True blue...
The grand finale of the highly anticipated season five of Ranaviru Real Star, one of the most watched reality shows in Sri Lanka highlighting the aesthetic talents of our armed forces personnel, will go live on Sri Lanka Rupavahini tonight
Ranaviru Real Star, the world’s first military reality show is organised by the Ministry of Defence in partnership with Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier telecommunications provider, and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.
The successful seasons, or Mission I to IV, of Ranaviru Real Star received the highest num- ber of SMS for a reality show final held in Sri Lanka. Last year’s highly successful Mission IV of Ranaviru Real Star received over 10 million SMS at the grand finale, beating the 8.3 million SMS received at the finals of RRS: Mission III.
This time around too the grand finale of RRS: Mission V will be telecast live on Sri Lanka Rupavahini tonight, from 7 p.m. onwards from the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. Veteran actor and singer, Kamal Addararachchi, has stepped in as Executive Producer and Director.
The four finalists for RRS: Mission V include Gunner Sampath Sri Palansooriya of the Sri Lanka Army Artillery Regiment, Lieutenant Amila Lakmal Siriwardhana of the Sri Lanka Navy, Leading Airman Prasanna Sanjeewa Priyankara of the Sri Lanka Air Force and Leading Airwoman Wathsala Nanayakkara of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
The panel of judges which comprises personalities involved in the music and cinema field such as Billy Fernando, Sohan Weerasinghe, Mariazelle Gunathilaka, Chandrika Siriwardhana and Dilhani Ekanayake will have a direct say in 60 per cent of the final outcome whilst the remainder would depend on voting by the public via SMS.
Subuddhi Lakmali has stepped in as the tri-forces voice trainer, while Umaria Sinhawansha, Jagath Wickramasinghe and Dumal Warna Kulasooriya are mentoring the finalists of RRS: Mission V.
The winner of Ranaviru Real Star: Mission V will receive a luxury house in his or her home town, whilst the runner-up would receive a cash prize of Rs. 1 million, plus, a brand new car from Toyota Lanka. The third placed contestant will receive a cash price of Rs. 2 million.
Manil Yamuna Devi was at Visakha Vidyalaya during Mrs. Motwani’s time. The habit of reading grew in her at a very young age and she was very knowledgeable in literature – both English and Sinhala, Buddhism and classics. “I read many books in my father’s library,” she remembers.
At the age of 16, she remembers vividly listening to her father and his friends discussing politics. “As a teenager I sat on the staircase next to the dining room at ‘Yamuna’, at Maya Avenue, Wellawatte and eavesdropped on the political conversations my father and his friends had, seated round the black and red long lacquered table with its high back chairs. They were famous names and faces.”
Many would visit ‘Yamuna’ and have discussions over long periods of time. “These were called Yamuna Conferences. I remember Colvin, NM, C.P. de Silva, William Silva, A.P. Jayasuriya, the older D.A. Rajapakse who was a mentor to my father and SWRD.”
Herbert Mendis Sri Nissanka had his early education at Ananda College when Sir D.B. Jayathilaka was the Principal. Later, he joined Royal College, his father’s alma mater. He studied at the Law College and in 1919 left for England for St. Edmonds Hall at Oxford University. He obtained an Arts Degree and was a member of the debating team. Sri Nissanka met S.W.RD. Bandaranaike who was also at Oxford and they became very good friends.
He was called to the Bar at Middle Temple as a Barrister and returning to Ceylon at the age of 24, he began his professional career as an Advocate at Hulftsdorp, having earned his place in the Inns of Court. A celebrated criminal lawyer, Sri Nissanka won many a sensational case with his address to the jury. If he knew that a client could not afford a fee, he would appear free for him.
He was made a King’s Counsel in 1944, one of the first to gain ‘Silk’ in British Ceylon.
