Vijaya Kumartunga
Vijaya Kumartunga (b. 19??, Sri Lanka – d. February 16, 1988, Polhengoda, Sri Lanka) Sri Lankan popular film actor and politician, who was married to Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga from 1978 to his assassination in 1988.
Kumaratunga's first film was "Hanthane Kathawa", in which he played the lead role. Since then, in a career that spanned nearly two decades, he acted in 114 films and won several awards. He was voted most popular actor in Sri Lanka from 1983 to 1988. Vijaya performed in one English film, "The God King" and one Tamil film, "Nanguran" during his career.
He was also a politician, and founded the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP). He and his party argued for peace in the ongoing civil war in Sri Lanka. His murder is probably related to his political actions.
In 1978, Kumaratunga married Chandrika Bandaranaike, daughter of late Sri Lankan prime minister Solomon Bandaranaike and also former prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. He was shot outside his residence at Polhengoda on February 16, 1988 by an unknown assailant. He died soon after.
Categories: Murdered entertainers | Murdered politicians