Daily NEWS Srilanka

The character of Deepthi the young girl was played by Nilmini Tennakoon in the tele-drama 'Du Daruwo' which became immensely popular in Sri Lanka some decades ago. Towards the

Nilmini who gave an interview to a weekend newspaper revealed that at that time she was involved in a love affair with Madhu Madhava and that she had to bid goodbye to this tele-drama which stole the hearts of thousands because of the taboos imposed on her by him for actors holding her by her hand, which he did not like.

This is what she says about it: "The turning point of the character called Nilmini Tennakoon was 'Du Daruwo'. In that tele-drama, Deepthi became popular overnight. I can't even think how it so happened. I rally became so surprised at the response that character got. Not only getting letters ... some people came home in search of me. Some others used to send me presents. There were reactions like that. Madhu Madhava got close to me in the year ninety two. Both of us played the main roles in the tele-drama 'Pinibindu'. It was there that I came to know him. We acted in that drama with a great deal of happiness. So enjoyable.

When things were such, the director of that drama brought me a proposal about Madhu. It was after that we began a romance between the two of us. We carried on for three years unknown to our home-people. Though those of our home did not like me marrying him, we didn't give up.

Because of our love ... there were taboos imposed by him. When going for tele-drama shooting, he didn't like an actor even holding me by the hand. He didn't like me playing the role of Deepthi. He told me to give up acting that role. So I thought of acceding to my lover's request. But I was wondering how I could get away from that role like that and go home. I told the director of the drama that I would be giving up that role. He said that he won't let me do that and that if I did so ... he would inform the police. I really got scared. After that I wrote a letter on the sly and then went and gave it to Mr. Somaweera Senanayaka and Mr. Nalan Mendis and bowed down before the two of them and left the place.

I thought that I would leave without telling home and go somewhere ... and like that I went to Fort. I got into the train from Fort and left for Kandy. Inside the train I wept a lot. People started looking at me as if frightened. They asked, 'are you going for shooting?' What a problem it was! That day I went to Kandy and spoke to my lover from a phone booth. What Madhu told me that day was, to get into an AC bus and to come and get off near Galle Face and to wait there. That's all what he said. I got scared of him and came to Colombo once again and got off near Galle Face. The time was about 5 in the evening, then. However at the time I alighted from the bus, Madhu had not come. It was Sathish Perera who was there. He explained the gravity of that journey that day and sent me home after calling a taxi. As soon as I reached home, my mother hit me. Not only my mother ... even my younger sister hit me. But still for all I didn't put a stop to my romance. I even abandoned the tele which lifted me up, no. Even things like that happened because of love".

Discussion -- Harshani Weeraratna