Sri Nissanka’s father Nissanka Diveris Mendis was a Senior Administrative Officer in the Railway. His mother Anoma Wickremaratna de Zoysa hailed from the Garumuni family in the South. His uncles, Robert De Zoysa, Arthur De Zoysa and Ian De Zoysa were all members of the State Council.
Manil Yamuna Devi remembers an interesting incident which made the news. “My father had gone outstation for a case and he had to attend Parliament later that day. He had gone to Parliament in his tunic coat, trouser and suede sandals for which he was chastised. He rushed home, changed into a sarong - I remember it was a checked sarong, with brown lines, and went back.” The Speaker, Sir Francis Molamure after a brief discussion ruled that he was appropriately dressed. It was in the newspapers too, with a picture. That’s how the sarong went to Parliament” smiled his daughter. Although it is now very common to see Parliamentarians in sarong, it was not so in 1949!
Sri Nissanka’s mother had very close relatives who were famous Buddhist monks and this Buddhist background helped to mould him. He studied under Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera, Ven. Sri Gnaneswara Thera, Ven. Lunupokune Dhammananda Thera, Ven. Chakkindha Thera from Burma, Ven. Welithara Suddhassana Thera and Ven. Abhidammika Medhankara Thera and as he knew Pali and Sanskrit he had a good understanding of the Dhamma.
At 19, while in his Intermediate at Law College, Sri Nissanka shaved his head and sought admission to the Sangha Samanera as Kavindhaja Kesara. He lived in Burma (Myanmar) for two years and received Upsampada at the feet of Ven. Gandhayoung Shayado. But receiving a message that his father was very ill, he disrobed with the promise that one day he would return to robes, his daughter says. “His resolution to build an ‘Aranya Senasanaya’ was promised to his Master in Burma. The result was the establishment of the Salagala Aranya where he was President for 26 years and resigned due to ill health. He requested Dudley Senanayake to be President thereafter and D.S. Senanayake planted a Bo sapling brought from India.”
Manil Yamuna Devi remembers their visit to Burma in 1947. “We went by the steamer named Devonshire. As we came up the river Irawadi, the Golden Stupa Shmedgon Paya rose glowing golden above the trees. It was an amazing sight.” “During this July visit in Rangoon, Bogyoke(Major General) Aung San, (father of Aung San Suu Kyi) considered the Father of the Nation was assassinated at Parliament. At the funeral I remember Mr. Bandaranaike (SWRD) standing next to me, pensively looking at the leader lying in state in a coffin. “Little did he guess his fate,” Manil Yamuna Devi says.
Anuradhapura was her father’s most loved city. When he drove his Skoda with the hood down or went in his Riley, he would always alight from the car and stand on the bund of the Nuwarawewa and gaze at the great stupas of Abhayagiri and Ruwanveliseya. He would sing Danno Budhunge, Manil Yamuna Davi recalls. “He was one of the main speakers when the ‘Kotha’ gifted from Burma was placed after the restoration in 1940. A huge ruby is on top of the Kotha. My father spoke on BBC, a world broadcast, a maiden speech to the world and recited the gatha ‘ Sayasnu yaswin sugathassa dathu….” the prayer to the Ruwanweli Seya,” the she remembers.
“Whenever we passed King Elara’s grave site, he would insist that all members alight from the car and walk as a mark of respect for the great and just king. It was a decree by King Dutugemunu,” she said.
At the end of his life when he was ill, she would cook his favourite food and feed him. “He knew his time was coming to an end and he was in deep meditation remembering the practice of his entire life by which he lived – ashtanga sila.” “Sitting in his favourite armchair, gazing at the 20-foot painting by Carl Kasmann, of the Gautama Buddha descending to the Himalaya mountain from the Thusitha Deva Loka, having preached to his mother, he passed away. At the funeral oration SWRD Bandaranaike lamented the loss of a life long friend and trusted companion.”
The country lost a scholar, humanitarian, author, poet, playwright, great orator with a sharp wit and good command of many languages and mostly a great Buddhist.