Gayani Gisanthika
Acting
Biography
Gayani Gisanthika Liyanaarachchi, born on December 28, 1973, has emerged as a powerhouse in the performing arts sector, leaving a significant imprint on both the film and television industries, as well as theatre, in Sri Lanka and beyond. From her initial training in drama and theatre arts at Sri Lanka's National Youth Centre, Gayani cultivated a career that blossomed into numerous accolades and roles in highly respected productions. Her early recognition began with a Best Actress award in 1993 for her role in “Tittha Kusalana” at the National Youth Theatre Festival in Sri Lanka, which heralded the start of a successful career. In the theatre world, she has portrayed remarkable characters in high-profile plays including "Che Guevara," directed by Buddhika Damayantha, and "The Streetcar Named Desire," under the direction of Champa Buddhipala. On the silver screen, Gayani has demonstrated her prowess through significant roles in films such as "Ammawarune," helmed by Dr. Lester James Pieris, and the acclaimed "Sarigama" directed by Somarathne Dissanayake, a role that won her a Best Supporting Actress award in 2016. Not confined to the cinema, Gayani has also been a prominent figure in television, earning critical acclaim for her roles in various series, notably securing a Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in the series ‘Maddahana’ in 2017. Her continued work within the acting sphere has solidified her reputation as a versatile and respected actress, garnering praise and awards for her emotionally nuanced performances across both film and television mediums. As she continues her journey, Gayani's extensive training, including courses at the Actor’s Lab at the University of Melbourne, combined with her relentless passion, fuels her ongoing contributions to the worlds of theatre and television, inspiring many aspiring artists and audiences alike.
Known For
A schoolboy and his friend are caught at school looking at pornography on the computer. Punished, they wrongly believe that the police are going to arrest them so they hide in an abandoned building and as the boys feel cornered, and fearing for their lives, one of them accidentally kills a prostitute with a dagger thinking she was a mugger...
A Letter of Fire
Adi and Nilu’s love grows from school to adulthood, only to be shattered by a tragic accident that wipes Adi’s memory. Season two follows Primal, a university student trapped in a love triangle shaped by class, power, and caste.
Podu
A woman leaves a convent to become a governess to the children of a Army officer widower.
Sarigama
A renowned filmmaker receives a mysterious call from an old college mate in the middle of the night. Asandhimitta, whom he recalls as a large and voluptuous woman, asks him to make a film based on her life. She then confesses that she was recently involved in a triple homicide of three women and is taken into custody shortly afterwards. Intrigued, the filmmaker attempts to piece together her fragmented story for a film while Asandhimitta herself awaits her fate in a local prison.
Asandhimitta
While working as a mechanic to support a wife at home, Manju struggles to overcome every attempt made at discovering their assigned sex.
Flying with One Wing
Set in Sri Lanka during the mid-1990s, August Sun tells three simultaneous stories against the backdrop of the country's savage civil war (1983 – 2009).
August Sun
A pickpocket (Linton Semage) is blamed by his wife for bringing misery to other families and as well as to their own home. Although he has promised to reform himself, he cannot find another line of work which would bring him a living wage. One day, after a morning of picking pockets, Kamal finds a photograph of his wife in a man's purse he had just stolen. This turns his life into chaos. He does not tell his wife about this and goes on searching for the owner of the purse. What he finds is only the beginning of his tragedy.
Pickpocket
Sumanawathie's elder son is a Buddhist monk. Her daughter has run from home and married a man who ignores and quarrels with the daughter. Sumanawathie's younger son Saliya gets a job as a soldier. Sumanawathi gets upset as she is left alone in her house. As the film progresses she gets to know that her son has disappeared during a war operation. Her health declines rapidly. After a long time, Saliya comes again to her home alive. Meanwhile her elder son is killed by terrorists when he travels with a team to distribute goods to the poor people.