Manorathne in Toronto last April. Acting as a woman in ‘Mang Miss Jennie’
Dr. Jayalath Manorathne, a veteran of stage, TV and film for five decades, is back on familiar territory after a brief health scare.
He took a two-and-half-month break from his busy schedule to undergo a seven-hour brain operation and was back on stage on February 3 at the Western Province Aesthetic Resort, playing the main role in Handa Nihanda (Voice and Voiceless).
Though looking little frail and sporting an unusually overgrown grey beard, the actor was in his usual best. He bent down and kissed the stage at the curtain call to a standing ovation and when he was trying to stand up he was helped by two colleagues. He had enough courage to get up on his own but the gesture by two friends displayed the extent of collective concern over the actor.
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 last week to hold a musical evening featuring Manorathne’s songs to pay tributes to his services to art.
Madol Doowa actor Ajith Jinadasa told an interview on web magazine Roopane that ‘Mano shed tears when he heard the news of his Toronto friends getting together to remember him’. Toronto is like second home to Mano, said Jinadasa. “Mano has said that coming to Toronto is like going to Dehipe,” he added. Dehipe, incidentally, is the village in beautiful Nuwaraeliya, where he was born and raised as a kid.
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 revolves around a gramophone era singer, played by Manorathne, and the challenges he has to face during three generations of Sinhala musicians armed with new values.
Manorathne, who has been honoured with the highest Sri Lankan honour given for exceptional service to art, was in Toronto on the invitation of Peradeniya University Alumni Association to appear in ‘Back to Hanthana 2018’ in which he presented skits from his iconic dramas, assisted by actress Madani Malwatte.
In one of the best musical performances I have seen in Toronto, Manorathne spoke of his life on stage based on his personal experiences paying homage to his great influences in his life. Beginning from Prof. Ediriweera Saratchandra, who discovered him while studying at the Peradeniya University, he spoke of other legendary playwrights like Henry Jayasena, Buddhadasa Galappatty, Sugathapala de Silva and Dayananda Gunewardene whose services to the advancement of Sinhala stage is incomparable. It is obvious that Manorathne is the next icon to be inducted into this august Hall of Fame.
While in Toronto last April he delivered the key note speech at the launch of Chandrarathne Bandara’s latest collection of poetry ‘Pinkam Pola’ (Temple Fair).
Ethera Api association organised a meeting where the legendary actor spoke about the present state of Sri Lankan arts, interspersed with his trademark humour. Late musician Premasiri Khemadasa’s wife who lives in Toronto presented him with a memento to felicitate his services to arts.
In a private gathering, Manorathne spoke about one of his forthcoming film projects predicting it to be a landmark in the modern Sinhala cinema. The action of the film which lasts only a few hours takes place in a CTB bus among a motley crew from different facets of the society including a street magician. The entire action takes place against the backdrop of the world cup cricket commentary broadcast from Lahore where Sri Lanka won the World Cup.
Monorathne has acted in ‘Mang Miss Jennis’ (I am Miss Jennis) as a woman. Unrecognisable and looking very much younger, thanks to heavy make-up and prosthesis, he plays 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 play the role as it is a complex character which needed lot of efforts to live in a woman’s world but later he accepted the challenge, adding that he is 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 Mahagama Sekera said why should we die renouncing life when we can be close to Immortality than to Death with the power of arts. Manorathne goes on to say arts, pulsating with the rhythm of life, is 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 seems to suggest. චිරන් ජයතු! – Somasiri Munasinghe
