Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera (; 23 August 1943 – 20 August 2026), popularly known as Nanda Malini (), was a Sri Lankan musician. One of the best-known and most honoured singers of Sri Lanka, Malini's choice of singing themes is based on real-life and socio-cultural situations. Her songs have intricate notional ideas of relationships, life-circumstances, and emotions that stem out of human realities.
Early life Nanda Malini was born in Lewwanduwa in Aluthgama, Ceylon on 23 August 1943, as the fourth child to a rural family of nine. Her father, Vincent Perera, was a skilful tailor and ready-made coat maker. Her mother, Liyanage Emily Perera, was a housewife. She had four sisters and four brothers. She moved to Kotahena in Colombo as an adolescent and was admitted to Sri Gunananda Vidyalaya, where she came under the tutelage of T. N. Margaret Perera.
She was married to Suneth Gokula, and the couple had two daughters – Varuni Saroja and Ama Sarada. The elder daughter Varuni is married to Chaminda, son of popular lyricist Dharmasiri Gamage. The younger daughter Ama is married to Sanjeewa.
Career In 1956, she contested the Padya Gayana competition held at Borella YMBA, in which she won a gold medal. After winning the poetry contest, W. D. Amaradeva, then at Radio Ceylon, invited Malini to take part in a song. She sang the song Budu Sadu written by Asoka Colombage and set to music by D. D. Danny on Karunaratne Abeysekera's popular radio programme Lama Mandapaya. In 1963, Amaradeva selected Malini as a background singer for the film Ranmuthu Duwa, the first Sinhala colour film. She sang the song Galana Gagaki Jeewithe () with Narada Disasekara, the first song written by Chandraratne Manawasinghe for cinema. The film won all the Sarasavi awards for music that year and Malini won the award for Best Female Singer, her first major award. Later, she sang in many films and won 11 Sarasavi awards, 8 Presidential awards and was adjudged the most popular female vocalist from 1995–98.
Malini continued her training after achieving fame, learning under B. Victor Perera. She studied for a year at the Heywood Institute of Art and moved on to Bhatkhande Music Institute in Lucknow, India in 1963. She would later return to the University to obtain a Visharada degree in 1984 with a First Division Distinction.
Upon her return to Sri Lanka, Malini appeared on Amaradeva's programme Madhuvanthi singing the songs Sannaliyane and Ran Dahadiya Bindu Binds. Malini had a string of successful releases. Her lyrics depict realistic life situations, love, relationships, and emotions. The songs Pipunu Male Ruwa, Sudu Hamine, and Kada Mandiye attest to her effort to expose the hearts of women. Some of Malini's popular songs, such as Manda Nawa Karanawa, show a humorous and sensitive account of a young woman's experience of loneliness.
In 1971, Malini collaborated with Amaradewa in the Srawana Aradhana concert. In 1973, she started her first solo concert series, and after having 530 shows the series ended on 22 May 1979. In August 1981 she started another concert series Sathyaye Geethaya. She played 500 shows and ended in August 1984. She conducted her next solo musical concert series Pavana in June 1987 which ran for 18 months with 205 shows. Her songs in Pavana were banned in SLBC and SLRC where the concert was also banned. After 22 years her newest solo musical concert titled Shwetha Rathriya was held with the collaboration of Sirasa FM in 2010.
In 1984, she established a music academy Nanda Malini Ashram.
She produced 25 cassettes such as Malata Renu, Saadu Naada and Sari Podiththak. On 8 September 2007, she launched her CD Etha Kandu Yaye comprising a collection of 16 award-winning songs. The launching ceremony was held at the BMICH Open Air Theatre at 7.30 p.m. In 1993, she composed a CD Kunkuma Pottu which has songs sung in Tamil. Another of her CD's titled Andaharaya is made up of music composed of computer software.
In 2017, the honorary degree Darshana Shuri, Doctor of Philosophy of Fine Arts, was conferred on her by the University of Visual and Performing Arts. It was the first time that a female artist was recognized by a university in Sri Lanka.
Death and legacy Malini died on 20 August 2026, three days before her 83rd birthday.
