Cinematographer Suminda Weerasinghe passes away

Amila Prabath Wanasinghe and Gayan Rajapaksa

Veteran cinematographer Suminda Weerasinghe died at the Premadasa Memorial Rest Hall in Anuradhapura yesterday.

He was 61.

Weerasinghe was lodging at the rest hall while shooting the film Siri Dalada Gamana on location in the Mihintale area.

Weerasinghe who has more than 200 films to his credit, was engaged in shooting the film Siri Dalada Gamana directed by Sanath Obeysekera prior to his death.

Born in Kurunegala on January 29, 1951, he entered the cinema field in the 1960s. He has won several awards for his exceptional talents in photography.

Obeysekera said Weerasinghe who attended a special religious ceremony at the Jaya Sri Mahabodhi with the film crew on Monday evening, went back to the rest hall where they were staying.

As he was late to rise yesterday morning, they opened his room to see him lying on the ground unconscious. They rushed him to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital where he was pronounced dead on admission.