Po Par Gyi
Encyclopedia
Po Par Gyi was a famous traditional Burmese opera performer and two-time Myanmar Academy Award winning film actor
known for comic roles.
, Ayeyarwady Division
to San Pe, a Customs Inspector and his wife Hla. He graduated from Hinthada Government High School in 1936. Pursuing his interest in singing
and dancing, he got his first break in 1938 with a starring role in a silent film Lu Pyo Tho produced by the Rangoon Film Company.
But he would achieve fame in traditional Burmese opera. During the Japanese occupation
(1942–1945), he moved to Yangon
and became an opera actor in Director Kyaw Aye's Ye Ye Khaw Daw Opera. He continued to gain success in opera after Burmese independence in 1948. His notable opera performances include Pyo Letsaung, Nge Kyun Swe, and Ko Kyait Ta Ko Loat. Between 1960 and 1961, he starred in the renowned opera Po Par Gyi. His best opera performances are considered to be Chin Taung Nga Lone and Gon Ne Marna.
Po Par Gyi also found success in films as a comic actor and focused on his film career from 1960s onwards. He starred in dozens movies from 1940s until his death in 1980.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
known for comic roles.
Biography
Po Par Gyi was born Nyunt Hlaing in PatheinPathein
Pathein , also called Bassein, is a port city with a 2004 population estimated at 215,600, and the capital of the Ayeyarwady Region, Burma. It lies on the Pathein River , which is a western branch of the Irrawaddy River....
, Ayeyarwady Division
Ayeyarwady Division
Ayeyarwady Region is a region of Myanmar, occupying the delta region of the Ayeyarwady River . It is bordered by Bago Region to the north, Bago Region and Yangon Region to the east, and the Bay of Bengal to the south and west...
to San Pe, a Customs Inspector and his wife Hla. He graduated from Hinthada Government High School in 1936. Pursuing his interest in singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and dancing, he got his first break in 1938 with a starring role in a silent film Lu Pyo Tho produced by the Rangoon Film Company.
But he would achieve fame in traditional Burmese opera. During the Japanese occupation
Japanese occupation of Burma
The Japanese occupation of Burma refers to the period between 1942 and 1945 during World War II, when Burma was a part of the Empire of Japan. The Japanese had assisted formation of the Burma Independence Army, and trained the Thirty Comrades, who were the founders of the modern Armed Forces...
(1942–1945), he moved to Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
and became an opera actor in Director Kyaw Aye's Ye Ye Khaw Daw Opera. He continued to gain success in opera after Burmese independence in 1948. His notable opera performances include Pyo Letsaung, Nge Kyun Swe, and Ko Kyait Ta Ko Loat. Between 1960 and 1961, he starred in the renowned opera Po Par Gyi. His best opera performances are considered to be Chin Taung Nga Lone and Gon Ne Marna.
Po Par Gyi also found success in films as a comic actor and focused on his film career from 1960s onwards. He starred in dozens movies from 1940s until his death in 1980.
Awards
In 1958, he was awarded the title Wunna Kyaw Htin, the highest honor given to an artist by the Burmese government. He also won two Burmese Academy Awards, for his roles in Po Pyon Cho (1955) and Ta Kha Ga Ta Bawa (1978).Filmography
- Po Pyon Cho (1955)
- Ta Kha Ga Ta Bawa (1978)