She was the cynosure of all eyes. Her beaming smiles and inborn skills have stolen the eyes of the audience. Sometimes as a naive lover, determined wife, abandoned Tamil girl and very mischievous daughter she had lived many characters. She is none other than veteran actress Dilhani Ashokamala Ekanayake who has adorned many films and teledramas with her beaming smiles and versatility.
Inspiration
Born on March 4, 1970 in Colombo, Dilhani had her education at St. Clare’s Girls’ school. She is married to a singer and actor Priyankara Perera who is the son of the veteran singer Milton Perera. Their son is Dilmin Perera. Speaking of her inspiration, she had gained opportunities to play in Ballets such as Vishva Geethaya and Sama. She had made her maiden cinematic appearance through the film Dedunnen Samanaliyak directed by Yasspalitha Nanayakkara in 1991. Surprisingly she could win the Sarasaviya Award for the Best Upcoming Actress for her mind - blowing performance in the film. When asked as to how she got the opportunity to act in the film Dedunnen Samanaliyak she said that it happened as if by accident.
She could get to know many veteran actors in her first film such as Ajith Jinadasa, Nihal Silva, Freddie Silva, Ramyajith Weeratunga, Cleatus Mendis, Bandu Samarasinghe, Sarath De Silva, Mervin Jayathunga and Berty Sunil. Perhaps you might think that Dilhani had been confined to comedy films and has not played serious roles. However, considering all the films embellished by Dilhani’s performance, we can come to a conclusion that her versatility had gone beyond the scope of a comedy actress. One example for this is the film Me Mage Sadai directed by the veteran film director Ashoka Handagama.
Turning point
Me Mage Sadai is the turning point in Dilhani’s journey as an actress. In this film Saumya Liyanage and Dilhani Ashokamala played the main roles. Veteran musician Rohana Weerasinghe had composed music for this film. Me Mage Sadai had been screened internationally by winning rave reviews at the Cine Fan Asian Film Festival held in New Dilhi in 2001. In this film Dilhani had played the role of an abandoned Tamil girl. This is the best example for her wide - range of acting. Not that she was confined to one category but distinguished herself in the Sinhala Cinema by portraying far different characters. This film enabled her to play roles in films such as Sudu Kalu Saha Alu , Mage Wam Atha and Sulanga.
In 2017, Dilhani won presidential award for the Best Actress for the role in Sulanga. Performances by Dilhani in films such as Pem Kelula, Nilambare, Gamini, Cherio Darling, Malsara Doni and Kulageya are notable. Dilhani is a brand ambassador for Lux. Indeed, what had made her stand out in the Sinhala Cinema must be her smiles, youthful beauty and skills. We all age as the years go by. But Dilhani seems to have stopped aging. When asked about the secret behind her youthful beauty, she laughed and said, “I don’t have a special secret behind my appearance but I have to say that I don’t have worries in my life. I spend a simple life, therefore, I can be happy with little things.” Dilhani is forever young. Dilhani being a very carefree person spends a simple life free from worries and problems. But it is wrong to say that she is unaware of every nuance of society as she is mindful of society well. Another fact about her life is that she is an animal lover who feeds every dog around her home.
Current situation
If you are an avid filmgoer, you can remember that thousands of film goers used to throng movie theatres to watch films. In those days, film halls had been filled with people who came from every village to watch films. But now we can’t see that trend. As mentioned by Dilhani, people seem to be lukewarm about watching films in a film hall. With the advent of social media, people began to watch films via YouTube and Facebook.
There are many TV channels and YouTube channels mushrooming, therefore, people can’t be expected to come back to movie theatres. “There is an issue in this system. There are many TV and Youtube channels in our country. People don’t want to go to movie theatres. On the other hand, we have lost veteran film directors, actors and actresses. Therefore, we can’t expect good products as well,” said veteran actress Dilhani.
Her message
Actress Dilhani better known as “Sri Devi of Sri Lanka” has engaged herself in films and teledramas for over 30 years. Her advice is precious for upcoming actors and actresses. “Acting is a profession which requires your skills and talents. We all can’t be actors and actresses. If you want to enter the field of Cinema, to stay in the film industry, you should have a respect for this field and should learn acting to gain a good knowledge. The most important thing is your commitment,” she said.
Dilhani Ashokamala Ekanayake said to be “Little Sister “has become a giant tree in the film industry. Her contribution to the enrichment of the Sinhala Cinema is remarkable and commendable. Obviously she is not a wind but the moon which stays young in our hearts forever.