Sri Lankan actor Malini Fonseka dies
Renowned Sri Lankan actor Malini Fonseka — who played the female lead in the Tamil film 'Pilot Premnath' [1978] starring Sivaji Ganesan — passed away in Colombo on Saturday (May 24, 2025). She was 78.
Having begun her acting career in the early 1960s in Sinhala theatre, Ms. Fonseka went on to become a sought-after artiste and film star, winning several awards.
She became familiar to Indian audiences with her role in 'Pilot Premnath', a joint Indo-Sri Lankan production directed by A.C. Trilokachander, which was filmed across many scenic locations on the island. In a 2023 piece on actor Sivaji Ganesan, senior journalist D.B.S. Jeyaraj pointed to the lively song 'Udarata Menike' in the film, sung by L.R. Easwari and A.E. Manoharan, based on Sri Lanka's popular musical form 'Baila'. The film was a hit in both countries.
Ms. Fonseka was also a Member of Parliament representing President Mahinda Rajapaksa's alliance from 2010 to 2015, through the 'National List', which allots seats to political parties based on their share of votes as per Sri Lanka's proportional representation system. She remained a staunch supporter of Mr. Rajapaksa.
Years after the end of the civil war, Ms. Fonseka, along with other top Sri Lankan actors, invited their counterparts in Tamil Nadu to visit Sri Lanka and assess the post-war situation, when the South Indian Artistes Association observed a fast in support of the Sri Lankan Tamil cause.
'The Sri Lankan film industry has borrowed many ideas, techniques and technicians from Tamil Nadu. The two film industries have had a very friendly and positive relationship from the 1950s onwards. We want that to continue,' Ms. Fonseka told The Hindu in 2013. 'It was a delight working with Sivaji Ganesan,' she said.
In 2019, Ms. Fonseka inaugurated the Women's International Film Fest organised by Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) at St. Teresa's College in Kochi, and called for greater collaboration between technicians from India and Sri Lanka.
Ms. Fonseka's final rites would be held with state honours on Monday, authorities announced.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
25 minutes ago
- Hans India
RCB Victory Parade Stampede Causes Internet Storm
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government's celebratory zeal turned into a tragic nightmare as a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory parade claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others near M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Congress-led administration, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is now under intense scrutiny for its alleged insensitivity and negligence, with netizens and opposition leaders alike slamming the government for prioritising political mileage over public safety. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many holding the government directly responsible for the preventable tragedy. RCB's first IPL title win in 18 years was a historic moment for fans, culminating in a victory over Punjab Kings by 6 runs on June 3. The Karnataka government which was seen eager to bask in the glory of Bengaluru's triumph, rushed to organise a victory parade within 12 hours of the win. It is a stark contrast to other IPL teams like KKR, MI, and CSK, which held their parades 2-3 days later with proper planning, and the Indian T20 World Cup team, which waited 5 days. The parade, which began at Vidhana Soudha and was meant to culminate at Chinnaswamy Stadium, drew an estimated 2-3 lakh fans, far exceeding the stadium's capacity of 35,000. The situation spiralled out of control when a small gate at the stadium was breached, leading to a deadly stampede. The outrage on social media has been palpable, with netizens demanding accountability from the Congress government. The opposition BJP has also seized the opportunity to criticise the government, with leaders like Amit Malviya labeling the incident as a result of "lack of basic administrative foresight" and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy calling it "unforgivable." The government's response has done little to quell public anger. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced Rs. 10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and ordered a magisterial inquiry, but his statement, "Over two to three lakh people gathered. No one expected such a crowd," has been met with disbelief. Critics argue that such a turnout was entirely predictable given RCB's massive fanbase and the significance of the win. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar apologised for the overcrowding and cancelled the procession, but his earlier presence at the airport to greet the players has been cited as evidence of the government's attempt to politicise the event. The RCB victory parade stampede has exposed deep flaws in the Karnataka government's approach to public safety, with netizens and opposition leaders united in their demand for justice. The 11 lives lost and 33 injuries sustained are not seen as mere statistics but is a stark reminder of the cost of political insensitivity. For RCB fans, what should have been a moment of triumph has been overshadowed by tragedy, leaving a bitter taste in the wake of their long-awaited victory. The Congress-led Karnataka government now faces a reckoning, as Bengaluru mourns and the nation watches, demanding that such a preventable disaster never happens again.
