Malani Fonseka
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Honourable Malini Fonseka මාලිනී ෆොන්සේකා MP |
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Malini Fonseka
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| Member of the Sri Lanka Parliament for National List |
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In office 2010–2015 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wanni Arachchige Malani Senehelatha Fonseka 30 April 1947 Kelaniya, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Spouse(s) | Upali Senanayake (m. 1965; div. 1980) Lucky Dias (m. 1986) |
| Occupation | Film actress |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
| Awards | Sarasaviya Best Actress Award (1980), (1982), (1983) and Sarasaviya Most Popular Actress Award (1980–1983) |
Wanniarachchige Malani Senehelatha Fonseka, popularly as Malani Fonseka (Sinhala:මාලිනී ෆොන්සේකා) (born 30 April 1947 in Kelaniya) is an award-winning Sri Lankan film actress, also known as the "Queen of Sinhalese cinema". Her cinema career which has spanned many decades began with Tissa Liyansooriya's Punchi Baba in 1968. She first earned recognition, when she won the 'Best Actress Award' at the 1969 National State Drama Festival This was followed by Sarasaviya Best Actress Awards for Hingana Kolla in 1980, Aradhana in 1982 and Yasa Isuru in 1983. In 2010 she has been named by CNN as one of Asia's 25 greatest film actors of all time.
Born as the third child to the Gilbert and Seelwathie Fonseka at Peliyagoda, Kelaniya. After Malini was born, her family moved to Jambugasmulle, Nugegoda. In 1952 she started her education at St. John's College, Nugegoda until the 5th grade. After moving of the family to Wedamulle, Kelaniya she was enrolled at Gurukula Maha Vidyalaya, Kelaniya until completing her education.
On 12 June 1986, she married Lucky Dias, a veteran Cinema and teledrama actor and producer. Malani is the sister of actress Damayanthi Fonseka, and also Sriyani Fonseka, Rasadari Fonseka and Ananda Fonseka. She is also the aunt of another actress Samanalee Fonseka, sister-in-law of director Prasanna Vithanage and Karunaratne Hangawatte.
On April 2010, she was appointed to the Sri Lanka Parliament as a National List of United People's Freedom Alliance.
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.
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