Samanalee Fonseka

Samanalee Fonseka (Sinhala: සමනලී ෆොන්සේකා) is a talented actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Alongside her acting career, she is known for her active involvement as a social activist, advocating against racism, gender inequality, and other social issues prevalent in Sri Lanka.

Born on November 23, 1981, Samanalee completed her primary education at St. Paul's Girls School in Kelaniya and continued her higher education at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya in Colombo. She holds a B.A. degree from the University of Colombo and a Postgraduate diploma in fine arts from the University of Peradeniya. Samanalee was previously married to actor Gayan Lakruwan, with their wedding taking place on July 21, 2010. However, they divorced after a few years. Presently, she is married to popular singer Indrachapa Liyanage, who is the son of the award-winning actor Hemasiri Liyanage and the brother of renowned actor Saumya Liyanage.

Samanalee comes from a family with deep roots in the entertainment industry. Her father, Ananda Fonseka, is the brother of the acclaimed actress Malini Fonseka. Samanalee's siblings include three sisters, Sriyani, Rasadari, and Damayanthi, as well as two brothers, Dayananda and Ananda, who are all involved in the cinema industry. Damayanthi Fonseka, Samanalee's sister, made her debut in the film industry with the movie "Madol Duwa" and is married to filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage. Additionally, Samanalee's aunt, Sriyani Fonseka, has appeared in popular films such as "Lokuma Hinawa," "Hondai Narakai," "Thilaka Saha Thilakaa," "Niwena Ginna," and "Selinage Walawwa." Another aunt, Rasadari Fonseka, has acted in films like "Situ Kumariyo" and "Athin Athata" and is married to fellow actor Karunarathna Hangawaththa. Samanalee's elder uncle, Dayananda Fonseka, passed away in 2012.

Having started her acting career at the age of five as a child artist, Samanalee made her debut in the Sri Lankan film industry with Dinesh Priyasad's "Paradisaya." Her first lead role was in Aruna Gunarathne's tele-film "Suriya Vinshthi" when she was just 16 years old. She gained recognition for her performance in Prasanna Vithanage's acclaimed film "Akasa Kusum" and went on to star in critically acclaimed movies like "Motor Bicycle" by Shameera Rangana Naotunna, "Premaya Nam" by Kalpana Ariyavansa and Vindana Ariyawansa, "Nimnayaka Hudakalawa" by Boodee Keerthisena, and "Dewena Vihangun" by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara.

Samanalee Fonseka has received several awards throughout her career. She won the Best Actress (Short Play) award at the State Drama Festival in 2004. In 2018, she won the Best Actress award at national film festivals for her role in "Premaya Nam," and in 2019, she won the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in "Dewena Vihangun." She has also received numerous special jury awards for her acting in the film "Motor Bicycle."

Beyond her acting endeavors, Samanalee has been actively involved in social activism. In December 2014, she, along with fellow actors Laxman Wijesekara, Indrachapa Liyanage, and Jagath Manuwarna, was attacked in Kumbukgete while raising their voices against the Rajapaksa government during the 2015 presidential election. She has also been outspoken about various issues and has organized events under the theme "Let's Get Rid of Deception" through the initiative "Aluth Parapure Kalakaruwo." In November 2018, Samanalee filed a writ petition seeking compensation of Rs. 500 million from parliamentarian Kanchana Wijesekera based on a statement made by Wijesekera claiming that she had received money from the Ministry of Mass Media and Information.