Freddie We'll miss you
[November 3, 2001 -9.40 GMT]

(Reproduced from the Daily News of November 3, 2001)

Freddie. The name said it all. The very name was enough to bring a smile on your face, as the brain shuffles through countless images of Freddie on celluloid and subconsciously plays back his hit songs. 

Freddie Silva (63), a popular actor and singer passed away at the Kalubowila hospital last Monday evening after a brief illness. Freddie, undoubtedly the best comedian that the Sinhala cinema produced, was not in the best of health for the last few months. Yet his resilience in the face of adversity was firm as ever. 

Freddie who entered the local silver screen by acting in the film "Sohoyuro" rose to prominence in the late 1950s with a string of perennial hits that still resonate in the air from time to time. 

Freddie whose mere presence was enough to make the audience laugh, acted in more than 100 films. His one-liners simply drove the audience delirious. Often paired with the film's hero or heroine, Freddie has turned many otherwise dull films into highly memorable and entertaining cinematic creations. 

Amongst the films that cast his best performance were such as Lasanda, Sunethra, Sukiri Kella and Sujeewa. Apart from his acting, Freddie also had a splendid talent in singing. Many of his songs pointed out shortcomings in society or people. 

His songs, written by eminent lyricists, almost always had a message for society. For example, the song 'Aluth Kalawak' castigated the widespread habit of sending petitions against people who try to climb up the social ladder. 'Balla' described how the wealthy feed their dogs. 'Mottapala', 'Kundumani', 'Handa Mama' and 'Aron Mama' were among the hundreds of popular songs sung by Freddie. A number of songs stressed the importance of amity among different communities. Yet his talents were not much recognised, he received only a few awards. 

Freddie said in an interview several months before his death that he was hurt and shocked by the apparent callousness with which some music bands and new generation singers had pirated his songs. This is a bad omen for the performing arts, he said. 

"Freddie is still alive. That is my message to countless fans. I would like to make a comeback with the help of fans and my fellow artistes," he said in that interview. Although he is no more in the fold, Freddie has made his mark. 

His humorous songs and comic stunts are etched deep in our memories. If laughter is the best medicine, Freddie was a doctor who wrote the best prescription for a complete cure for boredom and stress. 

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Last Updated Date: November 3, 2001  - 9.40 GMT.