MULTIFACETED ARTISTE- ACTRESS, SINGER, PRESENTER VISHARADA MANEESHA CHANCHALA ON AN IMMACULATE VOYAGE – By Sunil Thenabadu
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When one recollects the tele drama ‘Chandi Kumari Hami’ based on the novel , the name of Maneesha Chanchala comes to be reminisced . She is a native of Nugawela in Kandy the third sibling of a family of three sisters much elder to her eldest by twelve years and the other by nine years , as such she was petted by all members in her family. Her full name is ‘Maneesha Chanchala Kumari Dunukara. Maneesha is proud of her surname as it is a name exclusively owned by her family. In the hill country .She was educated up to ordinary level in Swarnapali Balika Vidyalaya and for her higher education at the St Lawrence convent in Wellawatta where she had to dwell in a boarding house.During this era Maneesha had felt the loneliness and deprived the love of the parental duo. During her tenure at Swarnapali Balika she had been more interested in art, dancing and music had been mostly in the related rooms. She recollects she had fooled her teachers and mother giving lame excuses for refusing to study. Maneesha had hence participated in all Island music, drama, dancing competitions. However, when young she had opted to be an English teacher rather than becoming a singer or actress.
Maneesha recollected in a television dialog that at home by wearing a saree had tried to imitate the role of a teacher to her siblings and parents. However when she was very younger after her toddler days the home folks had identified Maneesha to possess abundant talent in singing. When she was in year six in class one of her father’s friend Indika Wijesiri who had worked in the Kandurata FM radio service, had suggested him Maneesha be brought to the FM service to sing a song. But Maneesha had been stubborn to avoid this had given many excuses to her parents This was then Maneesha had been very shy and backward for participating in such events. Despite her dissents her mother had forced her to accompany mother to sing at least one song in a children’s program. She recollects the recording person had been a very kind person by name Sarath Illangatilleke whom she remembers still though not living had pursued Maneesha to sing the scheduled song. When she saw the ‘beam’ she was impressed had sung the song to impress all. After which Maneesha recollects she had forced herself to attend this children’s program thereafter with other girls in similar ages from other schools in the vicinity .She had recollected this in a television dialog that she was later driven enthusiastically to the Kandurata FM studio by some unforeseen force. This Maneesha recollected that was her pioneer contribution to the field of art.In this regard Maneesha had added that she on the first of every year she calls Indika Wijesri to wish him.
Though Maneesha’s mother has had hopes to make her an actress in her younger days she has had a bad mania to bite her nails when her mother had told if she continues this habit she will not be able to become an actress which was her mother’s dream. However her singing career had got off the blocks when her mother’s sister ‘Punchi’ had applied Maneesha for TV Derana ‘Little star’ season 2.competition at where she had triumphed to be adjudicated to fourth place which had made her passage to the signing arena.She had shown her singing prowess in many television programs invited to participate After this triumph through vice chairman of TV Derana Laksiri Wickremage’s invitation she was to portray a role as ‘Manusha’in the Teledrama ‘Wathsanaye Sihinaya’., Though she has had no dreams to become an actress this was the beginning of her illustrious acting profession as an actress. Her initial experience for some time when facing the camera Maneesha had been awfully nervous for a few moments which for her is still the same. Maneesha recollects her first scene was to cry which favoured her moods.
Just after her completion of Advanced Level Maneesha gets an invitation to portray a role in the teledrama ‘SIDHU’ produced by the same crew of the teledrama “Wathsanaye Sihinaya.Initially she had refused thinking this was not her forte only was teaching in her focus.The producers had selected another actress for the character of ‘THERUNI” but had made another plea to which her mother had intervened and asked to consent to the invitation. Maneesha had said it is because of her mother that everything to date had transpired to her. Though Maneesha had been a presenter of television children’s programs, her portrayal of the character as ‘THERUNI” had transformed her life. Thereafter she was elected to portray the role of “LOKKI” in the teledrama ‘Sillara Samanallu” the role was rather challenging to the role of ‘Therui’. As she had to behave as a unruly like character where she had to fight and scold friends and even her parents hence, she had to deviate from her sober mannerism hitherto seen. In her role as THERUNI she had to speak loudly unlike in her inimitable soft tone. She had conveyed also in a television discussion that she had learnt to speak loudly only after then as intimidated by the Director. She recollected when portraying a scene as Theruni she had to loudly say ‘AMMI” but until she was able to say it loudly the scene was not televised.
