‘I was mesmerised with the music he played’

Malkanthi speaks of life with veteran musician Sanath Nandasiri:

Love sacrifices
Love is patient
Love gives in...

“Money, beauty and fame fade away. But not love. It would stay forever,” says singer Malkanthi. “We cannot say everybody is blessed to gain true love. But, if you can give in a lot and expect a little, then, one day you would win,” she hopes.

“My love for him was not one at first sight; it was a respect in abundance; a grand feeling; enthralling. I was mesmerised with the music he played. And I thought he was an Indian. He looked like an Indian and spoke in Hindi with the others around him. I felt he was even pronouncing Sinhala words differently.

I was almost worshipping him. He was a giant and I was like a Liliput before him,” reminisces Malkanthi as she unwinds her love story and life with Prof.Sanath Nandasiri, veteran singer and musician who has been rendering a great service in the field of Aesthetic studies of the country.

Muthuthanthirige Ranjani Malkanthi Carmel Peiris was born on August 27 to Harrison and Regina Peiris at Nugegoda. Malkanthi was the oldest to a set of famous ‘singer-musician’ siblings; Kumar, Nirmala, Niranjala, Sakunthala and Manoj.

“My father, Harrison Peiris was a veteran journalist, famous writer and poet, and was the Chief Editor of the ‘Catholic Messenger’ for 35 years. Though Mummy was little strict with us, Daddy was like a saint. He was a brainy man with a lot of writing skills.

‘Selected Poems’, Boatman serenade of Kelani Ganga’ and ‘Serene Madona’ were some of the books he published. Lester James Peris, Chiththampalam and Cyril Gardiner of ‘Ceylon Theatres’, A. S. Machado and D.B.Dhanapala were some of his close acquaintances I remember,” she says.

“My maternal grand mother is a Persian lady. She was an English speaking Roman Catholic woman. My grandpa who was a ‘Maha Kalu Sinhalaya’ was working at an oil company in Persia. My mother was born in Baghdad. She said to be three months pregnant when she came down to Sri Lanka with her parents,” claims Malkanthi.

“Ours was a beautiful and adorable family with a strong Roman Catholic middle class background. Every evening we all used to go to the home altar and pray. After that Daddy would play his Accordion while Mummy played her Japanese Mandolin, and we used to sing hymns,” recalls Malkanthi.

“I studied at St.Joseph’s Convent, Nugegoda which was a branch of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya. Since I wanted to do higher studies in the science stream Daddy enrolled me at St.Thomas’ College, Kotte, a mix school. After sitting for the HSC I was asked to teach at the school,” she says.

“I had a happy childhood. My teenage years were wonderful. And we too celebrated ‘Valentine’s Day’. On that day we used to pray for St.Valentine and go to bed without having dinner. We believed that this practice would let us give an opportunity to dream of our future partner. We even prayed to the saint for that. I too did it once. But you know what I dreamt of; a ‘Bothal Paththara Karaya’ (vendor who collects old and used stuff like bottles and newspapers),” she laughs.

“I could remember having a Kerosene oil fridge, Radiogram and Radio-Fusion at home..... Radiogram was placed at the Sitting room, covered with a cloth and we the children was not allowed to touch it. It was so luxurious at that time. The Radio-Fusion was fixed at the kitchen. We had to pay Rs,10 per month for its service given by Radio Ceylon (today, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation -SLBC).

So, Mummy was a great fan of Sinhala music and was used to listen to this radio service from dawn to night. She knew my talent for singing, and when the Commercial Service was going to hold a singing completion - ‘Aadunika Peya’ (Amateur Hour), she encouraged me to apply for it. I was just 11 years old then,” recollects Malkanthi.

‘Oba Mage Suda’, a famous song of Rukmani Devi was the winning song of little Malkanthi. She won the competition. This opened her more opportunities at Radio Ceylon. ‘Jayagrahi Pelapaliya’ (Winning Parade) was held for those who won the competition, and they were expected to put new words to an old tune.

“Mummy composed a new song of the goodness of the mother to a famous tune. After I did the recording, Karunaratne Abeysekara and Sarath Wimalaweera who were there watching me asked my Mummy to send me to take part in the ‘Lama Mandapaya’ (children’s program). And that was the turning point in my life. Since then I took part in the children’s radio programs; dramas, songs and announcing until I was 17 years old. D.D.Danny and Thilakasiri Fernando were the music directors of these programs and I’m really grateful to all of them,” harks back Malkanthi.

Teenager Malkanthi entered the adults’ audition and became Super-grade artiste in radio drama and a Grade B singer (later she gained the Grade A category). Her talents in radio dramas drew the attention of Sarath Wimalaweera who was as well producing stage dramas. Malkanthi’s first performance on the stage was ‘Ulkapatha Daval Heena’. Along with that she got offers for ten dramas. “I went right around the country with our drama team. My brother Kumar used to go along with me,” she recollects.

Malkanthi’s siblings too followed her footsteps. Nirmala Ranatunga and Niranjala Sarojini earned fame as singers. Sakunthala works at Veritas Radio in Manila and Manoj Peiris is one of the best Thabla players in Sri Lanka. Kumar has taken a separate line and is a painter.

