“ A speaker should have the selfconfidence to speak to the audience with courage.”
Q
Can you tell us a little about your childhood, how you grew up as a child?
I grew up in a village away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We used to play with natural things like seeds, stones and trees. The people from the village were our sole companions and playmates whom I found very friendly and amiable. It was a nice experience back then.
In fact, our childhood was quite different from the childhood of the young ones now. We weren’ t addicted to the technology at that time. We didn’ t even have these electric gadgets and toys during that time. All I can say about my childhood is that it was full of beautiful experiences.
Q
You have achieved such a position where every Sri Lankan is familiar with your name. Which part of your life was the most exciting?
It is a difficult question to answer because every moment for me was a lesson about life. I have had bad moments as well as happy moments. I had an influential childhood because my parents looked after me with so much care. All the young people think that the old people have very old, conventional ideas and that they don’ t know what they are talking about. But they don’ t realize that old people have lived long and have met human beings and known human beings very long. So, I witnessed that most of the advice from the elders have been very helpful throughout my life.
Q
People in general are reluctant to take up new challenges because of the fear of failure. Did you have any similar instances in your life? Did you achieve or give up such dreams?
When I went to England, my professor asked me to go and study acting. At that time, I actually wondered what was there to study in acting, thinking that we have to just step on stage and act. Only when I started to study did I discover how much of things there were for us to learn before performing on stage. In the theatre school, they taught us that those who perform on stage should communicate with the audience using the body and the voice. So, I thoroughly believe that these two instruments; the body and the voice should be perfectly tuned and welltrained to communicate with an audience.
16 BEST SPEAKER MAGAZINE 2017
If we talk about acting, I used to rehearse a lot and to learn the lines properly. If it is to act out a character, first it is very important to read the script of the play and understand very well what the playwright tries to say. It’ s also important to understand the relationship between the characters in the cast and learn the type of the character we have to act out and become that character.
It is natural to have a certain fear before performing an act or a speech on stage. There is always a moment where you begin to shiver with excitement and anticipation before stepping on stage. Nevertheless, remember the moment you step on stage, you are a different person.
Q
You grew up in a very conventional society which is heavily oriented towards traditional beliefs. How did you cross such social norms?
My father didn’ t want me to do higher studies. He stressed that it was unnecessary for girls to study, and insisted that I should marry instead. However, it is without his blessing that I commenced my higher studies at the university. After entering the university, I swam, rode bicycles and played tennis with a gang of friends to which my mother opposed.
My mother also didn’ t want me to learn Kandyan dancing. But, I convinced her that there is no fault in learning Kandyan dancing since I have already performed Russian ballet at my school. She finally gave the consent. So, there were instances where my parents put restrictions on me.
Q
Has working in different fields of employment helped your growth as a well-recognized personality?
Absolutely! All fields that I worked in affected me greatly which I realized as time passed on. Soon after my studies at the university, I started to work as a teacher in a school, which I loved the most. After going to England, I studied about acting and theatre. Coming back to Sri Lanka, I started to work as a journalist. I have also worked in the commercial sector. So by working in these different fields, I have learnt so many things about the society and I’ m able to identify different problems that each sector encounters.
Q
What are the most effective tools of communication?
Just as acting, public speaking also
“ A speaker should have the selfconfidence to speak to the audience with courage.”
needs a well-trained body and voice.
Q
Are there any communication skills that you have learnt through your career?
Well, I have learnt so many skills while training myself as an actor. I am well aware of what I say to the audience, whether I am speaking correctly on the right subject. We have to identify our audience; to whom we talk. We also have to understand them, because we can’ t expect them to think in the same way that we do. These things should be well embedded in our mind. However, we should never be overly conscious about it when performing because by being too mindful, we will lose our confidence on stage and in front of our audience. Also, anybody who performs on the stage should avoid imitating others. He or she should perform uniquely on stage with his or her own talents.
Q
What factors influenced in bringing out the efficient speaker and listener in you?
From my childhood, I was very passionate about acting. I used to act in school dramas which helped me to perform effectively, and that passion remained the same when I became a professional actor. So, I think that was the background that helped to bring out the efficient speaker in me.
Q
Do you practice any special habits to improve your communication skills?
Frankly, I didn’ t practice any such habits, but I think I should have done so. Of course, I trained myself while studying at the theatre school. After coming back from England, I was determined to teach what I had learnt. However, when I arrived here, it was not easy to do it due to the changes of the education system at the time.