Kanchana Mendis (born June 24, 1980 as කාංචනා මෙන්ඩිස්) [Sinhala]) is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama, and television. She is best known for her roles in movies Rajaya Sewaya Pinisai, Rosa Wasanthe, and television serials Damini and Sakman Maluwa.[1]
Personal life
Her father died when she was two years old.[2] She was married to Roshan Ranawaka in 2009.[3] The couple has two sons, Senitha Ryan, Nirvana Rayyon and one daughter, Keisha Ryleigh. She currently lives in the United Kingdom with her family.[4][5]
Career
She became popular with the television advertisement Ninja Mosquito Coil, along with Sanath Wimalasiri and Nimanthi Porage, in 1998. She acted in the television serial Suba Anagathayak at the age of 12, directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja.[6] She entered the mainstream film industry through the 2000 Sinhala film Rajaya Sewaya Pinisai, directed by Udayakantha Warnasuriya, with the character of a private secretary, "Prabashwari".[7] She has also appeared in a Tamil film named Varnajalam, where the main roles were done by Sadha and Srikanth, as well as in Kanagalal Kai Rasi.[2] She also acted in a few stage dramas such as Dharma Sangramaya[8] by Saman Thushara and Ananga Bambaru by Richard Manawadu.[9]
In 2003, Mendis was chosen as a "brand ambassador" for the special 40th anniversary lottery ticket from the Sri Lankan National Lotteries Board.[10] During the same year, she won the Sumathi Tele award at Artscope for Most Popular Actress.[11]
She has won several awards at local film festivals and television festivals.[citation needed] In 2000, she won the award for Best Supporting Actress in the debut movie Rajaya Sevaya Pinisai at the Presidential Awards.[43] In 2001, she won a merit award for the role in Rosa Wasanthe at the Sarasaviya Film Festival.[2]
