Excellent character actor Senaka Titus Anthony who plays a leading role in popular Koombiyo (Ants) tele-drama passed away in Singapore after a brief illness.
He had fallen ill when boarding a flight back to Sri Lanka after performing in Aluth Horek Ona stage play in Singapore. He had been rushed to an emergency ward.
Senaka is the eldest of five brothers and started his acting career along with his second sibling, more famous Jackson, but many believe that Senaka was far more talented than his kid brother.
His natural, disciplined acting in Koombiyo tele serial where he plays a mafia boss is uncharacteristic of an actor who mastered his craft on stage, betraying no hint of flamboyancy that some stage actors bring in to TV and cinema.
His sly entry surrounded by a coterie of body guards into the ramshackle building that Jehan lives in Koombiyo, his suspicion and curiosity as soon he sees Priyantha – Jehan’s sidekick – bringing him a cup of tea, and subsequent few seconds of tension grips the viewer as Senaka’s subtly displays the mafia man’s dark past with blood on his hands. If I say this is one of the best character portrayals I have ever seen on Sri Lankan TV, I don’t intend to belittle the likes of Jackson, Jayalath Manorathne, Mahendra Perera, Sriyantha Mendis and the other talented few.
Senaka belongs to a generation of actors like Jackson, Sriyantha and Mahendra who began on the stage and their transition to television was almost natural as their careers were taking off just as the TV made its debut in Sri Lanka late 70s. Senaka’s repertoire may not be lengthy. He did a little, but he did his best in a unique way to surpass the achievements of his contemporaries.
Senaka began his career on stage with Waruven Yana Minissu and made his television debut in Jackson’s Esala Kaluwarayi. His character of a man pretending to be a severely handicapped street beggar in the film Address Ne received rave reviews. His other films include Ehelepola Kumarihami, Aba, and Kala which is yet to be screened.
He won a merit award for acting in Aba at 2008 Sarasaviya film awards festival.
Starting life as a journalist, he served as the first editor of popular children’s newspaper Ran Kati. He was one of the first TV scrip writers of children’s stories and was involved in the drama unit of the national television.
Senaka’s funeral will be held at St. Paul and Peter Church Cemetery in Ragama on October 30. A talent like him is hard to forget, and the saving grace is we can still see him in Koombiyo! – SM
