Portraits of an artist: Manorathne in Dubai 1995. Toronto 2018
Sri Lankan stage legend Jayalath Manorathne who passed away on Sunday considered Toronto as his second home. “Going to Toronto is like travelling to Dehipe,” he had quipped several times. Dehipe, a picturesque village surrounded by rice paddies and tea estates, was where he was born in 1948.
Toronto welcomed him like royalty. There is a large number of his Peradeniya University colleagues. He was also fond of some of his contemporaries on stage who now call Toronto their home, good friends, and hordes of fans who enthusiastically thronged to his house-full performances in the city.
He passed out from the university in the early 70s and received an honorary Ph.D. for his services to arts a few years ago.
The last time he was here was almost two years ago to attend “Back to Hantana 2018’ in Toronto on March 7, organized by the Alumni Association of Peradeniya to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the university. Manorathne danced, sang, acted and presented skits from well-known plays, ably assisted by prolific stage actress Madani Malwttage who is a generation younger than him.
Manorathne talked about his past, his inspirations and how he honed his skills in the shadow of the legends of Sinhala drama, Dr. Ediriweera Sarathchandra, whom he considered as his guru, Sugathapala de Silva, Henry Jayasena, Gunasena Galappaththi and Dayanada Gunawardene, the five playwrights who shaped the indigenous theatre. Manorathne was the sixth in line in this prestigious Hall of Fame. Though he sidestepped talking about his position, everyone in the audience knew he was very much there. He thanked all those icons for inspiring and guiding him.
The memorable evening saw him presenting skits from the evergreen stage plays like Maname, Sinhabahu, Hunuwataye Kathawa, and his own dramas Kaneru Mal and Booru Mahaththaya, the only novel to be adapted for a Sinhala stage play. This work of fiction, An Autobiography of a Donkey, was written by celebrated Indian writer Kishan Chandra.
In the same week, Manorathne delivered the keynote address as writer Chandrarathne Bandara launched his two new books in Toronto. His collection of poetry Pinkam Pola and the publication of short stories, Elangata Thangath Lokaya, were launched at the Grand Cinnamon Banquet Hall owned by Manorathne’s good friend Ruwan Jayakody who hosted the event free.
The stage personality also addressed a meeting to honour his services to arts by Ethera Api organization. Mrs. Premasiri Khamadasa who lives in Toronto felicitated him by presenting a memento to honour his visit to the city. Nobody thought that it could be his farewell performance in the city.
Fans and friends gathered around him to listen to the actor’s hilarious tales about him (he was a man who could make fun of himself) and tales about showbiz personalities and even his family members.
The best story I liked was one which is related to his childhood. His first experience of acting was when one of his uncles dressed him in an old, oversized coat asking him to act. “I have not still removed that jacket,” he said with a hearty chuckle.
I met Manorathne three times in Dubai in the 90s while I was serving in a newspaper there. The first time he came to stage the black comedy Maya Devi where I met Ajith Jinadasa for the first time. The second time he came with his own play Thala Mala Pipila and thirdly, he toured with Maname in the company of the elder statesman of Sinhala theatre, Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra.
I met many stalwarts of Sinhala stage like Ajith, Suminda Sirisena, Vasantha Vittachchi, Sampath Tennekoon, Rathna Lalani Jayakody, Gamini Hettiarachchi and Wijeratne Warakagoda in the company of Manorathne in Dubai press conferences.
I fondly remember late Chandi Kannangara, the founder of Trico International, who sponsored these iconic plays in the United Arab Emirates.
It is hard to imagine what the Sinhala stage will be like without Manorathne who dedicated his whole life to carry on after the demise of the five legendary playwrights. I consider Manorathne as an artist in the calibre of Joe Abeywickrema, but more talented and committed, but poorer than him moneywise.
Journalist Chandrarathne Bandara says Manorathne was an artist who never appeared in advertisements despite his star power or joined politics without compromising his integrity.
Manorathne lived with nine lives. We heard about a lot of health scares, but he bounced back every time and returned to stage with his youthful joy and panache. Last year he took a two-and-half-month break from his busy schedule to undergo a seven-hour brain operation. He was back on the stage on February 3 at the Western Province Aesthetic Resort, playing the leading role in Handa Nihanda (Voice and Voiceless).
Handa Nihanda, the play which Manorathne wrote and produced, like most of his earlier dramas dealt with the theme of age-old traditions struggling to exist against the onslaught of modern values. The play revolved around a gramophone era singer, played by Manorathne, and the challenges he had to face during three generations of Sinhala musicians armed with new values.
Many bodhi poojas and religious ceremonies were held in Sri Lanka to invoke divine blessings on the 71-year-old legend. His fans, former colleagues and friends in Toronto got together to hold a musical evening featuring Manorathne’s songs to pay tributes to his services to art and raise funds. Ajith Jinadasa visited Sri Lanka to see the recuperating star.
During his last visit to Toronto, Manorathne talked passionately about a new film he was acting in. He said the whole movie was shot in a bus with five characters against the backdrop of the World Cup Finals commentary broadcast from Lahore where Sri Lanka became the champs.
Monorathne had acted in ‘Mang Miss Jennis’ (I am Miss Jennis) as a woman. Unrecognisable and looking very much younger, he played three roles as two women and a man in the movie yet to be released.
He told the Sri Lankan media that he initially refused to play the role as it was a complex character that needed lot of effort to live in a woman’s world, but later, he accepted the challenge, adding that he was happy with the outcome.
While recuperating at Jayawardene Hospital Manorathne penned a poem after reading Mahagama Sekera’s ‘Nomiyami’ (Unprepared to Die) for the umpteenth time.
Metaphysical in nature, the Sinhala poem personifies Death and Immortality. As Sekera said, why should we die renouncing life when we can be close to immortality than to death with the power of arts. Manorathne went on to say arts, pulsating with the rhythm of life, was the path to immortality
Devendara San (Malawunge Avurudu Da), Dammi and Sugath (Golu Hadawatha), Gajaman Nona (play of the same name by Dayananda Gunawardene), Bonnie Mahatmaya (Parasathumal) Piyal (Gamperaliya) can defy death elevating these characters and their creators to higher pinnacle of immortality, his untitled poem seemed to suggest.
His funeral will be held in Borellasgamuwa Public Cemetery on Wednesday, where he will be happy to rest. He is worthy of a grand funeral at the Colombo Independence Square with full honours. I am sure it was his last wish to be buried in this ordinary rural cemetery.
Even in death, this great artist did not want to be separated from his roots. An earthy village in Boralagamuwa became his last resting place standing in for Dehipe where he was born and learnt the first lessons in acting. Rest in Peace Mano! – Somasiri Munasinghe
