Andara Vaas Patabedige Vincent (7 November 1922 – 6 May 2004 වින්සන්ට් වාස්), popularly known as Vincent Vaas was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema. Often considered one of the best character actors in Sinhala cinema, he made several critically acclaimed roles in a career spanned for more than five decades.[1] Apart from cinema, he was also a singer and musician.[2]

Vincent Vaas
වින්සන්ට් වාස්
Born
Andara Vaas Patabedige Vincent

(1922-11-07)November 7, 1922
Kalutara, Sri Lanka
DiedMay 6, 2004(2004-05-06) (aged 81)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationBeruwala Roman Catholic College
OccupationActor
Years active1954–2004
SpouseAgnes Cooray (m. 1959)
Children5 Including Chinthaka Vaas
Parents
  • Leon Vaas (father)
  • Monica Fernando (mother)
AwardsRana Thisara Award

Personal life

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Vaas was born on 7 November 1922 in Beruwala, Kalutara, Sri Lanka as the seventh child in a family of nine siblings.[2] His father Leon Vaas was a talented violinist. His mother Monica Fernando was a housewife. He studied at the Roman Catholic College in Beruwela.[3]

He was married to Agnes Cooray where the wedding was celebrated in 1959.[4] He first met her at the Wadduwa church. Vincent and Agnes are about 18 years apart. The couple has one sons: Milal and Chinthaka, and three daughters: Virani, Janaki and Inoka.[5]

Chinthaka Vaas studied at Saint Joseph's College, Colombo and is also an actor who acted in the films: Aba, Address Na, Usaviya Nihadai, Ginnen Upan Seethala and television serials: Modara Bambaru, Golu Thaththa and Deyyange Rate. Chinthaka works at Lake House.[3] Chinthaka is married to Asha Madushani. He met her while Chinthaka was singing in church. They have three children: Ginod Joseph, Minod Rafail, and Vindali Marieta.[6]

Towards the end of his life, Vass and his family lived in a small house in Mahabudgamuwa.[7][8] He died on 6 May 2004 at the age of 81.[1]

Career

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He loved drama from the time he was at the school. He took to the streets by singing Christmas carols and gradually became a prominent actor in plays staged in the village huts including; Maraka Dayadaya, Sinhala Kolla and Yuddha Bhoomiya and Veniciye Welenda. However his father thought of rescuing his son from drama mania and sent him to a grocery store in Balangoda to gain experience in retail. After 10 months of being frustrated with the boring life at the grocery store, Vaas came back to the village to achieve his success in drama.[3]

After few years, Benedict Fernando directed him to the performance on the public stage. He had the opportunity to act in the play Bhayanaka Mankollaya co-produced by Benedict Master and Matthias Fernando. It was during this time that Vass emerged as a singer. He received the opportunity to sing the songs Naade Naade, Vida Satana Maala, Ae Mal Uyane, Nimala Sri Saara in Radio Ceylon under the guidance of H. W.W. Rupasinghe and Tabla Master J. A. Podi Appuhamy.[3]

Meanwhile, he met the musician R. Muttusamy who introduced Vass to cinema. Vaas made his debut cinema appearance in the film Ahankara Sthree directed with A. B. Raj with the popular role 'Juwan'.[1] Then his notable role came through the film Sandesaya directed by Lester James Peries. In the film, he played as the 'Sandeshaya Carrier' who later became the prisoner of the Portuguese.[2] Later, he has played a variety of roles in a number of films. In Duppathage Duka, he acted as IGP, a father in Vanamohini and as Muthusami, the boat owner in Ranmuthu Duwa. Then he played as Bandusena in Gatavarayo, as Vijaya's brother in Eya Dan Loku Lamayek, as Nade Guru in Christhu Charithaya, as Nadeeka's father in Vajira and as Kalang's father in Podi Wije and played as Vijay's father in Waradata Danduwam. In the film Uthumaneni directed by Gamini Fonseka, Vass acted as a bedridden paraplegic. From 1954 to 2004, he contributed with more than 70 films across many genre.[3]

In 2002, he was awarded with Rana Thisara Lifetime Award at the 27th Sarasaviya Awards.[2]

