Sujani Menaka  | |
|---|---|
| සුජානි මේනකා | |
| Born | Samarawickrama Dahanayake Sujani Menaka May 17, 1979  | 
| Occupation(s) | 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)  | 
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] | |
| TBD | Weerya | [49] | |
| TBD | Theja | [50][51] | |
| TBD | Weera Puthra | 
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.
 - 1 2 3 4 "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.
 - 1 2 3 "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.
 - 1 2 "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.
 
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