ARTICLE-08-SILUMINA
2013-07-28
|
“ශ්‍රී බුද්ධගයා විහාරේ - වඳිනේමූ මෝක්ෂ පතාලා.”
ශ්‍රී බුද්ධගයා විහාරේ යන වදන්වලින් අරඹින ගීතය ද මේ පිවිස ඇත්තේ, අටවැනි දශකයටය. අපගේ අවධානය යොමු වන වැදගත්ම කාරණය වන ගීතයේ ප්‍රබන්ධය ගැන සලකන විට වුවද, විශේෂත්වයක් පැනෙයි. ගීතයෙහි රචකයා හෙවත් ප්‍රබන්ධකයා වන්නේ, සී. වීරසේකර නමැති කවියෙකි. ඔහු පිළිබඳ තොරතුරු කාලයේ වැලිතලාවෙන් වැසී ඇත්තේ වන. බෞද්ධ තේමාවන් ඔස්සේ සිංහල ගීත සංඛ්‍යාවක් ප්‍රබන්ධය කළ මෙම රචකයා, අනාගත පරපුර ඉදිරියෙහි ජීවමාන වන්නේ, ඔහුගේ මෙවන් නිර්මාණවලින් පමණි.ARTICLE-07
23-10-2013- DIVAINA NEWSPAPER
|
|||||
 |
|||||
මා
දක්‍ෂ නිළියකැයි මම නොකියමි. එහෙත් මා පළපුරුදු නිළියක් බව මට
කිව හැකියි. ලංකාවේ අන් කිසිම කෙනෙකෙ=ට වඩා මා වැඩි චිත්‍රපටි
ගණනක ප්‍රධාන නිළිය වශයෙන් රඟපා ඇත. අන් බොහෝ කෙනෙකුට වඩා මම
වැඩි කාලයක්‌ ගායිකාවක් වේදිකා නිළියක් හා සිනමා තාරකාවක්‌
වශයෙන් කටයුතු කර ඇත්තෙමි. ඒ අනුව මේ කලාවේ දීර්ඝ අත්දැකීමක්‌ මට
තිබේ. ඒ නිසා මගේ දක්‍ෂකම කෙසේ වුවත් පළපුරුද්ද අතින් බලන විට
මගේ සහෝදර ආධුනික නිළියනටත් නිළියන්වීමට පුළ පුළා සිටින දයාබර
සිනමා රසිකාවනටත් අවවාදයක්‌ වශයෙන් මා යමක්‌ කීම ගැන ඔවුන් මා
සමග උරන නොවනු ඇතැයි මම විශ්වාස කරමි.ARTICLE-6
25-10-2013 -Divaina Newspaper
මගේ කලා දිවියේ මුණගැසුණු
නිහතමානීම කාන්තාව රුක්මණී දේවියයි
ලබන සඳුදාට (28 දාට) යෙදෙන ගුණ සමරුව නිමිත්තෙනි
රුක්මණී දේවිය මට මුණගැසුණු නිහතමානීම කාන්තාව බව පවසන්නේ අතිශයෝක්‌තියකින් නොවේ. රුක්මණී දේවි නම්වූ ඒ අසහාය ගීත කෝකිලාව සමග ගීතයක් (නිලම්බරේ කැලුම් පිරී) ගායනා කිරීමට අවස්‌ථාව ලැබීම මා ලද වාසනාවක්‌ වන අතර එය මගේ ගායන දිවියේ එක් සුවිශේෂී සන්ධිස්‌ථානයක්‌ ද විය. එම ගීතයේ පද රචක ලීනස්‌ මෙන්ඩිස්‌ පියතුමාගේ පද මාලාවට ස්‌ටැන්ලි පීරිස්‌ සංගීතවේදියා ඉතාමත් මියුරු තනුවක් නිර්මාණය කළ අතර එය සංගීත රසිකයන් අතර ඉමහත් සේ ජනප්‍රිය විය. එකල සංගීත ප්‍රසංගවලදී මුණ ගැසුණු බොහෝ අවස්‌ථාවලදී රුක්මණී දේවිය මගේ ගායන හැකියාව ඉහළින් අගය කළ සැටි මට සිහිපත් වේ.
ලීනස්‌ මෙන්ඩිස්‌ පියතුමා මගේ ගීත 4 ක්‌ පටිගත කිරීමට සූදානම් කර එයින් එක් ගීතයක් රුක්මණී දේවිය සමග ගායනා කරන ලෙස මගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියා. පසුව අප දෙදෙනා ගොස් රුක්මණී දේවිය මුණගැසී මේ බව දැන්වු විට ඇය ඉතාමත් සතුටින් එම ගීතය මා සමග ගායනා කිරීමට කැමැති වුණා. මෙම ගීතය සඳහා සංගීතය නිර්මාණය කළ ස්‌ටැන්ලි පීරිස්‌ පදිංචිව සිටියේ මහනුවර කටුගස්‌තොට බැවින් පුහුණුව සඳහා එහි යැමට සිදුවිය. එහෙත් රුක්මණී දේවියට මේ සඳහා නුවර යැමට අපහසු බැවින් මට එහිගොස්‌ ගීතය පුහුණු වී පැමිණ ඇයට කියාදෙන ලෙස මගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියා.
පසුව මා නුවර ගොස් ගීතය පුහුණු වී කොළඹ පැමිණ ගායක හා ගිටාර් වාදක උපාලි කන්නන්ගර සමග දෙහිවල ඇයගේ නැගණිය වන හෙලන් නිලන්තිගේ නිවසේදී ගීතය පුහුණු වුණා. මා ගීතය පේළියෙන් පේළිය ගායනා කර පෙන්වන විට ඇයද ගායනා කර ගීතය පුහුණු වූ සැටි තාමත් මගේ මතකයට නැගේ. ඉතාමත් ඉක්‌මනින් ඇය ගීතය පුරුදු වුණා. බොරැල්ලේ "ජෝ නෙත්" චිත්‍රාගාරයේ දී මෙම ගීතය පටිගත කරන විට ඇය ඉතා සහයෝගයෙන් කටයුතු කළ අයුරු මට සිහිවේ.
ඇය මියයන්නට දින කීපයකට පෙර ගුවන්විදුලි සංස්‌ථාවේදී විජය කොරයා සමග ඉංග්‍රීසි මාධ්‍යයෙන් කරන ලද සම්මුඛ සාකච්ඡාවේදීද නිලම්බරේ ගීතය වාදනය කරන ලෙස ඉල්ලා තිබෙනවා. එම වැඩසටහන දැනට ගුවන්විදුලි සංස්‌ථාවේ සංරක්‍ෂාණාගාරයේ තිබෙනවා.
නිලම්බරේ ගීතයට ඇය ඉතාමත් ප්‍රියකළ අතර මාතර පැවති ඇය සහභාගි වූ අවසන් සංගීත ප්‍රසංගයේ දී ගායනා කළ ගීත 4 න් තුන්වැනි ගීතය ලෙස ගායනා කර තිබුණේ මේ ගීතයයි.
ඇය ගැන අද පරපුරේÊඅය විශේෂයෙන් ශිල්පි ශිල්පිනියන් දැනගත යුතුය. කොතරම් ජනප්‍රිය වූවත් නිරහංකාර විය යුතුය යන්න ඇගෙන් ලැබෙන ආදර්ශයයි. රුක්මණී දේවියහට මොක්‌සුව පතමි.
ARTICLE-5
Rukmani
Devi, like any other queen to have walked the Lankan soil, lies beneath
‘ruins’ at the Negombo Public Cemetery today. Since her tomb was
attacked by an unidentified group whose members were arrested and later
released on bail subsequent to trial in 2011, thus far, the monument had
not been restored—let alone visited by her friends or die-hard fans,
who constantly appear on television singing praise and shedding
(crocodile) tears over the loss of their much loved legend.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.
The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-features/item/16968-negombo-vandals-fail-to-destroy-rukmani%E2%80%99s-image.html#sthash.Adx40Ivn.dpuf
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-features/item/16968-negombo-vandals-fail-to-destroy-rukmani%E2%80%99s-image.html#sthash.Adx40Ivn.dpuf
Rukmani
Devi, like any other queen to have walked the Lankan soil, lies beneath
‘ruins’ at the Negombo Public Cemetery today. Since her tomb was
attacked by an unidentified group whose members were arrested and later
released on bail subsequent to trial in 2011, thus far, the monument had
not been restored—let alone visited by her friends or die-hard fans,
who constantly appear on television singing praise and shedding
(crocodile) tears over the loss of their much loved legend.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.
