Sujani Menaka
Sri Lankan actress and model (born 1980)
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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]
May 17, 1979
Sujani Menaka | |
|---|---|
| සුජානි මේනකා | |
| Born | Samarawickrama Dahanayake Sujani Menaka May 17, 1979 |
| Occupations | 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) |
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]
Her maiden cinematic experience came through as a child artist in 1987 film Ahinsa, directed by Malani Fonseka.[12] Some of her popular films are Thrishule, Sathya and Sara.[13]
Selected television serials
- Aluth Gedara as Diana[14]
- Amanda as Meenu[15]
- Api Api Wage[16]
- Chakraangee[17]
- Chandra Vinsathi[18][19]
- Damini
- Dhawala Yamaya[20]
- Diyaniyo as Hansi[21]
- Gajamuthu[22]
- Giraya[23]
- Hiru Kumari[24]
- Ira Awara[25]
- Isi Dasuna[26]
- Jodu Gedara as Suja[27]
- Loba Nosidewa as Anagi[15]
- Maya Roo[28]
- Mayumi
- Mee Massa
- Pingala Danawwa[29]
- Pork Veediya [30]
- Prarthana
- Raahu[31]
- Ramya Suramya
- Sadgunakaraya[32]
- Samanalunta Wedithiyanna [33]
- Sanda Dev Diyani [34]
- Sandagalathenna [35]
- Sanda Mudunata[36]
- Sara as Sara [37]
- Sasandara [38]
- Senehasa Kaviyak[24][39]
- Tharu Kumari[40]
- Udu Sulanga
- Upuli as Upuli[15]
- Vinivindimi Andura[41]
- Vishwanthari [42]
- Yaso Mandira [43]
Selected stage dramas
- Athurupasata Chat Ekak
- Deseeya Thunseeya[44]
Filmography
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| 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] |
| 2024 | Minnu | [50] | |
| 2024 | Kambili | ||
| 2025 | Theja | [51][52] | |
| TBA | Magam Soli † | [53] | |
| TBA | Rapist † | [54] |
Awards and accolades
She has won several awards at the local stage drama festivals and television festivals.[5]