Meanwhile Sarath Wimalaweera arranged a Vesak stage drama, and Malkanthi was asked to take part in dubbing and to sing four Buddhist songs. “I was told that an Indian had come for music direction. I went for practices. I was enticed... I would say....the music I heard from him was very different. I was a teen who loved Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Cliff Rishard and Natking Code. I, a crazy cow used to light a candle to Elvis’ portrait on his birthday after his death. But, the moment I heard ‘his’ music something drastically happened....and I wanted to live with that music the rest of my life,” she recollects enthusiastically. And so she did.

Sanath Nandasiri had just returned from Bhathkanda Music College, Lucknow, India after six years, with double degrees - two ‘Visharadas’ in vocal and Thabla. He has been the third and the most junior to hold it in Sri Lanka. W.D.Amaradeva and P.V.Nandasiri were the other two of the same. And the record of these three is still unbreakable.

Sanath was really happy about the performance of the teenage beauty who later became the Industrial Queen at the Industrial Exhibition held at the Race Course. However, the two got the opportunity to meet each other often as Sanath was the Music Director of many of Sarath Wimalaweera’s stage dramas in which Malkanthi took part playing many roles. “I was a heavy reader; mainly love stories, and was dying to know what was happening in other countries. This drew me close to Sanath Aiya as he began to recite a lot of his experiences in India. I used to sit beside him when we were travelling and listened to him as a little girl. And after a few weeks he got his first appointment as a music teacher at Uhana Maha Vidyalaya, Ampara. So, when he came to Colombo during the weekend we used to meet at the SLBC. He used to talk a lot. I was a good listener. First he talked about his six years’ stay in India, and later all about himself, his family, his first love affair which was a failure. But, still I did not realise what was happening between us,” she smiles.

One day, Malkanthi returned home after a picnic. The Tom Boy who was clad in a pair of Jeans and a hat and humming a tune, got astonished and devastated when she read the Telegram that was sent from Ampara; ‘Sanath met with accident. Now at hospital’... Malkanthi flung her hat and ran behind the almirah and started howling and crying. Her mother who was shocked started reprimanding her. “Why are you worried so much?” asked her mother. “But, Daddy was understanding and consoling, and asked me to call and find out from Sanath Aiya’s cousin next morning,” she smiles.

After a long sleepless night Malkanthi ran out to ring the cousin. But, none of his family members seemed to be known about it. When Malkanthi returned from the telephone booth, she was amazed to see Sanath at her doorstep beaming.

Malkanthi started to howl again as she couldn’t bear up the pleasant surprise. It was Sanath’s room mate’s joke on April First.

However, this incident opened the doors wide in her heart. She was troubled when she her colleagues at the SLBC teased her coupling she and Sanath. “Aiya, I feel embarrassed over it,” one day she said to Sanath. “So, what? How would it really happen?” he looked into her eyes.

Herath Mudiyanselage Sanath Nandasiri was the third of five in the family was born to a popular building contractor family of H.M.W.Perera and Amalin Katugampala at Gothatuwa. Sanath studied in the Sinhala medium at Gothatuwa Maha Vidyalaya at morning hours and in English medium at St.Mathews’s College in the afternoon simultaneously. After his HSC, Sanath wanted either to join the Police or go to India to learn music. His parents who never wanted their son in the security forces permitted him to go to India.

His childhood dream came true. “He believes, ‘India mean music’ and nothing else. When he first saw the board of ‘Lucknow Music College’ he had worshipped it with great respect before he entered. He was a great fan of Ustad Ahmed Thirakva, the great Tablist. When he first saw him in India he had felt as if he had seen the God,” says Malkanthi.

The news of his love affair with a Roman Catholic radio artiste reached his home in a very short time. “His younger sister and brother were my fans of the children’s radio programs and were very helpful.

But we had to wait patiently for three to four years until his parents and older siblings gave their consent. But, we won our ‘Prema Tharangaya’ finally. However, that few years helped us to get mature and we learnt a lot about each other,” she laughs. Sanath and Malkanthi tied the knot on December 18 in 1971. “We had three Receptions; wedding at Hotel Taj Samudra, Home Coming at his place and another function at our place. This is because under Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s Government there was a rule that only 250-275 guests could be invited per function. That was why we had to break ours to three functions for our nearly 1000 guests,” she smiles.

Prof. Sanath Nandasiri has been in the University of Aesthetic Studies for the past 35 years. He was the Dean of the faculty for sometime.

At present he is the Senior Professor of the place contributing a great service for the younger generation. He contested Kotte under the UNP ticket in year 2001. It added a new experience to our lives as we could meet and move with different set of people,” says Malkanthi.

Question: Sanath Nandasiri has earned fame both in Sri Lanka and abroad. How’s married life with him?

Malkanthi: He is a perfectionist. He used to be very silent, and I used to love his ‘silence’. But now I’ve noticed a change in him as he talks a bit more than before. Sometimes a bit harsh as well (smiles). He is loved by his students as he is dedicated in his duties. He declares music his life. He gives me all what I want, and I assume I’m a blessed wife in many ways. But sometimes there were times I had to give in especially when at decision making.

Question: At the end tell us about your future plans.

Malkanthi: We are hoping to release a CD with Buddhist songs in May. And waiting to see our two children (daughter and son-in-law) back with us.