The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-features/item/16968-negombo-vandals-fail-to-destroy-rukmani%E2%80%99s-image.html#sthash.Adx40Ivn.dpuf
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-features/item/16968-negombo-vandals-fail-to-destroy-rukmani%E2%80%99s-image.html#sthash.Adx40Ivn.dpuf
18-10-2013-Divaina Newspaper
අසහාය නිළි
ගීත කෝකිලාවිය රුක්මණී දේවි
2013.10.28 වෙනි දිනට යෙදෙන 35 වැනි ගුණානුස්‌මරණය වෙනුවෙනි
උඩවලව ජලාශයේ ඉදිකිරීම් නිමකර මංගල දියවර නිකුත් කිරීමේ උත්සවය
නිමිතිකොට 1968 අගෝස්‌තු මස 28 වැනි දින දකුණු ඉවුර අබියස
සංගීත ප්‍රසංගයක්‌ පැවැත්වීමට ගංගා නිම්න සංවර්ධන මණ්‌ඩලය
සංවිධානය කරන ලදී. විවෘත වේදිකාවක්‌ මත මයික්‍රෝපෝනයක්‌ සිටුවා
අවට ගස්‌වල බඳින ලද ශබ්ද විකාශන යන්ත්‍ර යුගල කීපයක්‌ද විය.
තාක්‌ෂණය එතරම් දියුණු නොවූ කාල වකවානුවක්‌ වූ බැවින් සැරසිලි
හා ශබ්ද විකාශන ක්‍රම සරල හා ස්‌වාභාවික විය. අගනුවර සිට ගායක
ගායිකාවන් ප්‍රවාහනය කරන ලද බස්‌ රථයද වේදිකාව අසල නවතා
තිබිණි. ගායන ශිල්පීන් ඔවුන්ගේ වාරය එනතුරු බස්‌ රථයේ
රැඳීසිටිමින් වාරය පැමිණි වහාම බස්‌ රථයේ සිට වේදිකාවට
සම්ප්‍රාප්ත වී ගායනය ඉදිරිපත් කිරීම එදා සිරිත විය.
රුක්මණී දේවී ඇතුළු ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජනප්‍රිය
ගායක ගායිකාවන්ගේ සංගීත ප්‍රසංගයක්‌ පවත්වන බව ඊට දින කීපයකට
පෙර ප්‍රදේශය පුරා ප්‍රචාරය කර තිබුණ බැවින් විශාල පිරිසක්‌ එම
ස්‌ථානයට එක්‌රොක්‌ වී සිටියහ. එදා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ අතිශය
ජනප්‍රිය නිළිය හා ගායිකාව ලෙස රුක්මණී දේවිය සියල්ලෝම
පිළිගත්හ. ගී දෙක තුනක්‌ ගැයීමෙන් පසු රුක්මණී දේවි වේදිකාවට
පැමිණෙන බව ශබ්ද විකාශන යන්ත්‍රයෙන් ප්‍රචාරය වීමත් සමඟ
ප්‍රේක්‌ෂකයන්ගේ අත්පොළසන් මධ්‍යයේ ඇය වේදිකාවට ප්‍රවිෂ්ට
වූවාය.
ස්‌ත්‍රී ලාලිත්‍යයෙන් හා පිරුණු දේහ විලාශයක්‌ ඈ සතු වූ අතර
පංච කල්‍යාණියකගේ ශාරීරික ලක්‌ෂණ නොඅඩුව පැවැති බව කිවයුතුය.
තළඑළලු සමක්‌, සියුමැලි ඔපවත් මුහුණක්‌, අඩවන් වූ දිගුවන්
දෙනෙතක්‌, එල්ලා වැටුණු දිගු කර්ණාභරණ යුගලක්‌ ඉදිරියෙන් උස්‌ව
සැකසූ බොකුටු කේශකලාපයක්‌, අත්නැති හැට්‌ටයකින් ලා නිල් පැහැ
සාරියකින් හැඩගැන්වී, ආකර්ෂණීය මඳ සිනහවකින් යුත් උවනතින්
ප්‍රේක්‌ෂකයන් ඉදිරියේ වේදිකාවේ පෙනී සිටියාය. එදා ජනප්‍රිය වී
තිබුණ "කෝකිලයා කෙවිලිය හා නැළවෙන ප්‍රේමවසන්තේ" ගීතය ඇයටම
ආවේණික මියුරු හඬින් ගයද්දී රැස්‌ව සිටි ප්‍රේක්‌ෂකයන්ගේ හදවත්
ගී චිකිත්සාවෙන් මොහොතකට සන්තර්පනය කළේය. ඒ හෝරා කීපය ප්‍රදේශය
පුරා ගී නදින් පාරාදීශසක්‌ විය.
1923 ජනවාරි 13 වැනි දින කිතුනු පවුලකට දාව "ඩේසි ඩැනියල්"
නමින් දැරියක්‌ මීගමුවේ ජනිත විය. දෙමවුපියන් ගුරු සේවයේ
යෙදුණහ. දෙමටගොඩට පැමිණීමෙන් පසු ශිල්ප හැදෑරීමට ඈ ශාන්ත
මැතිව් විදුහලට ඇතුළු කළාය. ළමා වියේදීම පල්ලියේ ගීතිකා
(කන්තරු) ගැයීමට යොමු කිරීම නිසා කිතුණු පරිසරයට බෙහෙවින්
අනුගත විය. ළමා කල සිටම ගීත ගැයීම හේතුවෙන් ස්‌වර උච්චාරණය
ක්‍රමයට ගීත පදමාලාව හැසිරවීමට සතතාභ්‍යාසයේ යෙදීම හා සංසාරික
පුරුදු අනුව ගායනයේ විශිෂ්ට වූවාය. බොදුනුවන්ට වඩා කිතුනු ගායක
ගායිකාවන් බොහෝ දෙනෙක්‌ පසුකාලීsනව ගායන ක්ෂේත්රයට පිවිසියේ
පල්ලියේ මෙම ගායන අභ්‍යාසය තුළින් බව පෙනේ. සත්වැනි විය
පසුකරත්ම ඩේසි ඩැනියල් ශිෂ්‍යාවට මැතිව් විදුහලේ වේදිකාවට
පිවිස නර්තනයේ යෙදෙමින් ගායනයක්‌ ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමේ අවස්‌ථාව
උදාවී ඇත. එම පළමු ගීයම ළමා ගායිකාවක් ලෙස ජනප්‍රිය වීමට
ප්‍රමාණවක්‌ වී තිබේ.
එදා අපේ කලා ක්‍ෂේත්‍රය පෝෂණය වෙමින් පැවැතියේ හේනේ, කමතේ,
පැලේ, පිලේ, අට්‌ටාලයෙන් බිහිවූ ජනකවි මෙන්ම ශාන්තිකම_ යකැඳුරු
ක්‍රියාකාරකම් හේතුවෙන් බිහි වූ යාතිකා මෙන්ම බෙර, දවුල්, නළා
වැනි පංචතූර්ය ආදී දේශීය සංගීත භාණ්‌ඩ උපයෝගී කර ගනිමිනි.
වෙස්සන්තර, සඳකිඳුරු, කුස ජාතකය වැනි ආගමික කතා හා රාමායනය,
අශෝක මාලා වැනි දෘෂ්‍ය කාව්‍ය අනුසාරයෙන් රඟදැක්‌වූ නාට්‍ය හා
නූර්ති ගී දිවයින පුරා ජනප්‍රිය වී තිබිණි. දහනව වෙනි සියවස
ආරම්භයේම එදා පැවැති කෝපිකඩේ හා නිවෙස්වල ගීත ශ්‍රවණ මෙවලම
ලෙස ග්‍රැමෙµdaනය ජනප්‍රිය විය. සර්පිනාව ප්‍රධාන වාද්‍ය
භාණ්‌ඩයකි. නාට්‍ය කණ්‌ඩායම් ලක්‌දිව පුරා සංචාරය කරමින්
වේදිකා නාට්‍ය රංගනයෙන් හා නූර්ති ගී ගැයීමෙන් ප්‍රේක්‌ෂක
ජනප්‍රියත්වය ඇති කළේය. මෙම නාට්‍යවල ගී ගැයීම හා ස්‌ත්‍රී
චරිතවල රංගනයේ යෙදුණේ ස්‌ත්‍රීන් ලෙස හැඳ පැළඳගත් පුරුෂයන්ය.
පුරුෂාධිපත්‍යයට නතු වූ කාල වකවානුවක්‌ අතීතයේ පැවැති බැවින්
කාන්තාවන්ට නර්තනය හෝ ගායනයට වේදිකාව තහනම් කලාපයක්‌ විය.
කාන්තාවන් වේදිකාවට පිවිස පිරිමින් සමඟ නර්තනයේ, රංගනයේ හෝ
ගායනයේ යෙදීම ස්‌ත්‍රී විලාපයකට හේතු වන ක්‍රියාවක්‌ ලෙස එදා
සමාජය සැලකූ අතර "ටීටර් කාරියෝ" "බයිස්‌කෝප්කාරියෝ" ලෙස
සමච්චලයට පත්කරමින් විවාහයකට හෝ නුසුදුසු අය ලෙස සැලකූහ.
එබැවින් එම කාල පරාසය තුළ ජීවත්වූ ස්‌වදේශීය කාන්තාවෝ නර්තනයේ
හෝ ගායනයේ යෙදීම ප්‍රතික්‌ෂේප කළහ.