India.com
30 minutes ago
- India.com
Meet man who studied at IIT, left high-paying job, survived by teaching students, is now a famous actor, his name is...
Many actors, before becoming stars in Indian cinema, pursued different courses when it came to their education. While some of these actors were engineers, others worked as architects. However, today, we will tell you about an actor who was an IITian. Not just that, he also bagged a high-paying job. However, his passion for acting made him go all out and take risks. As a result, today, he is one of the known faces in the industry. This actor we are talking about comes from a small village in Rajasthan. His big dreams and zeal to pursue his goals brought him to different roads. Today, he is one of the most celebrated actors, and one of his web series has created a stir with 3 seasons already released! We are talking about none other than Jitendra Kumar urf Jitu Bhaiya! Born on 1 September 1990 in Khairthal, a small village in Rajasthan, Jitendra Kumar was fond of acting since childhood. He often used to imitate Shah Rukh Khan, Nana Patekar, and Amitabh Bachchan as practice. Despite his passion for acting, Jitendra's father sent him to Kota to prepare for the IIT entrance exam. Being hardworking and intelligent, Jitendra Kumar passed the exam and got admission in Civil Engineering at IIT Kharagpur. It was during his studies at IIT that he got inclined towards theatre. He started participating in the 'Hindi Technology Dramatic Society', and there he met TVF's creative director Biswapati Sarkar. When Jitendra joined TVF, in his initial days, he had to face struggles. He decided to take a break from acting and take a job as an engineer in a multi-national company in Bangalore. However, he knew his destination was in acting, and after working for a while, he decided to leave the job and go back to acting. To fund his dreams, many media reports claim that the actor once taught students and earned his bread and butter. Gradually, Jitendra's roles became more recognisable. As a result, he bagged one of the hit series Kota Factory and Panchayat. Today, he is one of the known faces in the OTT space.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sindoor Vatika launched to honour Indian armed forces
Indore: In a bid to conserve environment and pay tribute to the , Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) on Thursday announced the development of 'Sindoor Vatika' on its lands. This initiative, coinciding with , marks the beginning of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign and also dedicates a green space to Operation Sindoor as a gesture of respect for the Indian Armed Forces. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now During the launch of the campaign at Nehru Park, MP cabinet ministers Kailash Vijayvargiya and Tulsiram Silawat, along with Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav, collectively planted saplings, affirming a commitment to plant 51 lakh trees this year. Vijayvargiya emphasised the intrinsic reverence for nature in Indian society. He stressed the importance of returning to nature what it provides, drawing inspiration from PM Narendra Modi's initiative to plant a Sindoor tree and his commitment to reforesting the entire Aravalli mountain ranges. Vijayvargiya lauded Indore's past achievement of planting over 12.4 lakh trees on Revati Range hill in a single day, which are currently thriving with IMC's support. He highlighted the critical need for extensive afforestation in and around Indore to reduce the city's temperature and restore its famed 'Shab-e-Malwa' (Evening of Malwa) charm. Silawat urged mayor to consider a synchronised plantation drive across Indore's approximately 1300 gardens Bhargav reaffirmed IMC's target of planting 15 lakh trees this year, pledging to achieve it through public participation. He said that this effort is not just about planting trees but ensuring clean air for future generations, aiming to make Indore number one in environmental cleanliness. He said that over 1100 shade and fruit-bearing trees were planted at Nehru Park's Sindoor Vatika and Mango Vatika. This initial planting will be followed by over 5000 more saplings in Nehru Park, which is being developed for recreation and sports, including renovation of its decades-old swimming pool for national-level swimmers.
