Denawaka Hamine

Denawaka Hamine's real name was Kala Suri Dona Meraya Denawaka. She was born on 20 February 1906 in Inbulgoda, Gampaha, British Ceylon. She died on 9 December 2002 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. She completed her education at Imbulgoda Vidyalaya and later worked as a teacher there. She has a daughter named Edith Senarath Yapa. Her son-in-law is Theja Bandara Senarath. She has three grandchildren who are also involved in cinema. They are Anura Senarath Yapa, Palitha Senarath Yapa, and Udaya Bandara Senarath Yapa. She was an actress famous as The Grand Old Lady of Sinhala cinema. She worked in over 300 films and teledramas in her four-decade-long career. 

She encountered G. D. L. Perera while accompanying a young actress to a theatrical audition, which led her to win the elderly mother's role in Perera's play Kandulu. She later joined Perera's drama group, Kala Pela, where she acted in dramas like Manamalayo, Sakkarawattang, and Sama. She was honoured with a merit award for her work in Totupola at the 1964 Arts Council Drama Festival. Her first film was the film adaption of Sama (1965). She won the Best Character Actress Award from the Special Government Council for the role of the mother of two fishermen in Sath Samudra (1968). She received the award from the then Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake. She was honoured with the Best Actress of the Year Award for the same role at the Sarasaviya Film Festival in 1968.

Some of her major roles in the 1970s include Matara Achchi, Tun Man Handiya, and Desa Nisa Kolomba Sanniya. She also appeared in Western cinema with the small role of a weeping mother in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984. She was honoured with the Kalasuri title in 1987. She also worked on television in dramas like Kopi Kade (1987). She received an award from the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga for her contributions to Sinhala Cinema in 1988. Her other works include Romeo Juliet Kathwak (1969), Sudu Pareviyo (1977) as Chandi's Mother, Palangetiyo (1979) as Sarath's Mother, Deveni Gamana (1982) as Unmarried old aunt, Sister Mary (1983) as Sumedha's Mother, Ordinary Magic (1993) as Vani, Le Livre De Cristal (1994) as Vielle dame de la pension, Des Heros Ordinaires (1994) as Indienne prison, Seethala Gini Kandu (2002), Apaye Thathpara Asu Haradahak (1997), Mangala Thegga (1988), Arunata Pera (1984), and Dinuma (1986) as Granny.