Filmography

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Year Film Roles Ref.
1954 Ahankara Sthree Juwan Appu
1956 Duppathage Duka
1957 Suraya
1958 Sepali
1958 Vana Mohini
1959 Sirimali Sirimali's Father 'Maha Rala'
1960 Sandesaya Sandeshaya Carrier
1960 Veera Vijaya
1962 Ranmuthu Duwa Muttusamy
1964 Getawarayo Bandusena [9]
1964 Sasaraka Hati Siriwardena
1966 Senasili Suwaya Sumith's father 'Mudalithuma'
1968 Punchi Baba
1969 Surayangeth Suraya
1971 Haara Lakshe 1st beating pariticipant
1974 Duppathage Hithawatha Vincent [10]
1975 Suraya Surayamai David Appuhamy [11]
1977 Deviyani Oba Kohida Elizabeth's father [12]
1977 Eya Dan Loku Lamayek Vigilante leader [13]
1977 Sikuru Dasava
1978 Veera Puran Appu Cruel Master
1978 Bambaru Avith Anton's friend
1979 Geheniyak Charlie
1979 Monarathenna [14]
1980 Doctor Susanthaa
1980 Parithyagaya Anula's uncle
1980 Muwan Palessa 2 Mali's father 'Pincha Mama'
1980 Sankhapali
1980 Paara Dige
1980 Sinhabahu
1980 Uthumaneni [15]
1981 Beddegama [16]
1981 Valampuri Diver
1981 Vajira Mudalali
1981 Amme Mata Samawenna Vasantha's father
1981 Dayabara Nilu Kankanama
1982 Pethigomara Sudhira's father
1982 Ridee Nimnaya
1982 Sithara
1983 Ran Mini Muthu
1983 Niliyakata Pem Kalemi Music master
1983 Subodha
1983 Hasthi Viyaruwa Korala
1983 Sister Mary Caretaker
1983 Hithath Hondai Wedath Hondai
1983 Muhudu Lihini
1984 Walle Thanu Maliga Peduru
1984 Deveni Gamana [17]
1984 Podi Ralahamy Siyadoris
1984 Namal Renu
1984 Hima Kathara
1985 Araliya Mal Veda Mahathaya
1986 Maldeniye Simion Gammuladani
1986 Devuduwa
1986 Aadara Hasuna Andiris
1987 Podi Vijay
1987 Obatai Priye Adare Mudalali
1989 Waradata Danduwam
1990 Pem Rajadahana
1990 Christhu Charithaya Vandana Nadaya leader [18]
1991 Dolosmahe Pahana
1991 Sihina Ahase Wasanthaya
1992 Salli Thibunata Madi
1992 Suranimala
1992 Sathya
1992 Rajek Wage Puthek
1994 Mawubime Veerayo
1995 Demodara Palama Simon
1995 Chandani Gunapala
1995 Ayoma
1996 Sathi
1996 Amanthaya
1997 Puthuni Mata Wasana
1997 Raagaye Unusuma
1997 Apaye Thappara 84000k

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Remembering Vincent Vaas". Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 2021-02-20 – via PressReader.
  2. ^ a b c d "Death of Vincent Vass, great loss to cinema". Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). 9 May 2004. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  3. ^ a b c d e "අහංකාර ස්ත්‍රී තුළින් සිනමාවට පිවිසි ජුවානිස් වින්සන්ට් වාස්". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 2 May 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  4. ^ "වාස් ජීවිතය කැප කළා නිෂ්පාදකයෝ ගොඩ ගියා: වින්සන්ට් වාස්ගේ බිරිය කියයි". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  5. ^ ඇල්වලගේ, සචිත්‍ර. නිශ්ශංක, නාරද (ed.). "දස වසරකට පෙර සමුගත් වින්සන්ට්‌ වාස්‌". Divaina (in Sinhala). Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  6. ^ වාස්, චින්තක. "සරසවිය එදත් මගේ පිහිටට ආවා". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  7. ^ "අපි අසරණ වෙලා වගේ හිතට දැනෙනවා". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  8. ^ "අගැයුමක් නැති මිනිස්සු". Dinamina (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  9. ^ "ඈත ගව් ගණන් දුරින් "ගැටවරයෝ". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 24 January 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  10. ^ "දුප්පත් පොහොසත් දෙකක් ඕන නෑ". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  11. ^ "හිතලා බැලුවද ලොකු නෝනලා". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 25 July 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  12. ^ "ආදර පූජාසනේ දෙවියනි ඔබ කොහිද?". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 22 October 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  13. ^ "ආයෙත් එයා දැන් ලොකු ළමයෙක්". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 19 March 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  14. ^ "ඔහුට ඇය හිමිවුණා වේ". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 10 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  15. ^ "යුක්තිය රජයන ලොවකට අප රැගෙන යන්න". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 1 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  16. ^ "ලෙනාඩ් වුල්ෆ්ගේ නවකතාවෙන් සිත්තමක් වූ බැද්දේගම". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 12 December 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  17. ^ "චාමර සැලුණාවේ "දෙවෙනි ගමන"". Sarasaviya (in Sinhala). 29 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  18. ^ "All about Christhu Charithaya". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-02-20. [dead link]
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