Maneesha had portrayed roles later in many teledramas since having learnt her basics. To name a few in the teledrama KIRULI her role was that of ‘Dilini’, thereafter as ‘Maduri’ in ‘Amuthu Rasikaya” where her parents were Roshan Pilapitiya and Hashini senior stalwarts which had helped her to build up her role as the episodes progressed. For this role Maneesha had been nominated for a JURY award in the Sumathi Tele Awards that year to for which Maneesha was thrilled.
Maneesha believes all her decisions taken in life have proved correct. She loves family bonds to be attached to her parents, sisters and there in laws. She believes her marriage to actor Ashan Siriwardena was also made with a wise decision at the appropriate age with the motive to develop a family bond of her own. She had primarily liked Ashen as had looks of her father lean and tall which was her wish from her young days that her future husband should possess her father’s features. Maneesha had resembled her mother stocky and short kike Maneesha.Ashen had first seen Maneesha while she was presenting on television having been impressed had imagined seriously to meet her and talk to her.But however Ashen had got to act alongside her when the attachment had developed. Ashen had known that the ideas of the duo had tallied forgetting the past. Maneesha had quipped the real love and attachment she had received from Ashen.
Few other portrayals of Maneesha in Teledramas were in KUMI” the role of Thamathka,in ‘Sihina Samagama as Mayomi,in SARA the role of Ami, in HEART CARD role of Thahannya, DEVINI INIME role of Apeksha a character of a journalist in GOOGLY the role of Pahanvi etc. Each character to Matheesha had been different to each other all challenging was quoted by Maneesha. She loves to portray diverse roles always endeavours to study each role for instance when she portrayed the role of journalist it was shot inside a newspaper press where she had inquired from the employees the process of printing by which she adds novel knowledge to her repertoire.
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Maneesha had commenced her presenting career from the Kadurata FM radio station in Kandy then she had received invitation to present in TV Derana ‘Punchi Sathsara’ which was predominantly to speak with parents of participants in Little Star.Then she was elected to present music programs in also TV Derana after which she was elected by Swarnavahini to present ‘Hada Randi Gee” from where she blossomed to be as a sought after presenter. At present among other programs Maneesha also presents the Saturday program of Sirasa TV ]s very popular ‘Tharu Saha Tharu’ television program a tremendously well patronised and adored by participants and viewers.
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At a television dialog she added she still likes her dream to become an English teacher as she possess the ability to explain to anyone English which she does to her nieces. However Maneesha for an year she had achieved her dream of teaching.
At one time when Manesha had shared views with her siblings on her plans to go abroad in search of greener pastures, to stabilize herself she had told the siblings that she wanted to portray a role in a period drama before that. A period drama is a type of dramatic work set in a specific period in the past often characterized by historical events. It was during this time she had got a telephone call from Director Charith Abeysinghe whether Maneesha was willing to portray such a role, accepting this challenge had made her to disregard her previous wish to migrate which was a sheer coincidence in her life career. In this teledrama she had worn the same attire the blouse and the cheettaya which she had not minded as in all previous roles portrayed on Teledramas she had worn many types of attires in the likes of frocks, T shirts, trousers. Her role of ‘Mary’ was the character she had to portray.
Maneesha though still young has learnt many qualities which a human being should possess to live a proper contended life. She says there are both positive and negative comments made by fans.But she takes all positive points for consideration. Most negative comments are made on social media which is common to all artistes. She had abided to all advises given by her mother recollected for one advice of mother she had disobeyed for which she had been misled is the only negative circumstance she could recollect. As she lives with Ashen’s parents she receives the same love as her parents for which she is happy to live a contended life.All her fans would wish her the best for a blooming future career in singing as a Visharada and as a sought after actress and presenter.
