrown off the train with the camera while filming the difficult scene.
Robin was the best stunt man we had, and on many occasions, he had jumped from buildings and bridges, in addition to other death-defying daredevillery to entertain his fans. He also acted in about 20 teledramas. Too handsome to be only a stunt coordinator, he played acclaimed lead roles in films like Davena Pipasaya and Pinibindu.
The last rites of the veteran star took place at Colombo General Cemetery on January 9 amidst a gathering of family members fellow artists.
According to press reports, this versatile actor had been receiving treatment for Parkinson’s disease for about two years. It is a sad epilogue for a prolific actor and a daring stunt man, but that is the way of life. May your journey through Samsara be brief. Goodbye Robin! – Somasiri Munasinghe
