“His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that nature might stand up. and say to all the world, This was a man!”(Shakespeare- Julius Caesar)
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(December, 30, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) “By whom would you like to be remembered most?” (Smiling) “I would like to be remembered first by God as ‘Asoka Peiris, His servant.’ Secondly, I would like to be remembered by my family as a good husband and a father. Finally, by my friends as a good human being”I feel that the final words Asoka Peiris spoke to me in an interview I had with him a few weeks back, stand even truer today. There was no presentiment that my next words about him ‘in print form’ would be filled with nostalgia and grief so soon. His phone call to say“you’ve done a wonderful job with my story putha,” made my Sunday. A few days before his sudden demise on December 24, Mr. Peiris rang me to complement me on the feature I had done on the late Dr. Kamalika Abeyaratne, who was a close associate of the Peiris family. “Putha that was a lovely piece on Kami,” his words still echo so clearly.
Although I was not a long-term associate of Asoka Peiris, the few hours I spent in his company in my ‘journalistic capacity’ inspired me deeply. They were delightful and full of wisdom, witty and vibrant. The personality of the celebrated actor and the gentle human being; touched me profoundly. The friendly chats we had on the phone discussing many a topic- from plantation (which was one of Mr. Peiris’s signature areas of interest) to human follies and temperaments, held testimony of a lasting friendship, which alas was very short-lived.
My earliest memory of Asoka Peiris, the actor was his portrayal of Nelum Bandara, or Sudu Appo’s appachchi in ‘Amba Yahaluwo.’ I was a mere child then and did not have the slightest clue that I would cross this great actor’s path as a journalist, many years later! As an adolescent, his much acclaimed role of Ariya Bandara in ‘Guru Gedera’ impressed me immensely. “I spent hours with T.B.Ilangaratne who wrote the book discussing the characters. Sudu appo, my son symbolised socialism whilst Maha Kumarihamy, my mother, old order. Nelum Bandara symbolised the transition from feudalism to socialism and he was torn between these two eras. This gave me the key to play his role successfully…. I prepared my mind so much about Ariya Bandara and I never wanted Asoka Peiris to take over!” These recollections that he shared with me, still reverberate.
I was blessed to have captured this great human being’s eventful life before he received the ‘final call.’ Above all, I feel blessed to have been inspired by a supreme human being whose immortal words “before you act or do anything, you must remember to be human,” I will always treasure.
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