Dilhani Ekanayake

Dilhani Ashokamala Ekanayake (Sinhala: දිල්හානි ඒකනායක; born 4 March 1970) is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. One of the most popular film actresses in Sinhala cinema, Ekanayake has won several awards as the most popular actress in multiple times.

Dilhani Ekanayake
Dilhani Ekanayake
Born
Dilhani Ashokamala Ekanayake

(1970-03-04) 4 March 1970
Colombo, Sri Lanka
OccupationFilm actress
Years active1990 - Present
Spouse(s)Priyankara Perera
ChildrenDilmin Perera
RelativesMilton Perera (father-in-law)
Chalaka Chamupathi (brother-in-law)
AwardsSarasaviya Best Actress Award
Sarasaviya Most Popular Actress Award

Personal life

Ekanayake studied at St Clare's girls school, in Colombo. She is married to singer and actor Priyankara Perera son of singer Milton Perera. She has a son, Dilmin Perera.[1]

In late 2020, her husband Priyankara was diagnosed with a kidney failure. He was hospitalized and need to undertake a kidney transplant with an A + or O + type kidney.[2]

Career

Before entering cinema, she acted in few ballets such as Vishwa Geethaya and Saama. In 1987, along with Channa Wijewardena, she performed the ballet Ukussa. Ekanayake made her cinema debut in 1991 film Dedunnen Samanaliyak directed by Yasapalitha Nanayakkara. In that year, she won the Sarasaviya award for the Best Upcoming Actress. In 1992, she won the award for the Most Popular Actress at the same festival.[3]

Her early roles were confined to commercial films. Her ability to dance and her trade mark smile captivated the audiences. She is known as the Sridevi of Sri Lanka.[4] Her career hit a different trail with her role as an abandoned Tamil girl in the film Me Mage Sandai by Asoka Handagama. This serious role paved the way for other remarkable performances in Sudu Kalu Saha Alu (Shades of Grey), Mage Wam Atha (My Left Hand) and Sulanga (Wind). In 2005, she again won the award for the Best Actress for the role Sudu Kalu Saha Alu at Sarasaviya Festival. In 2007, she won Presidential award for the Best Actress for the role in Sulanga.[3]

Also she made some notable roles in Mage Wam atha, Sulanga, Me Mage Sandai, Sudu Kalu Saha Alu, Pem Kekula, Nilambare, Gamani and many comedy films such as Cheriyo Darling, Chaya Maya etc.[3]

Though cited as a cinema actress, she has also starred in several teledramas of which Maya Ranga, Swarna Kingkini, Meeduma, Sath Sanda Kirana and Amarapuraya stand out.[3] She plays a major role in the Sri Lankan movie star show Ridee Reyak, which is a very popular annual event in Sri Lanka. She also performed as a judge of Ranawiru Real Star and Mega Star as well. Her latest performance came through in Dhawala Doowili, Bharyawo,[5] and Deviya Sugala teledramas.

She has been a brand ambassador for Lux.

Awards

Sarasaviya Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1991Dedunnen SamanaliyakBest Upcoming ActressWon
1992Most popular ActressWon
2002Merit AwardWon
2002All performances of the yearSpecial Jury AwardWon
2005Sudu Kalu Saha AluBest ActressWon


Presidential Film Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2001Me Mage SandaiBest ActressWon
2005SulangaBest ActressWon [6]

Signis Salutation Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2001Me Mage SandaiSilver Performance (Female)Won
2012GamaniGold Performance (Female)Won

Derana Film Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2012GamaniBest ActressWon
2015People's voteMost popular ActressWon
2018DharmayuddhayaBest ActressWon

