Irangani through Sumitras eyes

On Irangani Serasinghe’s 94th birthday, her longstanding friend, Sumitra Peries, pays a glowing tribute to the veteran actress.

By Sajitha Prematunge

Irangani Seransinghe’s reputation preceded her. Of course, Sumitra Peries was too young to grasp the true meaning of the word ‘radical’, but being a contemporary of Irangani, at university, Sumitra’s brother, who was a radical himself, would rant on and on about ‘those radical Meedeniya sisters’. “Irangani and Kamini Meedeniya were legendary even then,” said Sumitra. 

During their university days, the Meedeniya sisters would go swimming in the S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia pool and in Serasinghe’s own words in her biography, ‘rode bicycles when good Sinhala girls were not supposed to ride’. Serasinghe’s radical nature manifested at a young age, earning her the childhood nickname ‘Chandi’. 

Born Irangani Roxanna Meedeniya on June 9, 1927 in Ruwanwella, she attended St. Bridget’s Convent, Bishop’s College, and later Girls High School, Kandy, to do her Higher School Certificate, where she played Professor Higgins in Bernarrd Shaw’s Pygmalion. As fate would have it, her husband, Winston Serasinghe, is said to have been in the audience.

Theatre

Serasinghe first hit the stage in 1948 in Prof. Cuthbert Amarasinghe’s production of Arthur W. Pinero’s ‘The Second Mrs. Tanqueray’. She played the lead role in Jean Anouilh’s Antigone. This performance left an indelible mark on Sumitra Peries. “It was at the King George Hall at the University. I must have been 13 or 14 at the time. I wouldn’t have known that much about the play, but I was highly impressed by her performance, which was critically acclaimed.” Sumitra recalled how she had been awestruck by a life-size portrait of the actress by Lester James Peries’s brother Ivan Peries, at the museum Petit Palais in Paris. “This was pre-Peries era and I didn’t know the Peries’ at the time, but for me Irangani was an idol. She was in a floral dress with a two-plait hair do. This made an impression on me.”

In Lionel Wendt’s maiden play Maxim Gorky’s ‘The Lower Depths’ directed by Austrian director Neumann Jubal, Serasinghe played Nastya. “Neumann Jubal was responsible for training university students in theatre,” says Sumitra. Among her other plays are Black Chiffon, Othello, Ernest MacIntyre’s The Caucasain Chalk Circle and Macbeth. She played mainly English roles at first, but ventured into Sinhala Theatre in Henry Jayasena’s Apata Puthe Magak Nethe. She went on to play roles in Dhamma Jagoda’s productions including Ves Muhunu, the Sinhala adaptation of ‘A streetcar named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams.

Irangani entered the University of Ceylon in 1947 and immersed herself in theatre under the guidance of Prof. E. F. C. Ludowyk. After graduating with an Arts degree she travelled to London with her first husband. At Prof. Ludowyke’s suggestion she attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School for one year and the London School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art for two years. Meeting of renowned actresses Flora Robson and Dame Sybil Thorndike was quite influential for Serasinghe.

Serasinghe is the first academically and professionally qualified Sri Lankan actress. “She was very conversant with acting method and could use her body, her voice and the background to complement the character she played.” But, according to Sumitra, unfortunately the limited range of roles restricted her. “But with every new role she attempted to introduce some nuance. She was an actress par excellence.”

In the 1940s, she was exposed to Marxism through Professor Ludowyke. But, according to her biography, ‘Irangani … as told to Kumar de Silva’, she abandoned it for it left little room for self discovery.

Film

Irangani was cast by Lester James Peries in the documentary, ‘Be Safe or Be Sorry’. But the role of an old woman, Kathrina Hamy, in Rekava, marked her true cinematic debut, an exemplary performance delivered at the age of 29. “Irangani used to accuse Lester of turning her into an old woman at such a young age,” chuckles Sumitra. In many ways Rekava was a turning point for Serasinghe, who also met her second husband, actor Winston Serasinghe, on the set of Rekava. 

Fondly called mother of television and cinema for over 65 years, Serasinghe portrayed exemplary roles of mothers in Delovak Athara, Ran Salu, Deveni Gamana, Doo Daruwo, Awaragira, Loku Duwa, Nedeyo, Sathpura Vasiyo, Village by the sea – Gamperaliya, Veeduru Mal, and Sihini.

“She was Lester’s first choice for Matara Hamine’s role in Gamperaliya, but she was pregnant at the time.” In Peries’ Delovak Athara, Serasinghe found herself in her element, delivering a no-holds-barred performance as Clara Wijesinghe, the mother of Nissanka Wijesinghe, played by Tony Ranasinghe. According to Sumitra, it was a wholesome role, befitting Irangani’s range and class she was born into. “Consequently, she was quite comfortable in her role. There was irony and comedy to a certain extent and the role enabled her to show off her acting prowess.” According to Sumitra, she is the antithesis of Clara. “Although her character was on the wrong side of the moral curtain, Irangani played the part with conviction.”

“She is one of the most humble people I know, despite her affluence, who had no qualms about eating packeted rice, mingling with the average person.” Sumitra notes that her kindness had a tendency to be abused. “On one occasion, while on location, she spent the night reading in the bathroom because she was so considerate that she didn’t want to disturb the rest of the cast and crew by turning the lights on.”

Being an actress, drama comes within the territory. In Peiris’ Sandeshaya, Serasinghe nearly drowned when she jumped into the river. “But then she is that kind of daredevil actor.”

“In God King, she played the role of a traitor who was burnt alive. She had to lie on a pyre while other actors doused it with kerosene, (in reality water), and set it alight. But she walked on to that pyre so stolidly, making it one of the most moving performances in cinema. In Irangani Serasinghe’s determination to make the scene work, her life came second.”

She won the Sarasaviya Award for the Best Actress for her role in Oba Dutu Da and for Pavana Ralu Viya in 1995. In 1985 she won the Presidential Award for Best Supporting Actress for Adara Kathawa and at the 28th Sarasaviya Awards she bagged the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in Sudu Seveneli. She was awarded the title Kala Keerthi by the Sri Lankan Government, the Sri Lankan of the Year award (2017) – Entertainment Distinguished Achievement – Ada Derana and Best Actress Special Jury Award – State Radio Awards 2019. She is also a recipient of the Deepashika Award.

She is also an environmental activist and set up Ruk Rakaganno with sister Kamini Vitharana. Serasinghe would nostalgically long for the quietude offered by the Mudugomuwa Walauwe, the ancestral Meedeniya home, the idyllic tranquility that she confessed, always seem to escape her in the current urbanised setting.

Sumitra’s only regret is that she had not been able to do a comedy with Irangani. “She played light comedy so beautifully, her role of Aunt Catherine in Wekanda Walawwa is a case in point. She would have played a role like Giulietta Masina in Nights of Cabiria exceptionally well. Watching her act has been an enriching experience. She was a role model for everyone and I wish her a long and healthy life. May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with her!”