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Lucky Dias speaks about the broken marriage which remained a secret for a period of 16 years
Popular actor Lucky Dias who was married to an award-winning actress, now for the first time recorded the past memory of his marriage which went on the rocks. As a respect he has for that actress he has kept all information regarding that incident a secret so far, he said and after the illicit affair came to light he had separated from her and after a lapse of 10 years he had obtained divorce from her in the year 2011 and has kept the story away even from the media to prevent any harm being done, he has revealed. Below is that
explanation.
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Whatever it is, his beginning must be stated in condensed form. Wally Dias is Lucky Dias's father hailing from their initial place of birth, Kotte. He was a railway engineer. Neeta who made Gampaha her first place of birth happened to be a teacher by profession prior to her marriage. She even to-date bears both happiness and sorrow of Lucky who was the sole child in the family. It is 15 years since Lucky's father has died. The story of Lucky Dias who claims ownership to a life filled with luxury with Ananda Vidyalaya becoming his second parents, we shall now unfold from here.
* Shall we recall how you stepped into the field of Arts from your young age?
What my father wanted was to make me a lawyer. If I used this mouth in the direction of law ... something better than this would have been the outcome. Even from my small days my parents have provided me with a comfortable existence. But I was brought up in a fashion that I would be able to bear both happiness and suffering. Even from childhood I was very close to my uncle (mother's brother). I got my uncle's influence and affection in a very satisfactory manner. It was my uncle who was involved in the weaning ceremony. My mother too was someone who was skilled in music. As such, I also was bent on music. Because of that when I went ahead in music, my father used to scold me saying that carrying the guitar the whole time would not come right. Later on, he affiliated me to an advertising firm of Dr. Ananda Tissa de Alwis, the former Speaker who was a close friend of his.Those days I used to go to Rupavahini to hand over commercial advertisements. When on my way like that one day Parakrama Niriella having seen me invited me for 'Yashoravaya'. That is how I became 'Baladeva' without knowing a hang. After that I became the Most Popular Actor of that year itself and in the second year I became the Most Popular and Best Actor as well.
* Then you get married after gaining some status in the Field, is it?
Yes ... I have covered an appreciable journey in the Field.
* During that period you may have had romantic affairs, didn't you?
Yes ... before marriage I did have some love affairs during my young age. Those days ... love was totally different from love of the present day. Unsophisticated, loyal and romantic episodes of course. Schoolboy love dissolved during schooldays itself. There was a wonderful love with the girl whom I met after that. But her parents had made her marriage permanent to someone overseas even without her knowing. So with her marriage ... that love affair too came to a close. The love affair which followed thereafter was edging towards marriage. It was during that period when I was hoping for marriage that 'henahura' reared its head. My married wife was talking about her problems and started weeping and I felt a sense of grief and love. So because of that I even bade goodbye to my lover to whom I wanted to marry. Not being able to bear up our separation, she suffered. To say how much that innocent girl suffered ... as time passed by she became sick and had an untimely death. I can't bear it up even now.
* Did that marriage take place with the consent of your family members?
No .. I made her my wife when my parents, relatives, friends and everybody were against it. Because I was the only child in the family, the parents could not abandon me. But they never gave a negative response as such. I treated everyone in my wife's family as my own people but she has not addressed to my parents as mother, father in the least. She addressed them as uncle, aunty. I concealed everything, covering up problems and tried to patch up my life. What I wanted was to give her all what she had lost or missed in her life and provide her an honourable life. Whatever anybody said, what I wanted was to leave the past behind with the past that has gone by and to start a fresh life from the beginning of the new journey in life that I had launched.
When inquiring about the Sri Lankan cinema that period of time was realistic. At the time Lucky married her it was a period when she was not much favoured by films as such. He took steps to maintain her popularity and that was by producing some films such as Ahinsa, Paradise, Sathya, Sandamandala and Anthima Reya being foremost among them. Another factor which is understood by his episode is that his married wife was not given to frugality. In the same way she could not even remember his birthday either. "She has not even given me a handkerchief for my birthday", said Lucky. It was not justified to question him whether his wife who treated him like that, stood by him at a moment of illness. From what is known, Lucky's wife was truly graceful. When she was sick at a later time it was to Lucky that people cursed asking that he be struck by a bolt of lightning. Most people used to blame him as if he had committed a crime.
When thoughts kept flowing to my mind as to whether these above-mentioned matters spoken by Lucky for the first time about her are true or not, as if by instinct he broke the ice and quipped "It seems surprising and may wonder whether Lucky is uttering lies, isn't it? People know that I don't tell something false. I must actually be struck by a bolt of lightning if these things are not true. Those who know about her are maybe 2 individuals who had connections with her and married her before this and two or three people of her family".
* Whatever it is ... what you mean is that you managed to carved your status because of her, do you?
No ... when I got married to her I had no particular 'place' for me to make as such. When I got married I was already an actor who was the recipient of the Most Popular Actor as well as the Most Talented Actor Awards in Sri Lanka. Some others who associated her of course took advantage of her. All what I earned I spent for her welfare. She's elder to me. When taking into consideration all her life-experiences according to her seniority ... I thought at least some day she would be somewhat similar to a mother of mine ... at least a nice friend to me. For the very reason of the respect I had for her I just could not reprimand her, inquire anything from her or speak a word in a high tone.
* Happiness in marriage didn't last long ... didn't it?
It may have been there for about 2 years. As it was not possible to gain any advancement through the Arts, I wanted to start a business. When I was bent on making preparations to go forward in life she never took interest over those things. Our house became a sort of boarding-house to her ... didn't care to inquire about home activities. Didn't say a time of going and coming. I thought as the husband ... no harm, these are my duties and proceeded to handle everything without throwing any burden on her. When she used to go out in the morning and return I would ask her whether she has had her meals and if she refuses to eat, it was I who would put the meals into the refrigerator. She won't have meals from home. She's very keen on her cleanliness; but as soon as she returns home in the nights she would go to sleep. Later it dawned on me that she would eat, drink and have some fun with her secret lover and would come home only to sleep.
