Veteran Film Director Vasantha Obeysekara passed away yesterday morning at a private hospital in Colombo following a brief illness.
Kalakeerthi Vasantha Obeysekara graduated from the University of Ceylon in 1962. He also served on the editorial staff of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited from 1964 to 1970.
The 80-year-old film director and film script writer won many awards for the films he directed and for his film scripts after entering the film industry in 1967 as a co-scriptwriter and assistant director in ‘Sath Samudura’.
In the 1970s Obeysekera wrote and directed Ves Gaththo (‘Masked Men’) (1970), Valmathuwo (‘Lost Ones’) (1976), Diyamanthi (‘Diamond’) (1977) and Palangetiyo (‘Grasshoppers”) (1979).
He won the Presidential Film Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Film for his film Palangetiyo in 1979 and the film Dadayama in 1983.
Among the other films he directed are Kadapathaka Chaya (1989), Maruthaya (1995), Dorakada Marawa (1998), Theertha Yathra (1999), Salelu Warama (2002), Asani Warsha (2005), Sewwandi ( 2006) and Aganthukaya (2007).
According to the members of the funeral organizing committee, his remains will lie at Jayaratne Funeral Parlour, Borella and the funeral will take place at Borella Kanatta today (Sunday) at 5 p.m.