Sujani Menaka
Sampath Tennakoon (Bimal's uncle)
Geetha Kanthi Jayakody (Bimal's aunt)
Paboda Sandeepani (Bimal's cousin)
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 title role Sara in the teledrama as well as film adaptation.[3]
Personal life
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]
Career
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]
Selected television serials
- Aluth Gedara as Diana[12]
- Amanda as Meenu[13]
- Api Api Wage[14]
- Chakraangee[15]
- Chandra Vinsathi[16][17]
- Damini
- Dhawala Yamaya[18]
- Diyaniyo as Hansi[19]
- Gajamuthu[20]
- Giraya[21]
- Hiru Kumari[22]
- Ira Awara[23]
- Isi Dasuna[24]
- Jodu Gedara as Suja[25]
- Loba Nosidewa as Anagi[13]
- Maya Roo[26]
- Mayumi
- Pingala Danawwa[27]
- Pork Veediya [28]
- Prarthana
- Raahu[29]
- Ramya Suramya
- Sadgunakaraya[30]
- Samanalunta Wedithiyanna [31]
- Sanda Dev Diyani [32]
- Sandagalathenna [33]
- Sanda Mudunata[34]
- Sara as Sara [35]
- Sasandara [36]
- Senehasa Kaviyak[22][37]
- Tharu Kumari[38]
- Udu Sulanga
- Upuli as Upuli[13]
- Vinivindimi Andura[39]
- Vishwanthari [40]
- Yaso Mandira [41]
Selected stage dramas
- Athurupasata Chat Ekak
- Deseeya Thunseeya[42]
Filmography
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] | |
2024 | Weerya | Sachini | [49] |
TBD | Theja | [50][51] | |
TBD | Magam Soli | [52] | |
2024 | Minnu | [53] |
Awards and accolades
She has won several awards at the local stage drama festivals and television festivals.[5]
References
- ^ "Sujani Menaka". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "NSB Re-Launches Core Products". Business Today. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Actresses in Sri Lankan cinema - Sujani Menaka". National Film Corporation Of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "St. Paul's PPA back to school". The Island. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Sujani - The down-to-earth star". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ ""Bimal" is a difficult character to understand". Divaina. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "නිවැරදිම තීරණේ විවාහය – Chat With Bimal Jayakodi". Gossip Lanka. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Sujani make her husband's dream come true". srilankamirror. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Pabodha : 'I'll quit after marriage'". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Abhinayana Sampath-Ratna Rangabhumika' Drama festival". Daily news. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Athurupasata Chat Eka". Rangahala. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Aluth Gedara comes to ITN". Daily News. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ a b c "We made our house step by step". lkactress. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "A dramatic conflict of family, friends and lovers". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "'Chakraangee': A tale of a fallen Walauwa". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Chandra Vinsathi teledrama". Alankulama Films. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "'Chandra Vinsathi': Unravel births of two girls". Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ "'Dhawala Yaamaya' on Sirasa". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
- ^ "'Diyaniyo' on Rupavahini from tomorrow". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Gajamuthu against injustice". Daily News. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Giraya - The television thriller on DVD". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ a b "Nalan Mendis teledramas". nalanmendis.com. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "'Ira Awara' - A battle against a village and its archaic traditions". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "'Isi Dasuna': Portrays action & reaction". Sunday Times. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
- ^ "'Jodu Gedara': Swarnavahini to bring a bucket full of laughter to your doorstep". Daily FT. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Maya Roo". The Nation. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "'Pingala Danawwa' portrays our ancient civilisation". The Nation. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "Poke Street brought by Salinda". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ "චාමරගේ රාහු අ.යි.ටී.එන් අල්ලයි". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Sadgunakaraya: A story of six generations". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Samanalunta Wedithiyanna". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ "'Sanda Dev Diyani': A tale of courage and determination". Daily News. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "Sandagalatenna highlights the power of indigenous medicine". Sunday Times. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ "Story of 'Sanda Mudunata'". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "'Sara': A suspenseful story on village girl". Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ "'Sasandara': Intrigues of a Kapuwa". Sunday Times. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ "'Senehasa Kaviyak': portrays a poetic plot". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "'Tharu Kumari' on Rupavahin". Daily News. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Twenty teledramas:Tribute to writers". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "'Vishwanthari': World Class literature on miniscreen". Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "'Yaso Mandira': The tale of a mother's courage..." Sunday Times. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ "Cultural Diary: Deseeya Thunseeya on September 8". Daily News. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Sujani Menaka filmography". Sinhala Cinema Database. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Sujani Menaka filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Julietge Bhoomikawa". vodtv. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Screened Films". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Screened Films". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "The story of a young man in the south caught in the north wind". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Weerya shooting ends". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Nita's Theja to be screened at Goa festival". Daily News. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Meet Theja". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "සසර මඟ දිගු කළ මාගම්සෝලි". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "තුන්පත් රෑනක සොඳුරු අනන්තය "මින්නු"". www.sundaytimes.lk.
- Official Facebook page
External links
- Sujani Menaka blog
- Nil Balakaya blamed for attack on artistes
- ලබන අවුරුද්දේ තුන්වැනියෙක් බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනවා
- දස වසක් සපිරෙන බිමල් – සුජානි ආදර කතාවේ රහස
- I can see the Danger - Bimal & Sujani Menaka
- සුපුරුදු පරිදි අපි හොඳින් ඉන්නවා
- Love Talk is with popular actress Sujani Menaka
- Need good understanding for better family life
- Pride and patriotism!
- සුජානි මේනකා - Hiru Gossip - Hiru FM