Sirimathi Rasadari

Sirimathi Mary Fernando, known as සිරිමතී රසාදරී (Sirimathi Rasadari) in Sinhala, was a prominent figure in the Sri Lankan film industry and a celebrated Kathak dancer. She was born on May 10, 1932, in Nainamadama, Dummalawarama, Wennappuwa, as the third child in her family. Sirimathi had two sisters and five brothers, and she received her education at Dummaladeniya Roman Catholic School. Besides being fluent in Tamil and English, she had the ability to write, speak, and read Hindi.

Sirimathi Rasadari was married to Rathna Dissanayake, a lecturer at Giragama Aesthetic University. Additionally, she served as a visiting lecturer at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts. Sadly, she passed away on September 3, 1992, at the age of 60.

Throughout her career, Sirimathi Rasadari showcased her exceptional talents in various artistic domains. As early as 1939, while still in school, she participated in a singing competition held during the All Island Health Week and secured the first place in the North Western Province. Driven by her passion for dance, she trained in Kathakali under Shantha Kalayathana in Meeepura, with Shanthi Viraj in 1967, and in Bharatha and Manipuri dances under Shanthi Kumar Seneviratne. She also studied Kandyan dancing under Heenbaba Dharmasiri for eight years. Notably, she became the first Sri Lankan graduate of Bharath Kathak Dance and established Sangeetha Kendra, a music company, in 1977. Sangeetha Kendra was recognized as the Colombo Center for all music examinations in Bhatkanda since 1987.

Sirimathi Rasadari's talents extended beyond dancing. She ventured into singing, performing on Radio Ceylon and recording songs for HMV and Odien gramophone trades. She collaborated as a supporting singer with renowned artists like Premanath Morais and Sunil Premadasa. One of her popular songs was "A Maha Veera Budu Piya," which she sang with Premanath Morais. She gained further recognition as a singer through her rendition of "Paana Paththu Nokeruwata" for the film Daiwayogaya, alongside Mohideen Baig.

Although she was selected for the film Prema Tharagaya, Sirimathi Rasadari declined the role due to a scene involving partial nudity. Her debut in cinema came through the film Puduma Leli, directed by Hugo Fernando when she was just 15 years old. She later acted in the film Dosthara, which took her to India for shooting. Throughout her career, she starred in many popular films, including Sri 296, Surathali, Nalangana, Sansare, and Samaje Sathuro.

One of her notable collaborations was with Rukmani Devi in the popular film Daiwayogaya, where she portrayed the character "Sugala." She also appeared as Ananda Jayaratne's girlfriend in the song "Siriyame Sara," which marked H.R. Jothipala's first film background song. One of the highlights of her acting career was her role as "Maggie" in the movie Parasathumal. Alongside her work as a lecturer, Sirimathi Rasadari published a book on Indian dance called "Narthana Kala" in Sinhala,