1949 ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සේවය ස්‌ථාපිත කරනු ලැබීය. ගුවන්
විදුලිය ඇරඹීමත් සමඟ දේශීය සංස්‌කෘතියේ විවිධ ඉසව් සීග්‍ර
දෝලනයකට මෙන්ම පැහැදිලි පරිණාමයකට පත්වීම වැළැක්‌විය නොහැකි
විය. කලා ක්ෂේත්රයේ විවිධ මංපෙත් සොයා ගිය මෙවන් පසුබිමකට
යෞවන වියේ සිටි ඩේසි ඩැනියල් කලා ශිල්පිනියට කාන්තාවන්
වෙනුවෙන් දායකත්වය සැපයීමට සිදු විය. ඇයගේ සහජ නිපුණතාවය නිසා
රංගනය හා ගායනය පමණක්‌ම වෘත්තිය කර ගැනීමට සිදුවිය. සංගීත
විද්‍යාලයකින් හෝ නැටුම් ශිල්පායතනයකින් ඇය සිය කලා ක්‍ෂේත්‍රය
සඳහා ප්‍රායෝගික අධ්‍යාපනයක්‌ ලබා නැත. එවැන්නක්‌ එකල ලක්‌දිව
තිබුණේ ද නැත. සමාජ රඟහලෙන්ම නැටුම් ගැයුම් උගත්තාය.
එසේම ස්වකීය සිතුම්, පැතුම් චිත්ත වේග මනෝභාව, ආකල්ප හෝ
විශ්වාස ස්‌වාධීනව රංගනයට නර්තනයට හෝ ගායනයට යොදා ගැනීමේ
අවස්‌ථාව සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම ආවරණය කර පැවැති කාලපරිච්ඡේදයක්‌ එදා
තිබුණි. නාට්‍ය නිෂ්පාදකයාගේ ලිත ගොරහැඩි භාෂා ශෛලිය නාට්‍ය
තුළිනුත්, ශෝකය, හැŽම්, දෙඩීම් ගායනය තුළිනුත් ප්‍රේක්‌ෂකයාට
ශ්‍රවණය කිරීමට ලැබීම සුලභ විය. එබැවින් කතා ශෛලිය ස්‌වාභාවික
නොවීය. ජීවිතයේ දිගුකලක්‌ මෙවැනි ඒකාකාරී චරිත හා ගායන අතර
සැරිසැරීමට සිදු වීම හේතුවෙන් ඩේසි ඩැනියල්ගේ රංගන, නර්තන හා
ගායන තුළද ශෝකය, වියෝව බෙහෙවින් අන්තර්ගත විය. එදා ඇය ගැයූ
ගීතවල, රඟපෑ නාට්‍යවල හැŽම්, වැළපීම් බහුල වන්නේ ඒ නිසාය.
පසුකාලීනව රංගනය හා නර්තනය ඇයට වෙහෙස ගෙන දෙන කාර්යයක්‌ විය.
එබැවින් ඇය පවසා සිටියේ.á
"නිළියක වීමේ ආශාව එකල මා තුළ සිහිනෙකින්වත් නොතිබුණේය. රඟපෑමට
හා නැටීමට මා කිසිවිටෙක ආශා නොකෙළෙමි. ගී ගැයීමට නම් හය හතර
දැනගත් දා සිටම මා තුළ ආශාවක්‌ පැවැතිණි." (රුක්මණි
දේවි-සුනිල් මිහිඳුකුල)
ඩේසි ඩැනියෙල්ගේ ප්‍රථම වේදිකා නාට්‍යය වූයේ රාමායනයේ සීතාවගේ
භූමිකාව රංගනයෙන් දායක වීමයි. ඇයගේ ස්‌ත්‍රී දේහ ලක්‌ෂණ හඬ
හැසිරවීම වේදිකාවට පිවිසිමේදී ප්‍රේක්‌ෂකයා අමන්දානන්දයට පත්
කළේය. එබැවින් සමකාලීන නාට්‍ය නිෂ්පාදකයෝ ඇයගේ සහභාගිත්වය තම
නර්තනයට, ගායනයට නිරතුරුව අපේක්‌ෂා කළෝය. මේ අතර මීගමුවේ
මිනර්වා සංචාරක නාට්‍ය කණ්‌ඩායමට ඇතුළත්වීමේ භාග්‍යය ඇයට හිමි
වී ඇත. මෙහිදී නර්තනයට හා රංගනයට බොහෝ දුරට සහභාගි නොකර ගායනයට
පමණක් අවස්‌ථාව ලබාදී ඇත. නාට්‍යයක්‌ වේදිකාවේ රඟපෑමෙන් පසු
එහි ඉතිsරි කොටස්‌ සඳහා වේදිකාව සැරසීමට තාක්‌ෂණය නොදියුණු එදා
බොහෝ වේලාවක්‌ ගතවී ඇත. එම විරාමය තුළ ප්‍රේක්‌ෂකයා රඳවා තබා
ගැනීම සඳහා විටින් විට රුක්මණී දේවී ගීත ගායනය සඳහා මිනර්වා
නාට්‍ය කණ්‌ඩායම විසින් යොදවන ලදී. ප්‍රේක්‌ෂකයාට මෙන්ම
රුක්මණී දේවියටද මෙය නව අත්දැකීමක්‌ වී ඇත. ඇයගේ පුරුදු ගීත
ගායනය නිදහසේ ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමට මෙම අවස්‌ථාව බෙහෙවින්
ප්‍රයෝජනවත්වී ඇත. මිනර්වා නාට්‍ය කණ්‌ඩායමේ ප්‍රථම වරට
වේදිකාවේ රංගනයේ යෙදී ඇත්තේ "කඩවුණු පොරොන්දුව" නාට්‍යයේ
රංජනීගේ භූමිකාවයි. පසුව කඩවුණු පොරොන්දුව ප්‍රථම සිංහල කතානාද
චිත්‍රපටය ලෙස භාරතයේ රූගත කරන ලදී. එහි ප්‍රධාන නිළිය ලෙස
රඟපෑමේ යෙදුණේ රුක්මණි දේවියයි. මෙම සුවිශේෂී අවස්‌ථාව ඇය
ජීවිතයේ ලැබූ අභිමානවත් අතිශය වැදගත් අවස්‌ථාව ලෙස සඳහන් කළේ.
"කොළොම්බස්‌ ඇමෙරිකාව සොයා ගත්තා සේ ඇය ප්‍රථම සිංහල කතානාද
චිත්‍රපටය දායාද කළ බවය."
1947 ජනවාරි 21 වැනි දින රාජ්‍ය අනුග්‍රහය ලබමින් මහාමාන්‍ය
ඩී. එස්‌. සේනානායක මැතිතුමාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් හා සිනමා රසික
රසිකාවියන් බොහෝ දෙනකුගේ සහභාගිත්වයෙන් කොළඹ කිංස්‌ලි
සිනමාහලේදී කඩවුණු පොරොන්දුව ප්‍රථම සිංහල කතානාද චිත්‍රපටය
ප්‍රදර්ශනය කරනු ලැබීය. එහිදී ඩේසි ඩැනියල් හෙවත් රුක්මණී
දේවිය ප්‍රථම සිංහල චිත්‍රපට නිළිය ලෙස කිරුළු පැළැඳි ඓතිහාසික
දිනයද විය. ඉන් පසුවද නිර්මාණය වූ නාට්‍යවල හා චිත්‍රපටවල
ප්‍රධාන නිළි චරිතයට ඇය දායක වූවාය. ග්‍රෑමෙµdaන මෙන්ම නූර්ති
ගීත ගැයූ රුක්මණී දේවි ප්‍රතිභාපූර්ණ කලාකාරිනියක්‌ වේදිකා හා
චිත්‍රපට නිළියක් වශයෙන් සක්‍රීයව සිටි කලා ක්ෂේත්රයේ
පසුතලය ස්‌ථාපිත කරනු ලැබුවේ එච්.ඩබ්ලිව්. රූපසිංහ මාස්ටර්
සමඟ ගැයූ "සිරි බුද්ධ ගයා විහාරේ" ගීතයෙනි. එහි සම්පූර්ණ
පදමාලාව
සිරි බුද්ධගයා විහාරේ - වඳිනේමු මෝක්ෂ පතාලා
ශාක්‍ය තිලෝනා - වැඩහිඳි එදිනා
මරාඟනන් පරදාලා
ශ්‍රී මහා බෝධි වෙත සෑදී ඒ
විදුරසුනේ මුනිරාජා
ආ දස බිම්බර මාර සේනා පෙරුම් බලෙන් පරදාලා
ප්‍රාතිහාර්ය පෑ - දස බලධාරී
ජයබිම මේ - විශාලා
ශාසන ආලේ - ඇති ලෝ වාසී
බව දුක නසනා සේමා
වඳිනේමු මෝක්ෂ පතාලා
මෙම ගීතය ජනප්‍රිය වූ විගස ග්‍රැමෙµdaන වෙළෙඳ තැටි සඳහා ගීත
දහසකට වැඩි ප්‍රමාණයක්‌ ද චිත්‍රපට පසුබිම් ගීත ද විරිදු හා
කණ්‌ඩායම් ගීතද බොහෝ ප්‍රමාණයක්‌ ගායනයට සහභාගි වී ඇත. කලා
ක්ෂේත්රයේ ග්‍රැමෙµdaන යුගය ලෙස හැඳින්වූ කාලපරිච්ඡේදය නූතන
යුගය හා ආබද්ධ කිරීමේ සන්ධිස්‌ථානයක්‌ වූයේ රුක්මණී දේවියයි.
