Shayama Ananda ( Sinhala:ශ්‍යාමා ආනන්ද), popularly known as Shayama Ananda, is an actress in Sri Lankan

Sinhala cinema Sri Lankan cinema encompasses the Sri Lankan film industry. It is a fledgling industry that has struggled to find a footing since its inauguration in 1947 with '' Kadawunu Poronduwa'' produced by S. M. Nayagam of Chitra Kala Movietone. Sri Lan ...

Personal life

Shayama was born on 24 December in Colombo as the elder daughter. Her father M. S. Ananda was a renowned cinematographer, director and producer. Her mother Violet Ananda was also a film producer. She started her education at the Buddhist Ladies' College Colombo and joined

St Bridget's Convent, Colombo St. Bridget's Convent is a private girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was founded on February 1, 1902 by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd order, making it one of the earliest mission schools of the Roman Catholic Church of Ireland in Ceylon. ...

and finished her higher studies at

Visakha Vidyalaya Visakha Vidyalaya (, ) is a girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a National School managed by the central government providing primary and secondary education. History The school was established in 1917 by Celestina Dias as the Buddhis ...

. Her father died on 26 June 2016 at the age of 83. Shayama has one younger sister. She married Saliya Perera, Captain of the

Thurstan College Thurstan College () is a national school for boys in Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka, providing primary and secondary education. It is located in the Cinnamon Gardens neighbourhood of Colombo 7 near the University of Colombo and the Roya ...

Cricket team on 15 December 1980. They have a daughter and a son

Cinema career

She first appeared as a 6-month-old baby in the movie ''Vena Swargayak Kumatada'', a

Robin Tampoe Rabindra Coomaraswamy (29 December 1930 – 22 March 2000), popularly known by his stage name Robin Tampoe, was a film maker of Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan cinema. One of the earliest pillars in Sinhala cinema, Tampoe hailed from the Sri Lan ...

production in 1960. Having entered the silver screen at a very young age, she did 'child' roles in ''Suwaneetha Lalini'', ''Suhada Divi Piduma'', ''Sithaka Mahima'', ''Satha Panaha'', ''Athulveema Thahanam'', ''Senehasa'', ''Penawa Neda'' and was known as ''Baby Shyama''. In 1969 her father launched their first production ''Pravesam Vanna'' and cast her in a dual role opposite

Tony Ranasinghe Deshabandu Tony Ranasinghe ( 1937 - 2015 ) was an actor in Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in Sinhala cinema of all time, Tony is highly praised for his unique facial e ...

Malini Fonseka Wanniarachchige Malini Senehelatha Fonseka, (; ; 30 April 1947 – 24 May 2025) was a Sri Lankan actress, theatre artist, director and politician. Often dubbed the "Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema", her career spanned seven decades. Fonseka made her ...

and

Joe Abeywickrama Deshabandu Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama ( Sinhala:ජෝ අබේවික්‍රම) (22 June 1927 – 21 September 2011), popularly as Joe Abeywickrama, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Initially famed ...

in her first leading role. In 1969 she won the ''Lanka Deepa Deepasika'' award for best child artists in Sri Lankan Sinhala Cinema’s 25 years history for the portrayal of twin sisters in her father’s first home production ''Pravesam Venna'', an MSA films release. In 1975, Shayama acted in the first of the Shayama series in ''Mage Nangi Shayama'' with

Roy de Silva Chathurartha Devadithya Gardiyawasam Lindamulage Roy Aloysius Felix de Silva, popularly known as Roy de Silva (රෝයි ද සිල්වා; 30 August 1937 – 30 June 2018), was a Sri Lankan actor and film director in Sri Lankan cinema. ...

H. R. Jothipala Hettiarachchige Reginald Jothipala (; 12 February 1936 – 7 July 1987), popularly as H. R. Jothipala, was a Sri Lankan playback singer in the Sinhalese language, Sinhala cinema as well as a film actor and producer. Considered as the best playb ...

and

Sumana Amarasinghe Denipitiya Vithanage Sumana Amarasinghe (; 21 February 1948 – 5 June 2022) was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Performing in drama to comedy, she is usually known as the ''Sweet girl'' in Sinhala cinema. She also worked as an ...

directed by her father. In 1978 she appeared in dual roles in the movie ''Chandi Shyama'' which won the J.R. Jayawardena presidential award for one of the highest collections by a movie cinema since its beginning in 1948. She did a dual role in the film with

Gamini Fonseka Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka (; 21 March 1936 – 30 September 2004) was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician. Often considered one of the greatest actors in Sinhala cinema, Fonseka dominated the industry in the ...

, which was her most commercially successful film. In the third of the Shyama series ''Hello Shayama'' (1982) she was cast as a dutiful daughter who competes with her father,

to do justice for her mother. In the same year ''

Gehenu Lamai ''Gehenu Lamai'' ( / English: ''Girls'') is a 1978 Sri Lankan drama film written and directed by Sumitra Peries and produced by her husband Lester James Peries. The film introduced Vasanthi Chathurani into Sinhala cinema. Along with her, film s ...

'' directed by

Sumitra Peries Sumitra Peries (March 24, 1935–January 19, 2023) was a Sri Lankan filmmaker. She was the first female film director from Sri Lanka. and was known as the "Poetess of Sinhala Cinema". She also held the post of Sri Lanka's ambassador to France, ...

had Shayama played as "Padmini". The film was based on novel ''Gehenu Lamai'' written by Karunasena Jayalath. He praised her acting as the same as the character he had imagined while writing the book. Ananda was the O.C.I.C. award recipient for this role. In 1994, she appeared with her daughter and son in the blockbuster film ''Mama Baya Ne Shayama'' directed by her father. The film was based on popular Hollywood film ''Home Alone''.

Filmography

References

External links

Sri Lanka Cinema Database

සිනමා නිළි ශාමා ආනන්ද සහභාගී වූ පැතිකඩ වැඩසටහන
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ananda, Shyama Alumni of Buddhist Ladies' College Sri Lankan Buddhists 1959 births Living people