That's how problems began to crop up. In the process people began to tell me various stories ... that she's going to and coming from various places. At the start I felt ashamed to go behind those things. But later I began to inquire into those things. I saw with my own eyes my married wife with her secret lover. It was simply incredible as to whether it's a person of this nature that she keeps company with! But I didn't ask her anything. She always used to have a row. What she wanted was to get entangled in a quarrel. But I didn't let that happen.
* Can a male be patient like that?
I know that people with whom she had connections had hammered her until her face turned blue. I had no need at all to come down to that level. I became a prisoner in my own house. I can't shout out aloud ... iin the house on the other side the mother was living and on the opposite side was a colleague female artiste. But when things were getting out of hand and matters were reaching its peak I told her to get out without making me a murderer. No sooner I said so she left the house. What she wanted was to wait till I said so. Later I sent all her belongings in two lorries to the home of her newly-found lover".
As he was becoming over-emotional with this story, I diverted the story in another direction.
* Was your wife's cooking tasty?"
She cooked during the first two or tree days after marriage. Yes, she can cook tastily.
* Do you still love her?
Are you mad? How can I love a person who destroyed my life? But I loved her deeply and dedicated everything. I married her for her dignity".
He does not like her being insulted ... even upto now. Because of that even today whenever he travels to another location and when somebody questions him about her he would respond saying "She's at home" and thus try to avoid the talk. He so conceals this story from the world solely because of her. For this reason it is a secret to the world that they are divorced. They enter into divorce after 10 years since the time they have separated from each other and that is about 6 years before this. He even took precautions to carry out divorce procedures in the most secret manner.
* What is the reason that you brought forward for divorce?
There was no answer to that query. The divorce was done in a secretive manner. I didn't want her being offended even in courts. On behalf of the dignity of his married wife he kept silent over what was told against him, bearing all that. In the same way he would hereafter not talk about this topic. However much he spoke I felt from this talk that he still is in love with that marriage which he treated with divinity. People who could make such a dedication in this present society are just a handful.
* What have you got to say about stories that you had an involvement with another actress and that you had a financial issue with your married wife?
It's true that there is no smoke without fire. But the 'smoke' is in the mouth of the people. That statement I deny where my story is concerned. Just as much as that actress, her husband too are good friends of mine. However much an effort was taken to publicise the connection with that actress, now the people of the country have accepted that that story is false. If I were to comment on the subject of finance ... I gave everything I had to her but I have not taken anything from her. As I told earlier, I have not even received a reasonable gift from her.
* Why didn't you think of remarrying?
Though several proposals came my way, my thoughts didn't seem to bend down to those. At a later time of course my mother dismissed from her mind thoughts about my marriage. I loved my wife with all my heart. I bestowed her with unlimited love ... leaving aside even relatives, friends and parents. To give her a lease of life I married her. With my marriage falling apart with she quarreling with me , my innocent father seeing all that fell sick as a result. He even suffered from a heart problem. I who bungled up my life ... how can I pin faith on a girl whom I would find today?
* Don't you think that this issue would change if you had a child today?
That fortune didn't come my way either. She even didn't want to have a child. If I had a child I wouldn't be miserable like this. Both I and Jeevan Cumaratunga got married in the same week. I always think that if I had a child, that child too would be of the same age of Jeevan's children. But everything happens according to karma and dharma. I married with absolute hopes in order to light up her life and mine. What has to happen cannot be prevented according to karma. Things happen in our life according to sin and merit that we bring into this world. Those things found its end that way. I exposed these things thinking that there's no meaning in keeping silent anymore ... for the reason that those who love me in this country should know the truth about my married life.
* Are you sure that she faced no drawbacks on your part?
The biggest mistake I did was allowing her unlimited freedom. I didn't even care to find out her movements. That's because I know that because of her popularity she would be safe. On the other hand I felt ashamed to question her as a man, always about where she is and with whom she is. I loved her as much as I could. In the same way I got a house for her to live, a vehicle as well as dedicate everything I earned.
Every word that he utters even today is mixed with emotion. Though he tries to hide this sensitivity from his countenance which keeps flaring up, he should be crying a thousands times from within. That personality of Lucky which we perceive, clearly confirms to us that the sensitivity hiding behind a tear in his eyes drifting away for a moment when speaking about these matters.
* Are you dejected today over marriage?
Yes ... other than being disappointed because of marriage, I have nothing else to be disappointed about in my life. People in this country love me immeasurably. Equally so they respect me. I have that bitter feeling that the opportunity I had to be a loving husband and father was stripped off me by her ... because I have not reached nirvana as such ... I am also a sensitive human being who feels a pain in my heart, bears a tear in my eye and cannot bear to see my wife going with another.
Today where Lucky draws a blank, there are many other places in that story of his wife's name. Since our media tradition is not to magnify a private life too much than is required and engage in making a sale of it, we brought before you readers some necessary pieces of information. Whatever it is, this story which was enveloped and has been suspended among human feelings and connections such as of a charming romance, dedication and separation can be turned into a film by someone and it would no doubt be an immortal creation. It is because of the value embedded in their lives. This episode which is being written with a certain sense founded on faith is not intended by us to sling mud at any person or else to highlight someone's personal life and to make positive or negative qualities become an unnecessary topic. What we want is to reveal the truth only. Therefore we end this note without making an extension of this episode for the first and last time.
Note: CNEWS -- Ashanthi Warunasooriya