ග්‍රැමෙµdaන යුගයේ සිට වර්තමාන යුගයට ඇය පිවිසෙන්නේ
වෙස්‌මුqහුණු, සිවම්මා ධනපාල, ඔතෙලෝ, වෙස්සන්තර නාට්‍ය හා
අහසින් පොළොවට රූගත කිරීම්වලට දායක වීමෙනි. ඒ වන විට රුක්මණි
දේවි නවක නිළියන්ගේ ආදරණීය "ඩේසි අක්කා" වී තිබිණි.
දරුවන් නොමැති විවාහයක්‌ ඇය එඩී ජයමාන්න රංගන ශිල්පියා සමඟ ගත
කළාය. නූතන සමහර කලා ශිල්පීන් මෙන් රැයකින් දෙකකින් ඇය
ජනප්‍රිය නොවූවාය. නිතර නිහඬ අරගලයක යෙදුණු ඇයගේ විඤ්ඤාණය කලා
ක්‍ෂෙත්‍රයට කැපකළාය. නිහතමානිකමේ කිරුළ දරමින් තම රංගන
ප්‍රතිභාව හෙළ කලාවට දායාද කළ රුක්මණී දේවිය ශේ්‍රෂ්ඨ කාන්තා
කලාකාරියක ලෙස ලාංකීය ජන හදවත් තුළ සදා මතකය නිධන් කළේ සමස්‌ත
ජාතියේම ගෞරවයට නිබඳව පාත්‍ර වෙමිනි.
දකුණු පළාතේ සංගීත සංදර්ශනයකට සහභාගි වී නැවත මීගමුවේ සිය
නිවහන කරා පැමිණෙද්දී 1978 ඔක්තෝබර් මස 28 වෙනි දින ජා-ඇල
තුඩැල්ලේදී සිදුවූ රිය අනතුරකින් රුක්මණී දේaවිය මිය
ගියාය.(ඇගේ අවසන් කටයුතු අති විශාල ජනකායකගේ සහභාගිත්වයෙන්
මීගමුවේදි සිදුවිය ඇය මියගිය ස්‌ථානයට ආසන්නයේ ඇයගේ ශ්වේත වර්ණ
ආලේප කරන ලද පිළිරුවක්‌ ස්‌ථාපිත කර තිබේ. එය ජාතිය විසින්
අග්‍රගණ්‍ය කලා ශිල්පිණියකට කරන ලද ගෞරව ප්‍රණාමයකි.
නව පරපුරේ බොහෝ දෙනා
කලා ක්ෂේත්රයට පුනරුදයක්‌ ඇති කළ රුක්‌මණිදේවිය වැනි
ජනප්‍රිය කලාකාරිණියකගේ නම පවා නොදනිති. ඇයගේ, අරුත්බර, කර්ණ
රසායන ගීත බොහෝ ගණනක් ඇත. එවැන්නක්‌ කලාතුරකින් හෝ විද්යුත්
මාධ්‍යයකින් විකාශනය කිරීමක්‌ සිදු නොකරයි. එදා "දීපශිකා"
සම්මානයෙන් රුක්මණී දේවි පිදුම් ලැබුවාය. ජාත්‍යන්තර චිත්‍රපට
සඟරාවක්‌ වන භාරතයේ
ෆිල්ම්
ෆෙයාර්
විදේශීය සඟරාවක මුල් පිටුවේ ඇගේ ඡායාරූපයක්‌ පළකිරීමෙන් ඇය
සිනමා හා ගායන ක්ෂේත්රයට කරන ලද විශිෂ්ට සේවය අගයමින් උපහාර
පිරිනැමීය.* බළන්ගොඩ කේ. කේ. එච්. දයානන්ද
Article-4
26-10-2013-Divaina
|
|||
|
|||
|
ARTICLE-3
28-10-2010-Sarasaviya Newspaper
අපේ මුල්ම නිළි රැජණ රුක්මණී දේවිය ගැන සොහොයුරිය හෙලන් නිලන්ති ඩැනියෙල්ස් මුල් වරට කරන හෙළිදරව්ව1978 ඔක්තෝබර් 28 දා හෙලන් පැට්‍රීෂියාට විශේෂ දිනයක් විය. ඇය උදෑසන අවදි වූ සැනින්ම ඩේසි අක්කා මස්සවා දුන් මැක්සිය අතට ගත්තාය. කළු පැහැ මැක්සියේ කහ පාට මල් වැටුණු ඇඳුම හෙලන් නංගීට ගැළපෙන බව ඩේසි අක්කා හොඳින් දැන සිටියාය. හෙලන් ඇඳුම පසෙකින් තැබුවේ සැමියා, ඩගීට (ඩග්ලස් පෙරේරාට) ‘අද නම් මට අක්කගෙන්
බේරෙන්න ලැබෙන්නෙ නැහැ’ කියමිනි.‘ඔන්න නංගි, ඔයා ප්‍රසංගයට ගීතයක් ගයන්නම ඕන’. ඩේසි අක්කාගේ පෙරැත්තය සිහි වී හෙලන් ලැජ්ජාවෙන් බිම බලා ගත්තාය. හෙලන් කවදත් ලැජ්ජාකාරියකි. ඇය ගායිකාවක් කිරීමට ඩේසි අක්කා තුළ ආසාවක් තිබුණේ, ඉන්දියාවේ සිනමා රූගත කිරීම්වලට යන අවධියේ සිටයි. ඇය නැගණියගේ හඬ ද්‍රවිඩ අධ්‍යක්ෂවරයකුට අසන්නට සැලැස් වූ විට ඔහු කියා තිබුණේ චිත්‍රපටයකට එක වගේම හඬ දෙකක් කුමටදැයි කියායි. කවදත් පසුගාමී වූ හෙලන්ට එය පනින රිලවුන්ට ඉනිමං බැඳීමක් හා සමාන විය. එහෙත් පසු දින කොළඹ කාන්තා විද්‍යාලයීය ශාලාවේ පැවැත්වෙන අක්කාගේ ප්‍රසංගයේදී නම් ගැලවීමක් නො ලැබෙන බව හෙලන් දැන සිටියාය. වයස අවුරුදු එකොළහේදී ‘සිරි බුද්ධ ගයා විහාරේ’ ගීය ගයමින් ග්‍රැමෆෝන් යුගයේදී ගී ලොවට එක් වූ අපේ ගීත කෝකිලාවිය හතළිස් වසරක විවිධ වූත්, විචිත්‍ර වූත් ස්වර්ණ ගීතාවලිය ආදරණීය රසික ජනතාවට තිළිණ කිරීමේ බලාපොරොත්තුවෙන් ගීත පුහුණු වූයේ දෙහිවල හෙලන්ගේ නිවෙසේ සිටයි.  මාතර උයන්වත්ත ක්‍රීඩාංගනයේ ශාන්ත තෝමස් සැණකෙළියේ ගී ගයා, මීගමුවට ගොස් මවට වැඳ,
ඩේසි අක්කා තම නිවෙසට එන බව හෙලන් දැන සිටියාය.අක්කා වෙනුවෙන් කරන සරස්වතී පූජාවට හෙලන්ගේ සැමියා ‘ඩගී’ සියල්ල සූදානම් කරමින් සිටියේය. තමන්ගේම මල්ලී කෙනකුට මෙන් ඩගීට ආදරය කළ ඩේසි, ‘අනේ මල්ලි, ප්‍රසංගයට යන්න කළින් සරස්වතී පූජාවක් කරන්න ඕන. මට ඕවා තේරෙන්නෙ නැහැනෙ. මල්ලිට පුළුවන් නේද ඒ උදව්ව කරන්න’ කියා කළ ඉල්ලීම ඩගී අකුරටම ඉටු කරමින් සිටියේය. ඔක්තෝබර් 28 වැනි දිනට පහන් වී තිබුණි. ඔරලෝසුවේ හයකුත් ගණනක් (6.30 ට පමණ) සටහන් වී තිබුණා මතකය. නිවෙසේ කවුළු පියන්පත් උදෑසනම විවෘත කිරීම ඩගීගේ සිරිතයි. වෙනදා හෙලන්ටත්, ඩගීටත් සුහද සිනහවකින් සංග්‍රහ කරන අසල්වාසීන් තුෂ්ණිම්බූතව බලා සිට යන අන්දම ඩගී දුටුවේය. හෙලන්ට මෙන්ම ඩගීට ද මෙය පුදුමයට කරුණක් විය. දෙදෙනා මේ ප්‍රහේළිකාව විසඳා ගත නො හැකිව එකිනෙකාගේ මුහුණු බලමින් සිටින විට, පවුලේ ඥාතියකු ඉහ අත් බදා ගෙන ආවේය. ‘අනේ අපේ ඩේසි අක්කා ඉවරයි’.  හෙලන්ට ඇසුණේ එපමණයි. කෙසෙල් කඳක් මෙන් ඇය ඇද වැටුණාය. මෘත ශරීරාගාරයට ගිය ඩගීට දැක
ගත හැකි වූයේ හඳුනා ගත නො හැකි ලෙස අනතුරට ලක් වී ඇති ඩේසි අක්කාගේ සිරුරයි.
