Conganige Sajitha Anuththara Anthony (Sinhala: සජිත අනුත්තර ඇන්තනී) (born 11 November 1991), popularly known as Sajitha Anthony, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television. He started his career as a child actor in the film Sooriya Arana. Sajitha became known with his role as Saraa in the television serial Nadagamkarayo.[1] He is also known as a singer, dancer, model and television host.[2]
Personal life
He was born on 11 November 1991 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the youngest child in an artistic family. His father Jackson Anthony is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television. Regarded as a versatile actor, Jackson has appeared before the public as a director, producer, singer, screenwriter, television host, novelist, columnist, lyricist, historian, and traveler. His mother, Kumari Sandalatha Munasinghe, is a singer and actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television.[3]
Sajitha has an older sister, Madhavee Wathsala and an older brother, Akila Dhanuddara. Akila is an actor in cinema and television who has appeared in the popular films Siri Parakum and Address Na. Madavee is an actor in cinema and television who has appeared in the film Address Na.[4] Madhavee is married to Milan Silva.[5]
His uncle Senaka Titus Anthony, an actor and journalist, died on 23 October 2017 in Singapore.[6][7] His uncle Sudath Anthony is also an actor in television.[8]
He is married to his longtime partner, Buwinika Maneesha Halvitige. Their wedding was held on 18 January 2019 along with his two siblings.[9][10][11] On 21 May 2022 the couple welcomed their first child.
Career
In 2004, Sajitha began his acting career in Sooriya Arana, directed by Somaratne Dissanayake, in the role of Tikira. The film became the highest-grossing film in Sri Lankan cinema history.[12] He made his first television appearance in the musical show "Hapan Padura".[13] In the meantime, he played a central role in the film Aba directed by his father in 2008.[14]
Later, he acted in the critically-acclaimed films Eka Gei Sokari, Gaadi and Sihina Sameekarana[15][16][17][18][19].[20][21][22][23][14][24] In 2016, he played the lead role in a teledrama telecasted in channel Swarnawahini named, "Bohimiyanuwa" a story about radical romance, which won two awards for "Best Upcoming Actor" in 2017 at the Raigam Teleawards and Sumathi Awards.[25] In 2018 he took on a role in Kanamadiriyo telecast on ITN TV. In 2021, he appeared in the television serial Nadagamkarayo as the main character Saraa. It has received positive reviews from critics.[26] The series has received acclaim from critics and audiences alike, and its telecast episodes were trending on YouTube, setting a record in Sri Lankan teledrama history.[27] He became known through the role and later was awarded Most Popular Teledrama Actor in Sumathi Awards in 2021.[28][29][30][31][32][33] In the meantime, he played a central role in the film Aba directed by his father in 2008.[14]
In 2013, he participated in the dance competition Derana City of Dance – The Ultimate Level. On 9 November 2009, he won for the Best Dance Couple at the Grand Finale of the competition.[34]Sajitha starred in the lead role of "Kamal" in the telefilm Irai hadayi opposite costars sanjaya muramudali and Kalana gunasekara , which was released on New Year's Eve, 2024.
As a singer, he released the single "Swarnapaliye" along with Sanuka Wickramasinghe. The song was popular, receiving over four million views on YouTube.[35][29][30][31][32]