Filmography
  • No. denotes the Number of Sri Lankan film in the Sri Lankan cinema.[7]
YearNo.FilmRoleRef.
1990701Dedunnen Samanaliyak
1991719Wada Barinam Wadak NaThilini
1991725Asai Bayai
1991720Love In Bangkok
1991736Dhanaya
1992744Jaya Sri We Kumariye
1992752Malsara DoniMangala
1992753Chandi Rajina
1992761KulageyaEdna's younger daughter
1992762Suranimala
1993774PrathignawaVindya
1993776Sarasa Sarisarana Thek Oba Mage
1993777Mawila Penevi Rupe Hade
1993779Chaya MayaChaya / Maya
1993783Jeevan Malli
1993786Sandarekha
1993792Sura Weera ChandiyoKumari
1994796Ekada Wahi
1994797Jayagrahanaya
1994800Nohadan LanduneKanthi
1994810Okkoma HondataiAnusha
1994814Sudu PiruwataSuranya
1994815Love 94Umani Baby
1995822Vijay Saha AjayHashini
1995827Pudumai Eth AththaiThusha
1995837Edath Chandiya Adath ChandiyaPavithra
1995840Dalulana Gini
1996855Sabae Mithura
1996863Cheriyo DarlingMiss Sweetie
1996867MadhuriMadhuri 'Madu'
1997875Ramba Saha Madhu
1997883Pemmal MalaPawansala
1997909Re RuKumari
1999913Rathu AluyamaSulochana[8]
1999919KolompoorTanisha
1999923Koti Sana
1999924Seetha SamireAmitha[9]
1999928NagaranChithra
2000Premilla
2000933Kauda Bole AliceNirmala
2000939Me Mage SandaiTamil Woman
2000944Pem KakulaSumudu[10]
2001948Jack And JillArundathi
2001949Kolomba KoloppanDilhani
2001972Sellan Kukka[11]
2002976Seethala Gini KanduSunny's daughter
2002977Pissu DoubleBhagya Ekanayake
2002978Kalu Sudu MalNirmala Mudunkotuwa 'Rohini'
2002979Cheriyo Holman[12]
2002983Thahanam GahaNirmala[13]
2002988Mage Wam AthaKamal's wife
2002994Surapurata Kanyaviyak[14]
20031000Sundarai AdareMeena
20031011Pissu TribleCichchi Cichchi Baby
20031015Sonduru DadabimaSamangi Ranasinghe
20031016Yakada PihatuNadeesha Kulasobana
20031021Sudu SaluThamara[15]
20031022Hitha Honda PissoWimala
20041028Bambara Sanakeli
20041031Ra Daniel Dawal Migel 3Kamala Baby
20041037Ohoma HaridaNamali
20041040Samawenna Ma Raththarane
20041042RajjumalaPunya[16]
20051053Sudu Kalu Saha AluKomala
20051056SulangaCrisanthi
20061062Naga KanyaMadhu
20061069NilambareSamadhi
20061074Rana Hansi
20061079Kurulu PihatuShalika[17]
20061080SewwandiShirani
20071091Hai MasterSurangani
2008Puthuni HambagiyaUthpala
20081102Siri Raja SiriSirimal's mother
20081109Pitasakwala Kumarayai Pancho Hathai
20091123Sinasuna AdarenMrs. Karandeniya
20091128Akasa KusumShalika
20101167Thank You BertyMala
20111150SinhawalokanayaSubharath Manike
20111157MahindagamanayaQueen Ramadatta
20111160GamaniSulochana Weerasekera
20131191Ira Laga WadiSewwandi
20141203Siri DaladagamanayaQueen of King Guhasiva
20141209ParapuraSudharma
20141212Que SeraTara
20141217Ko Mark No MarkRupika Mihirani
20151223SpandanaPiyumi
20151236Lantin SinghoSamadara
20161258Sujatha PuthraMrs. Hettiarachchi
20171268Aloko UdapadiQueen Consort Anula
20171272Kota Uda ExpressPabawathi
20171282DharmayuddhayaRani
20171284Heena Hoyana SamanalluMadhavi Wijebandara
20171291Paha SamathSamath's mother[18]
20181299SeyaVaruni Dissanayake[19]
20191321Ginnen Upan SeethalaDoctor's Wife
20191329Weli PawuruPiyumi Ekanayake[20]
20191331Suba TheraniyoSumana
2019ReloadPrincy[21]
2020Rookada PanchiRangi's mother[22]
TBDThanapathilage Gedara[23]
TBDUnderpants ThiefNayani[24]
TBDDeweni Yuddhaya[25]
TBDUthuru Sulanga[26]
TBDAngara[27]
TBDTharu Athara[28]

References
  1. "Dilhani Ekanayaka's son and family". Lankahelp.com. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  2. "We need your help for Priyankara". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  3. "Actress who worked only one percent". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  4. "Little Sri Devi and Golden Butterfly". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  5. ""Bharyavo" now on Sirasa". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  6. "President honours Lankan Cinema". Sunday Times. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  7. "Sri Lankan Cinema History". National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  8. "'Rathu Aluyama': last creation of Yasapalitha". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  9. "'Seetha Sameere' portrays chefs and lovers". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. "'Pem Kekula' goes back to a hilarious past". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  11. "'Sellankukka' for Christmas". Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  12. "Cheriyo Holman' now". Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  13. "'Thahanam Gaha': A film with a political flavour". Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  14. "'Surapurata Kanyaviyak': Mario's new film". Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  15. "Luxman's 'Sudu Salu' now on screen". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  16. "Rajjumala:Anura's third film". Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  17. "Sumith enters cinema with 'Kurulu Pihatu'". Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  18. "Tear falling cinema about a village boy". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  19. "Seya, Her spirit will follow you". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  20. "Tale of Melisha and Sisira at Elders Home - plot of Wali Pawuru". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  21. "Honestly modest, courageous, Elapatha deceived the Yama King - Reload". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  22. "A cinematic carnival by the sea". Sunday Times. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  23. "Film Thaanapathilage Gedara". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  24. "Adults only film by Somaratne Dissanayake". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  25. "She is back home – Deweni Yuddhaya". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  26. "The story of a young man in the south caught in the north wind". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  27. "New filmmaker with 'Angara'". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  28. "The story of Subhani who got lost in two worlds .. 'Tharu Athara'". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
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