වයස අවුරුදු පනස් හතරක් වුව ද කවදත් ඩේසි අක්කාට තිබුණේ වයසට වඩා බෙහෙවින් ලාබාල පෙනුමකි. මේ ඒ මිහිබට සුරඟනක බඳු රුක්මණී දේවියම ද? (ඩේසි අක්කා ද?). දෙවියන් වහන්සේ ඒ දිව්‍යමය රූපය අප්‍රාණික සිරුරක් ලෙසින් රසික ජනතාවට පෙන්වීමට අකැමැති වූසේය. ආරංචියෙන් රටම මළ ගෙයක් විය. සමහරුනගේ අතට ගත් බත් පත බිමට වැටුණි. ඇතැම් නිවෙස්වල ආහාර පිසුණේ නැත. රුක්මණී දේවිය යනු පොදු ජනතාවගේ කලාකාරියකි. ජනතා හදවතෙහි ලැගුම් ගත් කලාකාරියකි. එතරම් ජනප්‍රසාදයක් ලද වෙනත් කලාකාරියක් නැති තරම්ය. පොදු ජනතාවට එසේ නම් හෙලන් එදා ඒ දුක කෙසේ නම් වාවන්න ද? ඩේසි අක්කා හෙලන්ගේ හැදූ මවයි. හෙලන්ට පමණක් නොව මේබල්, ෆ්ලොරන්ස්, සරෝජිනී සහ ෆේරඩී මල්ලී ඇතුළු පවුලේ සොයුරු සොයුරියන්ගේ දෙවැනි මව ඇයයි. ජීවිතයේ අවසන් භාගය ගත කරමින් සිටි මව, හෙලන් රෝස්ට ද එකම පිහිට වූයේ දියණිය, ඩේසිය. ‘ස්වර්ණ ගී ප්‍රසංගය’ ඇයගේ සිහිනය විය. එහෙත් සිනමාවේ සිහින කුමරියට තමන්ගේ සිහිනය සැබෑ කර ගත නො හැකි වීම ඇයට ද වඩා ජාතියේ අභාග්‍යයකි. වෙනදා දිලිසෙන වැඩ දැමූ සාරි ඇඳි ඩේසි අක්කා, ‘ස්වර්ණ ගී’ ප්‍රසංගයේදී සැරසීමට සිටියේ තැඹිලි පාට සාරියකිනි. කොණ්ඩය බැඳ ඉතා චාම්ව සැරසෙන්නට කැමැත්තෙන් සිටින බව ඇය වරින් වර හෙලන්ට කීවාය. ඩේසි අක්කාගේ ඒ වදන් හෙලන්ගේ දෙසවනෙහි රැව් පිලිරැව් දුන්නේය.  ‘රුක්මණී දේවි ගේ ගීත ගයන්න’ දහස් සංඛ්‍යාත ජනතාව හෙලන්ගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේ එයයි. ඒ
සෑම වෙලාවකම ඇය කළේ කඳුළු සැලීමයි.එහෙක් කිසි කලක කිසිවකුට පුරවාලීමට නො හැකි වු රුක්මණී දේවියගේ රන් ස්වරයේ අඩුව පිරවීමට හැකි එකම හිමිකාරිය වූයේ හෙලන්ය. එනිසාම අසහාය කලා රාජිනිය, රුක්මණී දේවියගෙන් රංගන ක්ෂේත්රයට ඇති වූ අඩුව පිරවීමට නො හැකි නමුත් ගායන ක්ෂේත්රයට අඩුවක් නො දැනෙන්නට ඩේසි අක්කා නාමයෙන් හෙලන් පැට්‍රීෂියාට ගායන ලොවට පිවිසීමට සිදු විය. ඩගීගේ ඥාතියකු වූ ජනප්‍රිය ගීත රචක අජන්තා රණසිංහ, හෙලන් පැට්‍රීෂියා වෙනුවට හෙලන්ගේ දියණියගේ නම, නිලන්ති යොදා හෙලන් නිලන්ති ඩැනියෙල්ස් නමින් කලා ලොවට ඇය රැගෙන ආවාය. අදටත් රුක්මණී දේවියගේ කෝකිල නාදය රැඳී ඇත්තේ ඇයගේ මුවෙහි පමණි. අද හෙලන්, මොරටුවේ කුරුස හන්දියේ පුංචි නිවෙසක, ආදරණීය සැමියා සමඟ ඉතා සරල දිවි පෙවෙතක් ගත කරති. උකුල් ඇටය බිඳීම නිසා දෙවසරක් පුරා එක් තැන් වී සිටිය ද තවමත් ඇයගේ ගී රාවය, රුක්මණී දේවියගේ ස්වර්ණ ගීතාවලිය අපේ මතකයට නංවයි. සිනමාවේ මාතාව, නිළි රාජිනිය, ගීත කෝකිලාව, පිළිබඳ පැවසීමට ඩැනියෙල්ස් පවුලේ සොයුරු සොයුරියන්ගෙන් ජීවතුන් අතර සිටින්නේ ද හෙලන් පමණි. කලා ලොවට රුක්මණී දේවි, ආදරණීය ඩේසි අක්කා අහිමි වී ගොස් අදට වසර තිස් දෙකකි. ඩේසි අක්කාගේ අඩුව අපට වඩ වඩාත් දැනෙන අද වගේ දවසක හෙලන් තරම් අතීත මතකය අවදි කරන්නට සුදුස්සෙක් තවත් නැත. අපි ඇය සොයා ගියෙමු. ආදරයයි කරුණාවයි පිරුණු ඒ හදවත ගැන මතකය හෙලන් අවදි කළේ මෙලෙසයි. නිළියක, ගායිකාවක ලෙස ජනප්‍රසාදය උපරිමව දිනාගෙන සිටියත් වයස හැට හැත්තෑවේ ඕනෑම තරාතිරමකම අය, ඇය ඇමතුවේ ‘ඩේසි අක්කා’ කියායි. කිසි දිනක ඇය ඔවුන් සමඟ උරන වූයේ නැත. ඇය දුක් වූයේ ඔවුනට සිනහවකින් හෝ සංග්‍රහ කිරීමට නොහැකි වූවොත් පමණි. වාහන තිබියදී පවා ඇය පල්ලියට ගියේ පයින්ය. අතරමඟදී මහලු කාන්තාවක් දුටුවොත් ඩේසි අක්කා, ඇයට පාර පනින්නට උදව් කරන්නීය. මඟදී හමු වන මහලු අය, සිඟන්නන් නිවෙසට කැඳවා ගෙන ඇවිත් කෑම බීම දීමෙන් ඇය මහත් සතුටක් ලැබුවාය. දියණිය, නිලන්තිට තම ලොකු අම්මා නිළියක් කියා දැනුණේ ඇය මහ මඟ සිටින විට පමණයි. ඩේසි අක්කාගේ දෑත් අල්ලන්න, සාරි ඉරන්න, වළලු ගලවා ගන්න රොද බඳින ජනකාය දුටු විට මේ ඉන්නේ් අපේ ලොකු අම්මා ද කියා ඇය මවිතයට පත් වුණාය.  දියණිය නිලන්ති, ඩේසි අක්කා ඇමැතුවේ ලොකු අම්මා කියා නොව ‘ඩේසි අක්කා’ කියායි. එසේ
අමතනවාට අක්කාගේ තිබුණේ ද පුදුම කැමැත්තකි.ලෝකයට හා පවුලේ අයට ඩේසි අක්කා පෑවේ එක හා සමාන ආදරයකි. කලා ලෝකය කැපිලි කෙටිලි ආකරයක් ලෙස ප්‍රසිද්ධ නමුත් ඩේසි අක්කාගෙන් මා කිසි දිනක ඊර්ෂ්‍යාව, අන් අය විවේචනය, ක්‍රෝධය, වෛරය, පලිගැනීම දුටුවේ නැත. ඇයගේ ආදරය උපරිමව අත් දකින්නට වාසනාව ලද අය අතර මා හා මාගේ මව පෙරමුණේම සිටිති. සිනමා පටයක රූගත කිරීම් අවසන් කර පැමිණි පසුව හෝ සංගීත සන්දර්ශනයකට ගොස් ආ පසු ඇය කෙළින්ම මව ළඟට යන්නේ ඇඳුම්වත් මාරු නො කරය. මිය යන්නට ආසන්න කාලයේ ‘මට මොනවා හරි වුණොත් නොන්ඩි නංගිව බලා ගන්න’ කියා සමීප හිතවතුන්ට ඇය කියා තිබුණි. (රුක්මණී දේවිට සිංහල බස කතා කිරීමට එතරම් හොඳින් හැකියාවක් නො තිබුණ නිසා හෙලන්ව නොන්ඩි නංගී ලෙස ඇමතූ අවස්ථා තිබේ). මිනිසාට පමණක් නොව සතුනට, පරිසරයට ඩේසි අක්කා ආදරය කළාය. ඩේසි අක්කා පිච්ච මල්වලට දැක් වූයේ පුදුම කැමැත්තකි. නිලන්ති දියණිය සමඟ දෙහිවල පාර දිගේ ඇවිද ගොස් පිච්ච මල් කඩන අන්දම මට අද වාගේම මතකය. පිච්ච මල් ඇමිණීමේ වගකීම පැවරී තිබුණේ නිලන්ති දියණියටයි. පිච්ච මල් මාලය හිස පළඳා නිදා ගැනීමෙන් ඩේසි අක්කා මහත් සතුටක් ලැබුවාය. නිළියක වුවත් ඇය රත්තරන් බඩුවලට එතරම් කැමැත්තක් දැක් වූයේ නැත. එහෙත් කෘත්‍රිම ආභරණවලට ඇය තුළ තිබූ ලැදියාව පුදුමාකාරය. නිවෙසේ සිටියේ අප තිරයේ දකින රුක්මණී දේ්විය නො වෙයි. ලුංගිය ඇඳ, කොණ්ඩ කරල් දෙකක් ගොතා චාම්ව සිටින්න ඇය ඉතා ප්‍රිය කළාය. මීගමුවේ පදිංචි අවධියේ මීගමුවේ අඟුරුකාරමුල්ල පන්සලට එන ජනකාය ඊළඟට ආවේ ඩේසි අක්කා පදිංචි ජයරුක් නිවෙසටයි. පැමිණෙන්නන්ට සංග්‍රහ කිරීමට වෙනම සේවකයෝ සිටියහ. ඔවුන් ඇය බැලීිමට පැමිණියේ සුරංගනාවියක් බැලීමට මෙන් වුව ද, ඩේසි අක්කා ඒ සියල්ලන්ටම වාගේ වචනයකින් හෝ ඇමතීමට අමතක නො කළාය.
