Sri Lanka’s immensely talented screen queen and nightingale, Daisy Rasamma Daniels, renowned as Rukmani Devi, was born with acting skills and a golden voice, two qualities along with her beauty took her on an early path to stardom.
When you have made a truly unique mark in your chosen field it is hard for others to eclipse you. No matter how many faces joins the scene or tries to imitate your skills you will be the outstanding one. Thought your era of stardom is over you will remain as the evergreen star in the industry, admired and remembered by all
Sri Lanka’s immensely talented screen queen and nightingale, Daisy Rasamma Daniels, renowned as Rukmani Devi, was born with acting skills and a golden voice, two qualities along with her beauty took her on an early path to stardom.
Known as the pioneer actress of the Sinhala cinema, Rukmani breathed life to many heart wrenching roles. She also lent her voice to a number of gramophone numbers while contributing to a number of stage dramas and films.
She was born in Ramboda in the Nuwara Eliya district on January 15, 1923. Her father, John D. Daniels, was employed in the estate while her mother, Helen Rose Daniels, was a teacher at St. Clare’s, Wellawatte, Methodist College, Bambalapitiya and Prince of Wales, Moratuwa. She was the second in a family of six.
She was educated at St. Mathews’ College, Dematagoda and St. Clare’s, Wellawatte while the family was residing in Dematagoda. She showed signs of what was in store for her in her school days as she took part in school plays like Sapaththu Mahannage Birinda (The Shoemaker’s wife).
Her most significant public performance was in Ramayanaya in which she took on the role of Seetha in 1935 at the tender age of 12 years. Walter Abeysinghe spotted the talent in the young lass and soon introduced her to stage plays. Though she took to the field at a time when women were barred from entering the field and female characters were mostly portrayed by men, it did not take long for her to make a name as the most sought after actress on stage.
H.W. Rupasinghe Master, a pioneer of the Sinhala music scene, introduced her to the industry through his duet in the evergreen number Siri Buddha Gaya Vihare in 1939. She carved a niche as a vocalist overnight and the song won her 10 more songs. She later went on to become a reputed gramophone singer in the thirties and early forties. She sang under the H.M.V label while Eddie Jayamanna, who later became her husband, sang gramophone songs under the Colombia label.
Rukmani’s association with the Minerva Drama Troupe, Negombo, was her path to the silver screen and also to marriage for she met Eddie through the founder of the troupe, B.A.W. Jayamanna.
While acting and singing on stage productions, she was offered the duel role of becoming the first heroine and playback singer in Sri Lanka’s maiden talkie Kadawunu Poronduwa (Broken Promise). By then she had done around 800 performances of Kadawunu Poronduwa, the play, which inspired J. Singh into bringing the stage production onto the wide screen. The screening of the talkie took place at Kingsley Theatre in January 21, 1947 with Rukmani starring as Ranjanie as well as singing Jeewithaye Sama Preme Geethe, the song lyrics which were penned by Hugo Fernando Master and music composed by Narayana Iyyer. She played the lead role in 98 movies in a career spanning three decades. She even acted in a Tamil film Kusuma Latha, a movie based on B.A.W. Jayamanna’s Sanguwunu Pilithura in 1951. This was Sri Lanka’s first Tamil film to be screened in India.
Rukmani also contributed in playback singing for films: Sandyave Sriya for Kadawunu Poronduwa, Pinsara Mage Soyura for Kapati Aarakshakaya, Gala Kandeni and Moranawa Preme Hade for Veradunu Kurumanama, Mavila Penavi Rupe for Kela Handa, Pem Sihina Loke Maya for Mathabhedaya, Suwadena Sitha for Ladalu and Doi Doi Puta for Ahasin Polovata.
She emerged the winner at the popular star poll conducted by Dinamina in 1956 while winning the title of best actress at the Deepashika Festival in 1956 for her dual role in Umathu Wishwasaya. She clinched the ANCL award for most popular singer in 1964 before winning the award for best singer at the Presidential Awards for the song Gangata Udin Kokku Giya for Lester James Peries’ Ahasin Polowata in 1978, just after her death. One of her most significant features was though she was not well versed in the Sinhala language; she was able to pronounce the language and even Sanskrit clearly and beautifully. It is known that she even wrote the Sinhala sentences in her films in English and by-hearted them.
There are two stories behind how her widely known name of ‘Rukmani Devi’ originated. One claims that the late Maestro H.W. Rupasinghe created this name while the other states that Jayantha Weerasekara and Michael Sannas Liyanage gave the name. There is also a belief that the name started off as ‘Rukmani Wasundara’ before her father intervened and changed it to ‘Rukmani Devi’.
Though death took her in a fateful accident at Tudella while returning home after a musical show in Matara on October 28, 1978, her intelligence, modesty, dedication and humble manners touched those who knew her and made a lasting impact that transcended beyond death. She was every heart’s delight and will continue to be remembered throughout the years.
By Ruwini Jayawardana Daily News of Jan 20, 2010
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