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| Sunday, 23 February 2003 |
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If you are wondering what this is all about, well, these are some of the elements that, when put together, spin out that entity called "Madhu Namali". Take a good look at her pictures and you will know what I mean. Take another look and you will remember the ravishing new-comer in Dinesh Priyasad's comedy movie "Come or Go Chicago." Madhu not only played her maiden screen role as "Madhu" but also directed dancing for two of the movie's hit songs. And the greater part of the comedy-crazy movie-goers in town went around for a long while with "Va Nam Va, Po Nam Po, Come or Go Chicago" rolling off the tip of their tongue! And it all came to pass through her deep love for dancing. "Whenever Ranjan Ramanayake, who is a good friend of mine, visited our house, he would find me on tip toe, dancing around the house," Madhu harks back to her initiation into the local "Bollywood". Ranjan discerned the actress in the dancing Madhu and introduced her to Dinesh. "I had to do a fast dance in front of Dinesh and I landed my first movie role," says a dreamy-eyed Madhu who enjoyed another spurt of luck by having Ranjan as her first co-star. Madhu repeated her cinematic success in "Veediye Veeraya" of Sri Kularatne, continuing her spree in two more movies, including "Salambak Handai".
Cupid was quick to grab the sizzling Madhu in the wake of her movie success. She fell for charming Burgher hunk Glen, or rather he fell for her dusky, allure and they became engaged, tying the knot soon after. Ask her who her two favourite men are and she goes all dimply, blurting out, "Glen and Dino Morea!" For those who are a bit hazy about Dino, he is the latest Hindi heart throb who co-stars with Bipasha Basu in Hindi blockbuster "Raaz". Needless to say, Glen and Dino are a close replicas of each other. If you think that is all that irrepressible Madhu has in line for you, you have no inkling of what she is going to spring on you next. Here is a budding song writer, who has already composed lyrics and tunes of eleven Sinhala songs and vows that "As long as I live, I will continue to write songs!" "Male" (a serenade to a flower) will be Madhu's first song to be recorded. This simple, heart-warming, lyrical composition has caught the fancy of Kevin Almeida, the lead guitarist of Blind Faith and it will be the first Sinhala song he sings. "The golden-voiced Manilal Perera introduced Kevin to me," explains Madhu, a great fan and friend of Manilal and dreams of hearing him singing her lyrics some day.
Madhu who reveres God Ishwara ("I owe Him all my talent"), also pays homage to her mentor, a Tibetan monk in Rome, who infused her with spiritual courage at a time when her spirits flagged. "Don't let your talent die," his words keep her on her feet whenever she runs against a blank wall. What else can we say about Madhu? She loves dancing to Baila, Kavadi, Latin American (Ricky Martin-style), and Devdas songs. Speaks English and Hindi, understands Tamil, roams the Internet, watches Comet Cable and listens to Sooryan Fm and Yes FM. Her favourite hotel is Galadhari where she won the first prize of the Individual Baila Dance Competition last December 31st. "My movie success came when I was too young to sustain it. It was so stressed that I got fed up and went to India," says Madhu Namali. "Now I am mature enough to handle that kind of hectic pace." And though she expects to fly overseas in the near future, she says "As long as I am in Sri Lanka, I will dance, write songs and act in TV commercials." And coming from a young woman whose determination is as exceptional as her looks, you can take it as a pledge. by Jayanthi Liyange |
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| Produced by Lake House |
A
five foot Arian with cascades of silky raven hair. Simple, non-judgmental
but so ultra-selective in forming friendships that the less inspiring
blokes simply get from her a blank stare.
"Before my movie success, I had already taken part in the Sun
Light TV Commercial of Tele Cine," says Madhu, adding that this break
for the fresher, testing her wings just after GCE O levels, came through
her mother's contacts. "Oh, by the way, I am the only child of my
mother's first marriage," she adds, disclosing her "living room
screen commercial" success in more Sun Lights and later, in Life Buoy
Active, through Lintas advertising agency.
Madhu, who carries a pen and a writing pad even when she goes shopping
or worshipping at temple, has a refreshingly different repertoire of songs
such as "Bermuda Traingle" and "Dober", to her credit.
One which makes you go all teary-eyed and damp with emotion is "Gurami"
which she wrote as a tribute and a mute apology for her pet Giant Gurami,
"Kan Kun", who was found dead by suffocation on the day she
forgot to clear his tank of rotting Kan Kun, put in as fish feed. "I
still remember his teeth - the way he used to smile at me. "Wherever
he is today, I want to tell him I am sorry." Pet owners, take note,
and be spared of Madhu's pain by taking good care of your pets.
