Hon.
Upeksha Swarnamali
MP
Member of Parliament
for Gampaha Electoral District
In office
22 April 2010 – 26 June 2015
Majority81,350 Preferential Votes
Personal details
Born (1984-06-26) June 26, 1984
Kuwait
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partyUnited National Party (2010-2013)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party
(2013-2015)
Other political
affiliations
Spouses
  • Mahesh Chaminda Walawegamage (divorced in 2013)
  • Samantha Perera (Married in 2016)
Children1
ParentNirmalee de Silva Swarnamali
Residence(s)Colombo, Sri Lanka
Alma materIndian central School
OccupationActress
ProfessionActress

Upeksha Swarnamali (Sinhala: උපේක්ෂා ස්වර්ණමාලි), popularly known as "Paba", is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television and a former member of the Sri Lanka Parliament. She gained popularity for her role on the television series "Paba" broadcast on Independent Television Network.[1]

Personal life

She was born to Sri Lankan parents in Kuwait, where she lived for 20 years before returning to Sri Lanka in 2004. She studied at Indian International School in Kuwait and holds a Diploma in Dancing.[2] Her mother named Nirmalee Swarnamali and her father is a Tamil citizen. She said that she never know about her dad due to parents divorced where she was 4 years old. Swarnamali has a brother from another mother named J. Shehan Fernando.[3]

Swarnamali was first married to Mahesh Chaminda, but she was assaulted by him and was hospitalised with heavy bruises and other injuries. They divorced on 31 January 2013, by a court order from Colombo District Court.[4] She then married car sale owner Samantha Perera on 13 March 2016 and the couple has one daughter.[5]

Acting

Starting her career as a model, she appeared on several song videos including "Chanchala", and took a major role in the television drama series Paba. She also participated in the reality dancing show Sirasa Dancing Stars, but was eliminated on 8 June 2008. She won the Sumathi Award for Best Upcoming Actress for Most popular actress sponsored by Vendol. In 2008, she acted in Sri Lanka's first gigital movie, Hetawath Mata Adaraya Karanna. The film was telecast on Valentine's Day 2008 through Citi Hitz Satellite movie channel of Dialog Television.[6] During the shooting of the teledrama Ahas Maliga, she was bitten by a cobra, but nothing serious due to removal of fangs.[7]

Selected television serials

  • Aganthukaya
  • Ahas Maliga
  • Bindunu Sith[8]
  • Dekada Kada
  • Divyadari
  • Oba Nisa
  • Paba
  • Samanalunta Wedithiyanna [9]

Politics

She gained national attention due to the controversial removal from the Paba teledrama aired by State run ITN, due to what she claimed as her open support for then opposition presidential candidate (General Sarath Fonseka).

She was elected as a member of the Sri Lanka Parliament in the 2010 General Elections held on 8 April 2010 representing the United National Party having obtained 81350 preferential votes being the second from Gampaha District UNP list.[10] In June 2010, she steered controversy over an interview she gave on Derana TV. The interview caused great embarrassment to herself as well as the Sri Lankan public. Later she admitted that she lacked political knowledge and had no knowledge about Sri Lankan constitution.[11]

She supported the governing United People's Freedom Alliance voting for the 18th amendment to the constitution and crossing over. After that she joined Sri Lanka Freedom Party.[12] Swarnamali retired from active politics in 2015.

Appearance in reality show Mega Star

She took part as a contestant in the Mega Star reality program organized by Swarnavahini, a leading TV broadcast station of Sri Lanka. She made it to the four finalists and was voted the 4th in the Mega Star finals.[13]

Monitoring Minister

MP Upeksha Swarnamali was appointed Monitoring Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare by President Mahinda Rajapaksa from 2014.

Filmography

She acted more teledramas than films since her beginning and popularity through teledramas. Her notable film career began with her latest film Cindrella.[14]

YearFilmRoleRef.
2007Asai Man PiyabannaRanmalee's sister
2009Akasa KusumFilm actress
2010Tikiri SuwandaNilmini
2010Uththara
2011Suseema
2012Bomba Saha RosaShani
2016CindrellaIsanka
2016Maya 3DNirmala
2019Maanaya
2022RashmiRashmi[15]
TBDSithija Seya[16]
TBDRidee Seenu[17]

References

  1. ↑ Be prepared to welcome Paba Daily Mirror, July 10, 2007
  2. ↑ "New faces in Parliament" (PDF). sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2015-03-17.
  3. ↑ "Buzz with Danu: Upeksha Swarnamali". Life Online. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "'Paba'gets divorced". Daily Mirror. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "I do not approve of the trend of popularizing newcomers out of our popularity: Upeksha". Silumina. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  6. ↑ "Lanka's first digital film on show". Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  7. ↑ "Upeksha is in debt at the "Ahas Maliga", she bit her elbow as she tried to say cut". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  8. ↑ "Bindunu Sith starts". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  9. ↑ "'Samanalunta Wedithiyanna'". Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  10. ↑ I support SF willingly: Upeksha
  11. ↑ "Upeksha Swarnamali Talking About Her Knowledge Video by Derana TV | Upeksha admits that she lacks political knowledge". lankachannel.lk. Retrieved 2015-03-17.
  12. ↑ http://www.goldfmnews.lk/~goldnews/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2355:unp-parliamentarian-upeksha-swarnamali-supports-18th-amendment&catid=72:top-stories&Itemid=44
  13. ↑ "The Island". island.lk. Retrieved 2015-03-17.
  14. ↑ "Upeksha Swarnamali". National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "Preethiraj is ready with RASHMI". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  16. ↑ "Another cinematic venture for Dr Arosha and Nalaka". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  17. ↑ "The silver bells are finished". සරසවිය. 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
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