ඩේසි අක්කාට සිනමාව නිසා ලැබුණු දේ වාගේම නො ලැබුණු දේ ද බොහොමයි. ඇයගේ ජීවිතය දොළක් මෙන් ප්‍රීතිමත්ව ගලා නො ගිය අවස්ථා ද තිබේ. පුංචි දරුවන්ට ඇය තුළ තිබූ ආදරය නො රහසකි. වැඩි දෙනකු සිතා සිටින්නේ ඇයට දරුවන් නැතැයි කියායි. එහෙත් ලැබෙන්නට සිටි පිරිමි දරුවා ඇයට අහිමි වූයේ සිනමාව නිසයි. රූගත කිරීම්වලදී සිදු වූ වැටීමකින් දරුවා ගබ්සා විය. සිනමාවේදී ප්‍රධාන කතා නායිකාව ලෙස ඇයට මොන තරම් ආදරය ලැබුණත් සැබෑ ජීවිතයේදී ඒ ආදරය ඒ අයුරින්ම ඩේසි අක්කාට ලැබුණා ද කියා නම් මට නො දැනෙයි. එඩී අයියාගේ විනෝදකාමී, සෙල්ලක්කාර හැසිරීම් රටාව නිසා මිය යාමට ආසන්න කාලයේ ඩේසි අක්කා ජීවත් වූයේ එඩී අයියාගෙන් දුරස් වී, මව රැක බලා ගෙනයි. ගින්නක් නැතිව දුමක් නැගෙන්නේ නැහැයි කීව ද කලාකාරියකට, කලාකරුවකුට කිසිදු හේතුවක් නැතිව කට කතා පැතිරෙන අවස්ථා ඕනෑ තරම්ය. ඩේසි අක්කාට ද මේ පොදු නියමයෙන් ගැළවීමක් අදටත් නැත. ඇය ජීවිතයේ අවසාන භාගයේ අතේ සතේ නැතිව අසරණ වී සිටි බව පුවත් පත්වල පළ වී තිබුණි. එහෙත් සත්‍යය නම් අතීතයේදී තරම් අධි සුඛෝපභෝගී ජීවිතයක් ගත කිරීමට නො ලැබුණත්, සාමාන්‍ය ජීවිතයක් ගත කිරීමට තරම් හොඳ ආර්ථිකයක් ඇයට තිබුණු බවයි. මිය යන තුරුම ඩේසි අක්කා බසයක ගොස් නැත. ක්ෂේත්රයේ සියලුම නළු නිළියන් ගෙන්වා අති උත්කර්ෂවත් අන්දමින් ඇය පනස් වැනි උපන් දිනය සැමරුවා මට අද වගේ මතකය. මව රැක බලා ගැනීමට උදේ වරුවට එක් උපස්ථායිකාවක් සහ සවස් වරුවට තවත් උපස්ථායිකාවක් තැබීමට එපමණටම මුදල් නැත්නම් ඇයට හැකි වන්නේ කෙසේ ද? ඩේසි අක්කා කලා කටයුත්තකදී හැර වෙනත් කිසිදු අවස්ථාවකදී නිවෙසින් පිට නතර වූ කෙනකු නො වෙයි. නළුවන් හෝ වෙනත් පිරිමින් සමඟ ඇයගේ නම සම්බන්ධ කිරීම කවුරුන් හෝ කරන විශාල වරදකි. ජීවිතයේ පසුකාලීනව ඇය ගායක නෙවිල් ප්‍රනාන්දු සමඟ සමීප ඇසුරක් තිබුණි. එය සංගීතය හා බැඳි ඇසුරකි. නෙවිල් නිතර අපේ නිවෙසට ආ ගිය අතර ඔහු ඩේසි අක්කා සහ අප සමඟ එක් වී ගී ගයමින්, වයමින් විනෝද වූහ. ලියුකීමියාවෙන් නෙවිල් මිය යාම ඩේසි අක්කාගේ හදවතට වේදනාවක් ගෙන දුන් කරුණකි. එඩී – රුක්මණී දෙදෙනා අතර හිත් රිදවීම් තිබුණ ද, පුදුමාකාර ආදරයක්, සෙනෙහසක් අවසාන මොහොත දක්වාම පැවතුණි. දෙදෙනා ඉතා සුහදශීලී ලෙස උත්සවවලට, සාදවලට සහභාගී වූහ. අවසාන සංගීත ප්‍රසංගයේදීත් ‘පාරේ නටන්න හිතුණා’ ගීය නව යුවළක් මෙන් සෙනෙහසින් ගායනා කර තිබේ. ජීවිතයේ අවසන් කාලයේ ඇය ෂැම්පේන් පානයට ඇබ්බැහි වී සිටි බවට පළ වූ පුවත් ද මා දැක තිබේ. මෙය ද අමූලික බොරුවකි. ඩේසි අක්කා සාදයකදී හැර කෙදිනකවත් ෂැම්පේන් පානය කරන්නේ නැත. වයින් පවා ඇය පානය කළේ මඳ පමණිනි. ඩේසි අක්කා වැඩිපුරම ආසා කළේ සිංහල කෑමවලටයි. කොස්, දෙල් ඇයගේ ප්‍රියතම කෑම අතර විය. උපතින් කලම්බු චෙට්ටි සහ ක්‍රිස්තියානි ආගමිකයකු වුණත්, ඇහැලේපොල කුමාරිහාමි, යශෝධරා දේවිය, පටාචාරා සහ මද්‍රී දේවිය ලෙස තිරයේ රඟන්නට ඇය කැමැත්තෙන් සිටියේ කඩවුණු පොරොන්දුවේ රඟපෑ කාලයේ සිටයි. එයත් ඇයගේ ඉටු නොවූ බලාපොරොත්තුවකි. වෙස්සන්තර වේදිකා නාට්‍යයේ මද්‍රී දේවි ලෙස රඟපාන්නට ලැබීමෙන් ඇය අපමණ සතුටක් ලැබුවාය. ඩේසි අක්කා හම්බ කළ දේ වියදම් කළාය. ඇය ඉතිරි කර ගත් එකම දේ ජනතා ආදරයයි. ආඩම්බර වන්නට ඕනෑ තරම් කරුණු තිබිය දී නිහතමානීකමේ සංකේතය වූ රුක්මණී දේවී තරම් වෙනත් නිළියක් නැති බව ක්ෂේත්රයේ බොහෝ දෙනාගේ අදහසයි. වේදිකාවෙන්, සිනමාවෙන්, ගීතයෙන් රසික රසිකාවන් මෝහනය කළ, කලා රාජිනියගේ අකල් වියෝව දරා ගත නො හැකිව මීගමුවට ලංකාවේ දස දෙසින් පැමිණි ජන ගංගාව ඊට ඇති හොඳම සාක්ෂියයි. එක් අයකු පෑගී මිය යන තරමටම මහා සෙනඟක් පැමිණි අවමංගල්‍ය උත්සවයක් අදටත් මතකයට නංවා ගත නො හැකිය. සිනමාවේ මාතාව, අසම සම ගීත කෝකිලාව නැති අඩුව කලා ලොවට වඩ වඩාත් දැනෙද්දී හෙලන්ට දැනෙන්නේ දෙවැනි මව වූ, ඩේසි අක්කා නො මැති අඩුවයි. අදත් හෙළන් ජීවත් වන්නේ් ඩේසි අක්කා පිළිබඳ ආදරණීය මතකයන් සමඟයි. ඇය පමණක් නොව සැමියා ඩගී ද, රුක්මණී දේවිය මිය යන විට එකොළොස් හැවිරිදි වියේ පසු වූ දියණිය නිලන්ති ද, රුක්මණී දේවිය පිළිබඳ සෙනෙහබර අතීත තොරතුරු අවදි කරන්නේ අදක ඊයෙක ලද අත්දැකීම් විලසිනි. ඩේසි අක්කා, පෝලියෝ රෝගය වැළඳී දෙපයින් නැගී සිටීමට නො හැකි වූ හෙලන් නැගණියට එක් පයකින් හෝ නැගී සිටීමට, ඉන්දියාවට ගොස් ප්‍රතිකාර ලබා දුන්නීය. රුක්මණී දේවිය, කාන්තාවක නිළියක වීම අවමානයක් කියා සිතූ යුගයක අභීතව රංගනයට අවතීර්ණ වූවාය. ඉන්දියාවට ගොස් කඩවුණු පොරොන්දුවේ රංජනී වී, සිනමා නිළි පරපුරේ මාතාව ලෙසින් තාරකා පරපුරකට මාවත විවර කළාය. අද කලා ක්ෂේත්රයේ දෙපයින් නැගී සිටින තාරකාවන් කොපමණ ද? එදා මෙදාතුර බැබළුණු, බැබළෙන සෑම තාරකාවකටම රුක්මණී දේවිය නම් සූර්ය රාජිනියගේ ආලෝක කදම්බය පතිත වී පවතින බව නො කියාම බැරිය. මෙරට සිනමාව පවතින තුරු එය මකා දැමීමට නො හැකි සත්‍යයකි. නවක තාරකාවන් අමතක නො කළ යුතු දෙයක් තිබේ. ඒ රුක්මණී දේවිය නම් නිරහංකාර, මානව හිතවාදී කලා රාජිනිය පිළිබඳ අධ්‍යයනය කිරීම මගින් ඔවුන්ගේ සිනමා ජීවිතයට ලබා ගත හැකි පාඩම් බොහෝ බවයි. |
||
|
- 11
- 0
- 0
- 11
Rukmani Devi, like any other queen to have walked
the Lankan soil, lies beneath ‘ruins’ at the Negombo Public Cemetery
today. Since her tomb was attacked by an unidentified group whose
members were arrested and later released on bail subsequent to trial in
2011, thus far, the monument had not been restored—let alone visited by
her friends or die-hard fans, who constantly appear on television
singing praise and shedding (crocodile) tears over the loss of their
much loved legend.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.
The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
Read 1142
times
Rukmani Devi –Nightingale Queen of the Silver Screen
- ARTICLE-2
Thirty (30) years have lapsed since the startling news on the unendurable demise of the acclaimed the Nightingale Queen of Silver Screen shocked the entire country on October 28, 1978. Every Sri Lankan around the world was emotionally disturbed by this horrifying accident that stilled the colorful life of a legendary jewel worthy of treasure. She was the beauty queen, cynosure of all eyes indisputably the Nightingale Queen of the Silver Screen – Rukmani Devi.
Rukmani Devi - Nightingale Queen of the Silver ScreenThe brimful gratitude disported by the Sri Lankan citizenry paying their highest tribute in commemoration of the 30th Death Anniversary of Rukmani.
She became popular in the theatrical arena by the name of Rukmani Devi even though her congenital name was Daisy Rasamma Daniels. It has been the common practice in Sri Lanka and India to introduce the artist by a prognostic name depending on talents. It is believed that it was her father who introduced the portentous name Rukmani Devi to this future Singing Queen of the Silver Screen.
