Multi-Talented Lucky - The trusted voice
Whenever singers from Sri Lanka visit Australia, especially Brisbane there is one voice that they trust upon and that belongs to Lucky (Lakshmi) Gunathilake who also heads Lucky Realty in Brisbane and Sri Lanka. She is the only Sri Lankan woman to own a real estate business venture in Australia.
Lucky is now in Sri Lanka on a brief vacation with her daughter Samadhi. Despite her busy schedule here, she engaged herself in several charity activities and music commitments too on television.
“I specially came down to Sri Lanka with my daughter to visit my 90-year-old mother who is sick. I want to show my only daughter how I care my mother and spend quality time with her, so that she would do the same when I grow old. Samadhi Muhandiram who was born in Australia can talk Sinhala very well. She learnt traditional Sri Lankan dancing too. My mother was my role model. I was the youngest in a family of eight and we lost our father when I was three and a half years old. Though I have been living in Australia for more than two decades we have always been in touch with Sri Lanka, and I hope I would breathe my last in my motherland,” she told Impulse.
“I will be leaving back this week. Tomorrow I will be donating books I purchased from Australia to the primary library of Thakshila Vidyalaya, Horana. The school’s present principal Janak Abeyratne was a classmate of mine.After Thakshila, I did my OLs and ALs at Southlands Balika, Galle. I did arts including my favourite drama and theatre for my ALs. I have a branch of my Australian company Lucky Realty in Sri Lanka.The branch in Sri Lanka was set up to help those who migrate to Australia, especially parents who leave behind properties here. For nearly 14 years I studied and worked in the computer sphere, but in 2001 I wanted to change track. I worked for RayWhite Realty company for about seven years before forming my own realty firm in Brisbane where I am doing alright largely due to the trust and confidence my clients have placed in me. My motto in life is ‘don’t cheat anyone’,” she said.
“Whenever Sri Lankan singers come for concerts in Australia, they have faith in me to join in the duets. I have sung with several popular duets with well known singers who come down to Brisbane. It was my husband Ajith who encouraged me to form my own realty business. I left Ray White where I won several awards for my efficiency. Despite my busy work schedule, my only tried and tested stress buster is music and singing. My drama and acting guru was the late Gamini Haththotuwegama. I met so many popular artistes while studying together. I am also a
“I specially came down to Sri Lanka with my daughter to visit my 90-year-old mother who is sick. I want to show my only daughter how I care my mother and spend quality time with her, so that she would do the same when I grow old.”
broadcaster and panel operator attached to Radio 4EB community channel in Brisbane. I do a lot of interviews with Sri Lankan stars. Every year I send books to an orphanage in Sri Lanka. Recently I donated books, bags and shoes to children at the Weliwatte Junior School in Remuna. I donated spectacles I got from Australia to the people in Remuna. We also organized a meritorious deed at the Weliketiya Sri Punyasesthrama in Horana.”
“I respect people who are humble and genuine. I am grateful to Gunadasa Kapuge, Manoj Peiris, Edward Jayakody,T. M. Jayaratne, Sunil Edirisinghe, Nirmala Ranatunga and all who had helped me in arts. I must express my special thanks to Manoj Peiris who goes all out to help people expecting nothing in return,” she said.
- Ramesh