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| Tuesday, 28 October 2003 |
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25th death anniversary today : Rukmani Devi - Lanka's queen of melody Today (28.10.2003) marks the 25th death anniversary of Rukamani Devi.
A veteran film journalist A.D. Ranjith filling a void in the literature of Sinhala cinema, traces her life, since her birth on January 15, 1923 to her demise on October 28, 1978 in his book 'Rukmani Devi.' After her birth at Ramboda, her father retired from the services at Nuwara Eliya Estate and the whole Indian Tamil originated Daniel family shifted to Colombo. Rukmani received her formal education at St. Mathew's College, Colombo 9, St. Clare's Girls' College, Wellawatta and Methodist College at Colombo. She was so clever that she participated in Christmas Carols when she was a student. Mrs. 'Chandraleka' a teacher of St. Mathew's was her mentor in singing. She became so popular as having the voice of an angel when she was singing in the school. She commenced her career from the Minerva Theatre group of B.A.W. Jayamanne as a singer. She acted for the first time as an actress in the drama 'Kadawunu Poronduwa' conducted by the same group. It was a time that art of drama and Sinhala music had been at a low ebb. However she played her role successfully. When the Daniel family shifted to Negombo from Colombo, she met young Eddie Jayamanne at the Negombo beach. It was during the period they were acting in the play 'Awatharaya' that their love affair commenced. The affair had gone so far that they were to get married. As Eddie had no proper employment or a source of income, the parents of Rukmani Devi opposed their marriage and filed action before the then District Judge of Colombo D.R.F. Dias. E.G. Wickremanayake Q.C. appeared for young Eddie, the Plaintiff-petitioner seeking permission of Court to marry Rukmani then in her tender age. However they were granted permission to marry, So it happened. It is recorded that her first recording was a duet which sang 'Siri Buddha Gaya Vihare' with the famous singer H.W. Rupasinghe master in the gramophone era. She proceeded to Madras in India by train in 1946 with the Minerva Group to act in 'Kadavunu Poronduwa'. She was the main actress and background singer. She became the first and foremost actress in the field of Sinhala Cinema at a time when women were not even allowed to go out of their dwellings without an elderly responsible guardian. In 'Umathu Vishwasaya' she double-acted as mother and daughter. She reigned supreme as the queen of melody for many decades. This unique songstress and actress could sing in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages. It should be emphasised that there is none to claim as heritable to her songs. She has never empowered any person to claim her heritage. In the year 1955 at the 'paataka tharangaya conducted by the 'Dinamina' she was selected as the best actress with a majority of 16,221 votes. At the 'Deepasika' awards ceremony conducted by 'Lankadipa' she was selected as the best actress of 'Kele Handa' in 1956. She was selected as the best background singer for the song 'Doi doiya putha' in the cinema 'Ahasin Polawata' at the first Presidential Awards Ceremony held in 1976. She won the 'Rana Thisara' award at the 'Sarasavi' Awards Ceremony held in 1979. It is unfortunate that she was not living to receive this award. Since the role she played as Ranjani' in 'Kadavunu Poronduwa' she has played in more than 60 movies such as Peralunu Iranama, Hadisi Vinishya, Perakadoru Bena, Weradunu Kurumana, Kapati Arakshakaya, Kele Handa, Umathu Vishvasaya, Siriyalatha, Iranganie, Daiva Yogaya and Kavata Andare. She was named 'Rukmani Devi' by Michael Sannasgala and Jayantha Weerasekera. She died under tragic circumstances on October 28, 1978 at Thudella in Ja-Ela when she was returning from Matara after attending a musical performance. Her van collided with an oil bowser of the Petroleum Corporation. - Walter Wijenayaka |
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Daisy
Rasamma Daniels turned Rukmani Devi, an incomparable artiste, a superb
songstress as well as the first Sinhala film actress in Sri Lanka is still
the queen of Sinhala Silver screen.
