Nanda Malini on W D Amaradeva 

“Jaathiye Yasho Ravaya” was a title given to Nanda Malini by Pandit W D Amaradeva.
Nanda Malini was being conferred the honorary degree ‘Darshana Shuri’, Doctor of Philosophy - Fine Arts by the University of Visual and Performing Arts in 2017. Just as much as this was a ‘first’, Nanda Malini has been the first female singer to win awards at renowned awards presentations. When Pandit Amaradeva picked her to sing in Mike Wilson’s ‘Ranmuthu Duwa’ having listened to her singing over the radio, it was a complete surprise to her.
She was just 18 when she sang ‘Galana Gangaki Jeevithe’ in the film, for which she bagged the coveted award as the Best Playback Singer in 1963 at the inaugural Sarasaviya Film Festival. In later years when Presidential Awards were started, often she was the first choice.
From the time SLIM-Nielsen People’s Awards started, she has been voted as the Most Popular Female Singer year after year.
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