Sujani Menaka Explained

Sujani Menaka
Native Name:	සුජානි මේනකා
Birth Date:	May 17, 1979
Birth Name:	Samarawickrama Dahanayake Sujani Menaka
Birth Place:	Colombo
Years Active:	1987–present
Relations:	Rathna Lalani Jayakody (Bimal's aunt) Sampath Tennakoon (Bimal's uncle) Geetha Kanthi Jayakody (Bimal's aunt) Paboda Sandeepani (Bimal's cousin)
Occupation:	Actress, model

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. Then, at the age of 10, she was selected for the NSB commercial Sathe Sathe, which gain enormous popularity as a child artist. 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
• Api Api Wage^[13]
• Chakraangee^[14]
• Chandra Vinsathi^{[15] [16]}
• Damini
• Dhawala Yamaya^[17]
• Diyaniyo as Hansi^[18]
• Gajamuthu^[19]
• Giraya^[20]
• Hiru Kumari^[21]
• Ira Awara^[22]
• Isi Dasuna^[23]
• Jodu Gedara as Suja^[24]
• Loba Nosidewa as Anagi^[25]
• 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^[37]
• Tharu Kumari^[38]
• Udu Sulanga
• Upuli as Upuli
• 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.

References

• 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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sujani Menaka . Rate Your Music. 25 July 2019.
2. Web site: NSB Re-Launches Core Products . Business Today . 25 July 2019.
3. Web site: Actresses in Sri Lankan cinema - Sujani Menaka . National Film Corporation Of Sri Lanka. 25 July 2019.
4. Web site: St. Paul's PPA back to school . The Island . 25 July 2019.
5. Web site: Sujani - The down-to-earth star . Daily Mirror . 25 July 2019.
6. Web site: "Bimal" is a difficult character to understand . Divaina . 25 July 2019.
7. Web site: නිවැරදිම තීරණේ විවාහය – Chat With Bimal Jayakodi . Gossip Lanka . 25 July 2019.
8. Web site: Sujani make her husband's dream come true . srilankamirror . 25 July 2019.
9. Web site: Pabodha : 'I'll quit after marriage' . Sunday Times . 25 July 2019.
10. Web site: Abhinayana Sampath-Ratna Rangabhumika' Drama festival . Daily news . 25 July 2019.
11. Web site: Athurupasata Chat Eka . Rangahala . 25 July 2019.
12. Web site: Aluth Gedara comes to ITN . Daily News . 25 July 2019.
13. Web site: A dramatic conflict of family, friends and lovers . Sunday Times. 25 July 2019.
14. Web site: 'Chakraangee': A tale of a fallen Walauwa . Sunday Times . 25 July 2019.
15. Web site: Chandra Vinsathi teledrama . Alankulama Films . 25 July 2019.
16. Web site: 'Chandra Vinsathi': Unravel births of two girls . Sunday Times . 12 December 2019.
17. Web site: 'Dhawala Yaamaya' on Sirasa . Sunday Times . 11 September 2019.
18. Web site: 'Diyaniyo' on Rupavahini from tomorrow . Daily Mirror. 25 July 2019.
19. Web site: Gajamuthu against injustice . Daily News. 25 July 2019.
20. Web site: Giraya - The television thriller on DVD . Daily Mirror . 25 July 2019.
21. Web site: Nalan Mendis teledramas . nalanmendis.com . 25 July 2019.
22. Web site: 'Ira Awara' - A battle against a village and its archaic traditions . Sunday Times. 25 July 2019.
23. Web site: 'Isi Dasuna': Portrays action & reaction. Sunday Times. 10 May 2019.
24. Web site: 'Jodu Gedara': Swarnavahini to bring a bucket full of laughter to your doorstep . Daily FT. 25 July 2019.
25. Web site: We made our house step by step . lkactress . 25 July 2019.
26. Web site: Maya Roo . The Nation . 25 July 2019.
27. Web site: 'Pingala Danawwa' portrays our ancient civilisation . The Nation . 15 August 2019.
28. Web site: Poke Street brought by Salinda . 2020-12-17 . Sarasaviya.
29. Web site: චාමරගේ රාහු අ.යි.ටී.එන් අල්ලයි . Sarasaviya . 25 July 2019.
30. Web site: Sadgunakaraya: A story of six generations . Sunday Times . 25 July 2019.
31. Web site: Samanalunta Wedithiyanna . Sunday Times . 11 December 2019.
32. Web site: 'Sanda Dev Diyani': A tale of courage and determination . Daily News . 15 August 2019.
33. Web site: Sandagalatenna highlights the power of indigenous medicine . Sunday Times . 10 December 2019.
34. Web site: Story of 'Sanda Mudunata' . Sunday Times . 25 July 2019.
35. Web site: 'Sara': A suspenseful story on village girl . Sunday Times . 12 December 2019.
36. Web site: 'Sasandara': Intrigues of a Kapuwa . Sunday Times . 16 August 2019.
37. Web site: 'Senehasa Kaviyak': portrays a poetic plot . Sunday Times . 25 July 2019.
38. Web site: 'Tharu Kumari' on Rupavahin . Daily News . 25 July 2019.
39. Web site: Twenty teledramas:Tribute to writers . Sunday Times . 25 July 2019.
40. Web site: 'Vishwanthari': World Class literature on miniscreen . Sunday Times . 8 December 2019.
41. Web site: 'Yaso Mandira': The tale of a mother's courage... . Sunday Times . 16 August 2019.
42. Web site: Cultural Diary: Deseeya Thunseeya on September 8 . Daily News . 25 July 2019.
43. Web site: Sujani Menaka filmography . Sinhala Cinema Database. 25 July 2019.
44. Web site: Sujani Menaka filmography . IMDb . 25 July 2019.
45. Web site: Julietge Bhoomikawa . vodtv. 11 March 2017.
46. Web site: Sri Lankan Screened Films . Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
47. Web site: Sri Lankan Screened Films . Sarasaviya . 11 March 2017.
48. Web site: The story of a young man in the south caught in the north wind . Sarasaviya . 11 July 2020.
49. Web site: Weerya shooting ends . Daily Mirror . 25 July 2019.
50. Web site: Nita's Theja to be screened at Goa festival . Daily News . 25 July 2019.
51. Web site: Meet Theja . Sunday Observer . 25 July 2019.
52. Web site: සසර මඟ දිගු කළ මාගම්සෝලි . Sarasaviya . 20 January 2024.
53. News: තුන්පත් රෑනක සොඳුරු අනන්තය “මින්නු” . www.sundaytimes.lk.