Trilicia Gunawardena


Trelicia Abeykoon ), popularly as Trelicia or Trilicia Gunawardena, was an award-winning actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television as well as a singer. She is best known for the critically acclaimed roles in films Gamperaliya, Nidhanaya, Kaliyagaya and Beddegama.

Personal life

She was born in 1934 at Kolonnawa. She completed school education from Musaeus College, Colombo. Then she graduated with an honors degree from University of Peradeniya and worked as a teacher at Ananda Shasthralaya, Kotte. She also worked as a lecturer in the Aesthetic department at Peradeniya university as well as University of Kelaniya. She was married to Professor A.J. Gunawardena.
She died on 26 April 1999. Her body was cremated at General Cemetery, Borella.

Career

Her drama career started with U.A.S Perera's Lama Pitiya program in Radio Ceylon. She sang the song Surathal Nangiye with U.A.S Perera and W. A. Wijepala in 1939. Then in 1956, Gunawardena entered to stage drama with the main role as the first queen in play Maname by Ediriweera Sarachchandra. Her maiden cinematic experience came through 1963 blockbuster movie Gamperaliya directed by award winning filmmaker Lester James Peries. In television, her role as Lucy Hami in the drama Giraya was highly praised by the critics.

Notable theater works