In 2004, a hybrid orchid was named "Nanda Malini Ascosanda" in honour of Nanda Malini.
Albums
Saadu Naada ()
"Budu Saadu" () "Buddhanubhawena" () "Budu Karunaa" () "Aku Daa" () "Danno Budunge" () "Lokananda Thilona" () "Seela Samadhi" () "Muni Nandana Siripaada" ()
Sari Podiththak ()
"Ruk Aththana Mala Mudune" () "Surangeeta Duka Hithuna" () "Wasanawa Aege Nethai" () "Miriwadi Sangalak" () "Sari Podiththak" () "Sakura Mal Pipila" () "Sudu Haamine" () "Ran Giri Giri Gigiri" () "Chandra Mandulu Yata" () "Mal Kiyanne Kaata Kaata" () "Mihimandale Anduru Kuse" () "Deega Nogiya Punchi Nanda" () "Mage Sina Oba Araganna" () "Mal Mal Heenaya" () "Wessa Walaahaka" () "Buddhaanubhaawena" ()
Sansara Sagare Source:
"Peedena Goyame" (Lyrics by Sunil Ariyaratne; music by Stanley Peries) "Sanda Mala" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Rohana Weerasinghe) "Sansara Sagare" (Lyrics by Sunil Ariyaratne; music by Sarath Dassanayake) "Ma Pidu" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Stanley Peries) "Kothanada Oba" (Lyrics by Sunil Ariyaratne; music by Stanley Peries) "Wata Kotu" (Lyrics by Tilak Kuruwita Bandara; music by Rohana Weerasinghe) "Nil Latha Pura" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Sarath Dassanayake) "Punchi Punchi" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Stanley Peries) "Lowe Sonduru" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Rohana Weerasinghe) "Wasanawan" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Rohana Weerasinghe) "Dura Atha" (Lyrics by Camilus Perera; music by Sarath Dassanayake) "Yowun Wasanthe" (Lyrics by Sunil Ariyaratne; music by Sarath Dasanayake)
Discography
Perada Maha Ra Pahan Kanda Sathyaye Geethaya Hemanthayedi Tharuka Es, Pavana Sindu Hodiya Kinduriyakage Vilapaya Madhu Bandun Tharu Malmada Bisau Cinema Geethavalokana Kirimadu Vel Londonyedi Geyu Gee Yathra, Handahami Sanka Padma Pembara Lanka Kunkuma Pottu Gramaphone Gee Araliya Landata Malata Renu Nilambare Sari Podittak Pirith Pen Katu Gana Kolaya Meda (Yukthiye Ayukthiya
Awards Malini won numerous awards in Sri Lanka including National Awards, popular awards and awards in film and television backgrounds singing.
Sarasaviya Awards
|| 1964 ||| Ranmuthu Duwa || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1966 ||| Saaravita || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1969 ||| Aadayawanthayo || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1968 ||| Sandol Kandulu || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1980 ||| Monarathenna || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1981 ||| Siriboo Aiya || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1982 ||| vajira || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1983 ||| Yasa Isuru || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1988 ||| Saharawe Sihinaya || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1994 ||| Ambu Semiyo || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 2002 ||| Sudu Sevanali || Best Female Vocalist || |- || 2020 ||| The Newspaper || Best Female Vocalist ||
Presidential Film Awards
|| 1980 ||| Hada Haawan Hade || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1981 ||| Siribo Aiya || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1982 ||| Sahara Peranimithi || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1983 ||| Yasa Isuru || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 1984 ||| Siwraga Sena || Best Female Vocalist|| |- || 2020 ||| The Newspaper || Best Female Vocalist||
Nelson Most Popular Award
|| 1994 ||| Popular || Most Popular Female Vocalist||
Derana Film Awards
|| 2024 ||| Contribution to cinema || Derana Film Awards Lifetime Achievement ||
Other awards Dhashan Soori – University of Visual Arts of Sri Lanka
References
External links Nanda Malini's Songs Milestones in the evolution of Sinhala film music තාත්තා කිව්වා උඹට පිස්සුද
Nanda Malini's Lyrics