Samarawickrama Dahanayake Sujani Menaka[1] (born 17 May, 1980 as සුජානි මේනකා) [Sinhala]), popularly as Sujani Menaka, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Started as a child artist in advertisements, she is best known for the role in NSB commercial Sathen Sathe[2] and titular role Sara in the teledrama as well as film adaptation.[3]
Sujani Menaka | |
---|---|
සුජානි මේනකා | |
Born | Samarawickrama Dahanayake Sujani Menaka (1980-05-17) May 17, 1980 (age 42) |
Occupation | Actress, model |
Years active | 1987–present |
Spouse | |
Relatives | Rathna Lalani Jayakody (Bimal's aunt) Sampath Tennakoon (Bimal's uncle) Geetha Kanthi Jayakody (Bimal's aunt) Paboda Sandeepani (Bimal's cousin) |
Sujani Menaka was born on 17 May 1980. She is an old girl of St. Paul's Girls School, Milagiriya.[4] Her father was an art director in films.[5]
She is married to popular actor Bimal Jayakody.[6] She met Bimal during the teledrama Ramya Suramya back in 2000.[7] They married in 2007.[8] The couple has two daughters and one son.
Bimal's father is the elder brother of popular actresses Geetha Kanthi Jayakody and Rathna Lalani Jayakody. Geetha's daughter Paboda Sandeepani is also a popular award-winning actress in cinema and television.[9] Rathna Lalani is married to fellow actor Sampath Tennakoon.[10]
She faced a camera at the age of 3 in Prarthana teledrama directed by maestro Lester James Peries.[5] Then, at the age of 10, she was selected for the NSB commercial Sathe Sathe, which gain enormous popularity as a child artist.[5] In 1987, she acted in her maiden cinematic role as a child artist in the film Ahinsa. Her stage drama Athurupasata Chat Ekak will be showing in future.[11]
Her maiden cinematic experience came through as a child artist in 1987 film Ahinsa, directed by Malani Fonseka.[43] Some of her popular films are Thrishule, Sathya and Sara.[44]
Year | Film | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Ahinsa | Mary's daughter | |
1991 | Raja Sellam | ||
1991 | Mama Obe Hithawatha | ||
1992 | Raja Daruwo | ||
1992 | Kulageya | Mervyn's daughter | |
1992 | Sathya | ||
1993 | Thrishule | ||
1994 | 150 Mulleriyawa | Virindu newspaper hawker's daughter | |
1998 | Julietge Bhumikawa | Saroja's servant | [45] |
2010 | Sara | Sara | [46] |
2011 | Gamani | Upul's lover | [47] |
2021 | Uthuru Sulanga | [48] | |
TBD | Weerya | [49] | |
TBD | Theja | [50][51] | |
TBD | Weera Puthra |
She has won several awards at the local stage drama festivals and television festivals.[5]