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Memories of 'Uncle Gamini'

by Prasad Gunewardene

As I sat to pay this tribute to mark the 70th birth anniversary (falls on March 21) of my uncle and friend, the uncrowned king of the silver screen and the late legend of the Sinhala cinema, Gamini Fonseka, another living legend of the large and mini screen, Tony Ranasinghe gifted me with a copy of his book on the Indian film legend, Dilip Kumar. Gamini, Tony and Dilip Kumar are unparalleled in the history of the silver screen in Sri Lanka and India.

During Gamini's journey in the cinema, Tony was like his right hand. They never fell apart during that forty five-year stint. Acceptance of Tony's book on Dilip Kumar at the time of writing, was a coincidence, as I also wish to mention what Gamini had to say about Tony, when I met Gamini just two weeks prior to his sudden demise.

Taking leave from my uncle, Gamini's company, after a lenghty discussion of over six hours on that day, with Dinamina staffer, Stanley Samarasinghe, Gamini in his customary style walked with me up to the Jasmine vine that ran over a metal porch at the entrance to his Ja-ela residence.

My topic with him, over those few yards, was on Tony Ranasinghe. I have admired Tony as an actor very much, though I never had the opportunity to associate with him closely. To me, he appeared a "Gentleman Actor".

Having viewed Tony in many a character, in films, and also seen many Hindi films of yesteryear, I had something in mind, when I compared the two film industries in the neighbouring countries. I asked my uncle what he saw in Tony Ranasinghe as an actor.

Gamini, holding the Jasmine vine porch by one hand and pointing a finger at me by his other, responded in this manner. "You want to know about Tony the actor or Tony the Gentleman? Well, I'll tell you both. On the screen, Tony is the best - "Controlled Character Actor" - even not witnessed in the Indian cinema so far. About Tony the man, I will tell you that he is a gentleman not only to the finger tips, but from the toe to his hair".

Having known the calibre and style of my uncle since childhood, Gamini Fonseka looked filled with emotion when he expressed these sentiments about Tony. My thoughts that I even never saw a 'character controlled actor' like Tony in the Hindi films, I viewed in the past, was well substantiated by the veteran Gamini Fonseka's claim.

Well, that's how Gamini Fonseka summarised Tony Ranasinghe. Stanley Samarasinghe and I endorsed Gamini's point of view. Gamini then plucked two Jasmines from the vine and placed it on my palm (He does this only to those near and dear to him). "Keep this with you till you reach home safely" he said gazing at the distant sky.

I asked him why he was gazing up the sky while I stood facing him. Pointing his finger at the spot he was gazing, Gamini replied, "I feel someone is up there waiting for me and, I think my time is up". Shocked by this sad statement, I told him not to talk nonsense as he had many more years before him.

He shot back," I say, Fonseka's hardly passed the seventy mark and I am ready for it even now". "Gamini Fonseka will pass that mark", I said before taking my leave. As he said and believed, death never appeared to shirk this strong and gallant character.

Gamini Fonseka fell sick towards the latter part of his life. When he contracted the second heart attack, holding onto his chest, he called his aide Jayalath, wrote a telephone number on the sand where he was seated relaxed in the garden, wanted a man to be called to rush him to hospital.

That was Squadron Leader (Rtd), Wimal Karunaratne now a Director at Sri Lanka Insurance and Distilleries Ltd. Wimal rushed him to the Apollo Hospital. When doctors recommended a 'bypass', Gamini refused saying," I don't believe in artificial extensions, when the time is up I must go'. Medical specialists advised him that he was quite fit to undergo surgery. But Gamini was unmoved.

As a true Buddhist, he was never greedy towards anything in this world. This tribute will not Focus on his cinema life much, as volumes had been written while he was alive, and even after his death. On the last day I met him with Stanley Samarasinghe, we had lunch together.

After lunch, I was observing his awards kept in the corner of his main hall. It was a place that could be hardly noticed by visitors. While I was observing the awards he walked up to me and asked why I was so eagerly observing one by one.

There over 100 awards standing on the open cupboard." The number is more than your age and you must live to match the number", I cracked. He sat on a cushion and said, "Those are the treasures I inherited by talent". "Who would take care of these treasures", I asked. "Well, I have only one son. That is Dhammith. He must protect them", he said in a soft tone.

When I met him just two weeks prior to his silent death in sleep, Gamini uncle, the once able bodied giant figure looked slim. His waist was 31 inches, he told me. He looked depressed. But he never displayed it. The sentiments he expressed on how he was treated by the administrators of the country and the cinema were heart breaking.

I feel all these contributed to his early death. On that ill fated day, September 30, 2004, after breakfast he had tried to contact me in office and at home.

There was an important and an intimate matter we discussed over the telephone during the last ten days of his life.

I was able to convince this strong man over an intimate matter that would have brought happiness to him and his family after many years. Having failed to contact me, he told his aide Jayalath to remind him to call me when he came down stairs to lunch.

He never dreamt that he was then climbing the final steps of his life to relax on bed for his usual nap after breakfast. Gamini Fonseka, the doyen of the silver screen was gone in his sleep. Though he was ready to pass on that happy message to me, I never got that telephone call. Fate was so cruel.

But I know what he wanted to tell me though we missed each other that morning. The message was a sentimental one for his wife Sumithra and the family. Certainly, a joyous message.

As Gamini uncle took that positive message with him, I will take that with me one day when I go. The value of that message is lost without the presence of my uncle and friend, Gamini Fonseka. The man Gamini Fonseka was a wonderful man to those who knew him.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.