Some people are of the view that her music teacher, singer H.W.Rupasinghe master introduced this insightful name by her magnificent performance of many inborn talents. Another disputing argument is that this name was presented by Jayantha Weerasekera and Michael Sannas Liyanage two famous personalities on the stage. Rukmani Vasundara was another unconfirmed name rejected by her father.
Daisy was born on January 15th of 1923 in Ramboda Nuwar Eliya to the parents of Colombo Chetty Christians as the second daughter in a family of six. In response to an article appeared in the Ceylon Observer of January 15, 2006 on her 83rd Birth Anniversary, Mr W.R.Daniels – Manager of Ceylon Observer for many years, a kinsman of Rukmani Devi wrote a letter to Sunday Observer of 5th February 2006 revealing that that she was born to Mr & Mrs Daniels in Inuvil, Jaffna. There was another speculation that she was born in Ratnapura.
Although she was born in Nuwara-Eliya she grew up in Wellawatte, Colombo, studied at St.Mathew’s School and St Clare’s School, Wellawatte. At 8 years of age, she began singing Christmas Carol songs and played a role in popular drama “The Shoemaker’s Wife”. She was just 12 years of age when she remarkably played the main female role of ‘Sita’ in Ramayanaya produced by Walter Abeysinghe in 1935 with prior permission of her father. and also performed in Janakiharanaya, Rohini, “Sirisangabo”, “Mayawathie”, “Romeo Juliet” et al during 1935 to 40’s.
In early 1940s she joined the Minerva Dramatic Club on permanent basis. She played the major role in every drama produced by the Minerva Dramatic Club in the entire country. On introduction of cinematic industry in Sri Lanka she was privileged to feature her skills on the screen in B.A.W.Jayamanne’s Kadawunu Poronduwa, the first Sinhala film ever screened in the island.
On account of her tight schedule of contract with film industry, she was compelled to leave the stage in the latter part of 1940s and 1960s.
She returned to the stage again in 1960 acting in the leading female role in Malyahanawa produced and directed by B.A.W.Jayamanne. Since then she continued to perform in Vessantara in 1961 followed by Othello, Ves Muhunu, Angulimala and Allapu Kamaraya. Accredited with ineffable versatility, her performance in ‘He comes from Jaffna’ a drama produced in English dialogue for the benefit of English speaking audience had gained credentials of high reputation.
In the latter part of 1946, competition in screening the first film was so intense between Ceylon Theaters Limited and A.V.Nayagam Industries since they both controlled the distribution of films.
A.V.Nayagam braving storms against his effort with his influence signed the contract with Minerva Dramatic Group and “Kadawunu Poronduwa” the first film was screened on January 21, 1947 making history of film industry in Sri Lanka. Rukmani Devi the most talented artist in her debut on the silver screen captured the hearts of young and old in the spellbound audience by her indomitable brilliancy in playback singing, acting and dancing performance.
During the period 1947 to1978 she demonstrated her skills in 98 films. Most importantly, she played the major role of Queen of Love in all the films from Kadawunu Poronduwa to Magul Poruwa subsequently with passage of time she turned into elderly characters by the emergence of new generation.
At the outset, she was bonded with responsibility for performance only in films produced by Minerva Dramatic Group. But later her popularity glorified in absolute demand that she was offered to play the heroine role of Malini in the famous novel Kelahanda written by W.A.Silva produced and directed by B.A.W..Jayamanne. Blessed with abundance of humility she performed the major female role in ‘Doctor’ a film produced by Cinemas Limited. She was the only actress who made a record-breaking achievement in playback singing behind her own character in all these films.
Sengawunu Pilithura, a Sinhala film produced and directed by B.A.W.Jayamanne was a resounding success. B.A.W’s intent was to film the same story of Sengawunu Pilithura in Tamil dialogue for the entertainment of the Tamil speaking audience as revealed by D.V.Seneviratne, the professional script writer.
In fruition of his ambition, Kusumalatha the leading character played by Rukmani Devi the first Sri Lankan artist to appear on Tamil screen was produced and directed by B.A.W. in 1952. Kathiruppean Unnakaga (I am waiting for you) in 1977 and Nan Ungal Tholan (I am your friend) in 1978 were the other two Tamil films of her talented career. She was a gifted artist capable of expression of dialogue in fluent Sinhala, Tamil and English languages.
Records indicate that the two films Siriyalatha and Mathabhedaya were joint productions of B.A.W. Jayamanne, Eddie Jayamanne and Rukmani Devi with box office collection.
At the time of the initial stages of the beginning of cinema in India and Sri Lanka it was the practice for the main actress to perform playback singing behind her own character on the screen. Noorjehan and Suraiya predominantly influenced the Indian screen while Rukmani Devi resembled in Sri Lanka. A reservoir of inborn talents not only dominated the queen of love on the silver screen particularly from Kadawunu Poronduwa to Pipena Kumudu throughout but also excelled as the only symbolic playback singer representing her own acting performance. Gala kandeni mathuwena, Moranawa preme hade, Anna sudo, Mewila penevi, Aadara nadiya gala, Vasanawantha kala labaa and Manahara geetha gayala together with much more songs will reverberate in our memories from generation to generation.
