“I have met you once and I think you also remember the day. We exchanged very few words but, treasured it immensely. I think that friendship meant to be forever….” Kalan 1970.09.20
That was the words Amarasiri Kalansuriya wrote in one of his female fans autograph. As mentioned in that lines that friendship became an everlasting one as Kalan eventually married the very same girl Ajantha Ekanayake. This is her story about her husband Amarasiri Kalansuriya.
“Both of us are from Kandy, My home town is Gelioya, Kalan is from Kiribathkumbura. I have sat for University entrance when I went to Kalan’s shop to buy tickets for ‘ Suba saha Yasa’ stage play with one of my friends. He was quite famous that time and I also have watched one of his films.”
“It was 9th September 1970, I first met Kalan at his shop. I wanted to talk with him and he too felt the same and we have exchanged few words. We met few times after that and I was selected to Peradeniya campus where Kalan visited very often to meet Payhiraja (Pathiraja L.S.Dayananda).
“My university friends were surprised when they got to know that we two are lovers. Some were against our relationship as Kalan was an outsider, but there were some who helped us.”
“Our relationship was a secret to both of our families and when my father caught us talking in the campus it was the last day of my university education. It was 1971 and all the Universities were closed because of ‘JVP’ riots. The only communication method left for us was letters but the postal system also was affected by the riots. As my father was fully against of our relationship my friends have explained the situation to Kalan and we decided to marry without the blessings of our families.”
“My mother also was a Registrar of Marriage, but we managed to register our marriage secretly and went back home as nothing happened.”
“After few months we went to house of our own and Kalan wanted me to continue my higher studies which I refused because I was not in a mood to continue studying, and also I was pregnant that time. We have blessed with one son and two daughters.”
“Kalan is a very innocent character like he used to display in films, I think I am the first love of him in real life. He is not a fussy character and seldom gets angry, If he does not speak that’s the sign of he is having a discomfort.”
“Kalan does not like his children become artists, but our eldest daughter played a small scene in the film “Dorine ge sayanaya” as the daughter of Swarna Mallwarachchi.”
“My husband used to drink orange juice in the morning those days but now prefers a glass of milk. Once Denim trouser was his favorite, but said “I am too old to wear Denims now” when our eldest daughter presented a Denim trouser recently.”
“ Our eldest daughter and son are married and live separately, they use to visit us very often. Youngest daughter is staying with us, and when she goes to work we two are alone at home. That’s when he start to talk about our past memories”.
He played the main role in Sri Lanka’s first Tele Drama “Dimuthu Muthu”and even now many offered him characters in both films and Tele dramas, but he reluctant to accept over reasons of his own.”
Source: Nawaliya