Malini Fonseka (original) (raw)
Biography
- Born
- Birth name
Wanni Arachchige Malani Senehelatha Fonseka
- Born, the third child of Gilbert and Seelwathie Fonseka, she studied at St. John's College, Nugegoda until Grade 5, and then at Gurukula Maha Vidyalaya, Kelaniya.
Malini Fonseka started her acting career with stage dramas. In 1963, she made her entry to stage dramas with "Noratha Ratha". In 1968, Fonseka won the best stage drama actress national award for her performance in Akal Wessa. She has since played the lead role in 14 stage dramas. She entered the cinema industry through one of her brothers, Ananda Fonseka, who was both a film director and producer but was introduced to the cinema itself by Tissa Liyansuriya and Joe Abeywickrama.
She made her debut with Tissa Liyansuriya's Punchi Baba (The little Baby) in 1968. These films were followed by Abuddassa Kale, Dahasak Sithuwili and Adarawanthayo in the same year. With the critical success she gained with these, she was offered the lead role by several movie directors of the time. Fonseka has acted in over 140 movies since then, some of which were international movies.
Some of her successful films include Nidhanaya by Lester James Peiris, Siripala Saha Ranmenika by Amaranath Jayathilake, Eya Den Loku Lamayek and Bambaru Ewith by Dharmasena Pathiraja. She achieved a significant milestone in her artistic career with Sasara Chetana in 1984, where she became both its director and producer. She has directed two other films so far: Ahinsa in 1987 and Sthree in 1991.
She paired up with popular Tamil actor, Sivaji Ganeshan in Pilot Premnath in 1978.
Later on, she also worked in the television industry. Fonseka has won praise for her performance in Manalada Puthe Kiri Dunne, Pitagamkarayo, Kemmura, and Ambu Daruwo teledramas. She won the Sumathi Best Tele Actress Awards for her roles in Pitagamkarayo and Kemmura.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: chinth
- Spouse
She has also made her mark as a teledrama director, with successful creations such as "Sanasili Suwanda". She even had the honor of being the first female teledrama director in the history of Sri Lanka teledrama history, when she, both directed and acted in her first teledrama "Nirupamala".
Malini Fonseka is often considered the "Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema".
She is a former Minister of the Sri Lankan Parliament, a position offered in appreciation for her strong support for Mahinda Rajapaksha.
Fonseka was the first Sri Lankan actress to reach international heights and earn international recognition, winning a special Jury award at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1975.
She has also made a record by winning the Slim Nielsen Peoples' Award for the Most Popular Actress twelve times in a row.