Sri Lankan Celebrity: Vinuri, the school girl who shot to fame in one night

An elderly couple (actually brother and sister who both unmarried) finally decide to find a boy from an orphanage and grow him up. By mistake, the orphanage people send a girl for them and the couple’s dream world shatters when they see a girl instead of a boy. Yes, it happened in a literary work by L.M.Mongomery.

“Anne of Green Gables” is the novel and its Sinhala translation was transformed into a tele drama by award-winning director Nalaka Swarnathilake. Whole the story of “Anne of Green Gables” ran around one character called “Anne” in 28 episodes. Vinuri Ramanayake was fortunate to receive the chance of playing the role of Anne in Swarnathilake’s tele-drama and the first drama. Her performance attracted the whole country in one night and she shot to fame.

The story revolves around Anne Shirley, an eleven year old girl, whose parents died when she was a little girl and then destiny changed her course moving her to an orphanage. She was sent to above said Marilla and Matthew. Though it makes the couple’s life bit worrying, later Anne's playful and cheerful behavior begin to change Mathew's and Manila's first impressions about her.

Meanwhile Anne meets Diana, a friend at school, where they make a huge change together in their "boring" school atmosphere with a pleasant one.

Anne's nonstop talking, carefree life and playful deeds always become a talking point among others. Her performance in Nalaka Swarnathilake’s second creation, “Anne” was embraced by all tele-drama lovers.

Vinuri is still a school girl and studies at grade 10 in Vishakha College, Colombo. She has never acted a single role on a stage when Mr. Swarnathilaka picked her with another several girls for his drama. Nalaka reminds that Vinuri who plays little Anne was just sitting in a classroom alone when he came across her at Visakha College. “I thought she would be ideal but according to our schedule we selected several girls from several schools and brought them for a workshop to identify their talents. It is only after the workshop we finalized who is going to play the younger Anne’s role”, he said.

Vinuri says that around 40 girls in her age were interviewed to perform in a tele drama, but I had no idea what was happening. ‘I feel like winning an award when I heard that it’s me the final selection. I think, I did it because of the continuous support from Nalaka uncle and other veteran actors and actresses who played the roles in the play’.

Kusum Renu, Athula Liyanage, Nilmini Cigera, Athula Pathirana, Malkanthi Jayasinghe, Maureen Charuni, Rebecca Nirmali, Chitra Warakagoda, Manel Wanaguru, Chaminda Jayasuriya, Wijeratne Warakagoda, Thrishula Deepa Thmbawita,--Vinuri’s long-list of veteran who supported and encouraged her, when the shooting was done in Diyathalawa. Vinuri also remembers Piyumi Gamage who played the role of Diana Barry; her school friend who helped her to make a school a pleasant place.

In her school, Vinuri studies “Dancing” as a subject and she proudly remembers that Swarna Basnayaka, Chandanie Herath, Manjula Herath and several other teachers are there to guide her in dancing. She is an active character in school and participates whatever activities taking place there. She was a member of the school drums team which won the first place at the Islandwide “Bera Sandhwani’ competition in 2009. Other than that, she has won a number of islandwide school completitions such as dancing, singing and playing musical instruments.

She is clever at playing Sitar as well as flute too. She is also a permanent member of the school orchestra and she was also playing a major role in the college’s one of greatest musical event “Miyasi Wishakha’. In extra curricular activities, she was also awarded as a “Girl Guide”.

At present she is also studying the Sitar lessons under Mrs Nirmala Wijesekara and her dancing practices under Mr. Chandana Wickeremesinghe. She has already taken few steps to master the subjects taking grading examinations like ‘Praweshika’.

Vinuri is the eldest in her family and she has a younger brother who studies in Grade seven of St Thomas College, Mount Lavinia. His father is a businessman and mother works as a bank officer. She did not forget to give her regards to her grandmother who was a school teacher who still receives love, affection and care.

Vinuri is to sit for her G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination next year and plans to be an engineer while engaging in her aesthetic works. She says as soon as “Anne’ was telecast on Swarnavahini channel so many directors called on her for several characters in tele-dramas and stage plays. ‘But, my parents were so keen on my education and I will be participating in good creations in a flexible frame work. I am maintaining a level in school and I want to keep it continuing and doing better in school. ‘Anne’s shootings were done in a school vacation period and I lost only two school days”, she reminds.

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- Asian Tribune -