This incontrovertible beauty queen won the Presidential Film Award for the Best Playback Singer in 1979 for her brilliant performance of the lullaby song Doi Doi Doi Doiya Putha singing behind her own elderly role played in Ahasin Polowata directed by the great Dr Lester James Peiris. She played an elderly character in Chin Chin Nona also singing with Milton Perera and M.S.Fernando.
The popular Hindi film Devatha, the main female role played by Indian film star Anjali Devi, was dubbed into Sinhala as Pathiwatha (Chastity). She was honored with five songs in Pathiwatha and continued playback singing in Hadawath Neththo, Kadawunu Poronduwa (new cast) and Rahas Dupatha. It was her inspirational contribution to film industry by her fascinating performance on the screen in about 30 films and playback singing that she was crowned as the invincible Singing Queen of the Silver Screen.
Rukmani Devi at the height of her achievement in popularity wrote her autobiography Mage Viththi (My Life Story) in 1956 with a full coverage of information gathered from various newspaper articles appeared from time to time.
It is believed that our popular film star/playback singer maintained a cordial friendship with her contemporaries world acclaimed Indian film stars Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Nargis, and the Nightingale of India Lata Mangeshkar and many others.
It was a pristine glory for Rukmani Devi to have her photograph on the front page of the world recognized Indian Film Fare Magazine. She was the only Sri Lankan artiste to be honored by this international magazine. She was also featured in “ My Likes and Dislikes” column in Film Fare Magazine in 1958.
In a gallop poll conducted by Dinamina newspaper in 1955 she was elected the Most Popular Actress with a record majority of 13,000 votes over the first runner up. The Best Actress Award for her role Malini in the famous film Kela Handa was awarded to her at the Deepasika Film Festival in 1956. Accolades were flying one after the other for her outstanding contribution to the film industry. In 1966 Janatha Sammana was presented for the most popular Female Playback Singer at the Sarasaviya Film Festival.
She was felicitated with Deeparani Special Award at the Deepasika Film Festival in 1972 in recognition of her skilled character on the stage and the screen. In 1996 she was posthumously awarded with Sarasavi Sammana on her immeasurable contribution made in her capacity as the Silver Screen Idol of the era.
She was married to Eddie Jayamanne the renowned comedian of the Sinhala screen. The narration of their clandestine love marriage would be a highly desirable story for a film to attract a spellbound audience.
The issue of a commemorative stamp by the government, a distinctive tribute paid to the rare and precious greatness of a person, is the truest manifestation of highest regard to this immortal heroine of the silver screen. The memorial statue erected at Kanuwana intersection, Ja-Ela where the fatal accident occurred is the best example of a noble act of gratefulness by the nation demonstrated in deed when the good is relegated into the limbo of forgotten things in modern society. On behalf of the nation Rukmani Devi Museum and Rukmani Devi Mawatha in Negombo were opened with highest respect to this immaculate artist.
Words cannot express the high respect of the people moved by the example of her mighty ocean of humanity. She was a colossal image affluent with empathic generosity. The true sense of dignity was portrayed by her kindness in gifting a Morris Minor car to her driver Denzil out of the excellent pay received in recognition of her exhilarating performance of the main female character Malini in Kela Handa film.
Her fragrance of excellent qualities will remain etched in lasting memories of the entire Sri Lankan nation. Rukmani Devi was a proud daughter of Mother Lanka. She is immortal.
-Asian Tribune -
ARTICLE-1
Negombo vandals fail to destroy Rukmani’s image
Negombo vandals fail to destroy Rukmani’s image
- By Crystal Koelmeyer
Negombo vandals fail to destroy Rukmani’s image
- By Crystal Koelmeyer
- Sunday, 31 March 2013 0
Negombo vandals fail to destroy Rukmani’s image
- By Crystal Koelmeyer
- Sunday, 31 March 2013 0
- 11
- 0
- 0
- 11
Rukmani Devi, like any other queen to have walked
the Lankan soil, lies beneath ‘ruins’ at the Negombo Public Cemetery
today. Since her tomb was attacked by an unidentified group whose
members were arrested and later released on bail subsequent to trial in
2011, thus far, the monument had not been restored—let alone visited by
her friends or die-hard fans, who constantly appear on television
singing praise and shedding (crocodile) tears over the loss of their
much loved legend.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.
The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
Read 1142
times
Rukmani Devi, like any other queen
to have walked the Lankan soil, lies beneath ‘ruins’ at the Negombo Public
Cemetery today. Since her tomb was attacked by an unidentified group whose
members were arrested and later released on bail subsequent to trial in 2011,
thus far, the monument had not been restored—let alone visited by her friends
or die-hard fans, who constantly appear on television singing praise and
shedding (crocodile) tears over the loss of their much loved legend.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara Eliya
as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first single at the
tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro Rupasena. According to
biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya Vihare, had been the stepping
stone for her much illustrious carrier, in fields of music and cinema.
The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s
life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri
Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise),
alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18
February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed
immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to
her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to
be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to-
Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled
Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum
Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward.
According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last
Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the
Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery,
Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if
established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery,
a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged
by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff.
“I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with
equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team
looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told
the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty,
yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked,
stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are
kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in
her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
- 11
- 0
- 0
- 11
Rukmani Devi, like any other queen to have walked
the Lankan soil, lies beneath ‘ruins’ at the Negombo Public Cemetery
today. Since her tomb was attacked by an unidentified group whose
members were arrested and later released on bail subsequent to trial in
2011, thus far, the monument had not been restored—let alone visited by
her friends or die-hard fans, who constantly appear on television
singing praise and shedding (crocodile) tears over the loss of their
much loved legend.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.
The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
Read 1142
times
- 11
- 0
- 0
- 11
Rukmani Devi, like any other queen to have walked
the Lankan soil, lies beneath ‘ruins’ at the Negombo Public Cemetery
today. Since her tomb was attacked by an unidentified group whose
members were arrested and later released on bail subsequent to trial in
2011, thus far, the monument had not been restored—let alone visited by
her friends or die-hard fans, who constantly appear on television
singing praise and shedding (crocodile) tears over the loss of their
much loved legend.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.
The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
Long before Jauqleine Fernandez hit the limelight, our heroine is said to have graced the cover of the much esteemed Indian publication Filmfare, which thereby affirms that she had been a well sought-after local star, who has had the potential to give Bollywood stars a run for their money, in terms of looks and talent.
Born
Daisy Rasammah Daniels on 15 January 1923 to a peasant family in Nuwara
Eliya as the second of six children, Rukmani had voiced her first
single at the tender age of 13, under the mentorship of Maestro
Rupasena. According to biographers however, recording of Sri Budda Gaya
Vihare, had been the stepping stone for her much illustrious carrier, in
fields of music and cinema.The turning point of Rukmani Devi’s life, according to critics is her being Cast to play the lead role in Sri Lanka’s first Sinhala language film Kadawuna Poronduwa (The broken promise), alongside Eddie Jayamanna, to whom she later gave her hand in marriage, on 18 February 1943 at the Weligampitiya chapel. She who had contributed immensely to the local entertainment industry at its infant stage, bid adieu to her fans exactly the day before the Swarna Gee concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Ladies’ college auditorium, to celebrate her 40th year in music.
“Rukmani Devi was a very down-to- Earth lady. My mother, who was also an actress used to adore her,” recalled Janitha Neelia Perera, the current chairperson of the Rukmani Devi Samarum Padanama, a society dedicated to taking the Rukmani Devi legacy forward. According to her, the association meets up once a month, preferably on the last Sunday of each month, at the Sudarshi Hall in Colombo.
“Before I took over, about one and a half years back, the association was run by a senior journalist for the past 25 years. The journalist was making huge profits by exploiting the name of our idol” she said. She also noted that now the association and the operations had been better streamlined under her leadership and advisory of
renowned movie star Malani Fonseka.
When inquired what measures the Samarumm Padanam has taken so far to restore the monument at the cemetery, Perera said that it is the duty of the authorities to first ensure that, if established, the new monument will not be vandalized like the previous time.
“We are more or less a fan club. It is the responsibility of the authorities to first deal with the wrongdoers” she charged. Also commenting on the urban legend surrounding the Rukmani Devi Statue in Tudella Junction, Perera said that the statue walking around at night, which had also been witnessed by certain individuals in the area, is utter hoax. “People say they see ghosts they say aliens, there is no truth in any of these claims. Quite absurd, I also have heard people say this. She was a regular mortal, so these stories are all fictious”, she quipped.
A guard cum laborer at the cemetery, a man who was hesitant to reveal his name, said that the monument was dislodged by a team of about six people, in broad daylight amidst the agitation of staff. “I still remember that day. I was clearing nearby a grave when people with equipment came and broke the monument to pieces. We were in shock, the team looked very organized. Later a municipal councilor was arrested. He had told the police that he did it to put up a ‘better’ tombstone for his aunty, yet another ‘broken promise’ by a politico nephew”, he remarked, stressing on the irony.
The remnants of the broken tomb are kept in a room, at the cemetery premises itself although they better belong in her museum, which is also in Negombo, hardly ever open for the public.
Read 1142
times
No comments:
Post a Comment