Manel Chinthamani Wanaguru, born on 18 October 1951, is a prominent actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television.
In her personal life, Manel was born to Dudley Samuel Wanaguru, who was also an actor in Sinhala cinema. Dudley, born on 16 December 1922, and passed away on 29 July 2003, was an alumnus of St. Joseph's College, Wattala. He began his acting career with the film "Eda Ra" and went on to appear in many other films, including "Daiwa Wipakaya," "Hadisi Vivahaya," "Gehenu Geta," and "Patachara." He even directed the film "Sengawunu Menika." Manel's mother, Indrani Dissanayake, was a housewife. She has six siblings: Upendra, Lakshman, Tissa, Nihal, Tamara, and Rohan.
Manel is married to Ananda Wickramage, a renowned actor and comedian. The couple has two sons, Janith Wickramage and Sanketh Wickramage, who have followed in their parents' footsteps and become actors as well.