Geetha Kumarasinghe

She was born on 5 July 1945 in Hamburugala village, Bentara, Sri Lanka as the eldest of the family.

Her father Wijepala Kumarasinghe first worked as a warehouse manager at the Navy Headquarters.

As a journalist, he made several columns, Buddhist articles and worked as a deputy editor of the 'Bauddhaya' newspaper for some time.

Her mother Udulawathi Siriwardena was a housewife.

She grew up in Bentara, Elpitiya and had her education at Elpitiya Ananda College, Aluthgama and Holy Family Convent, Kalutara.

She was also a talented member of the netball team during her college days.

She has five younger sisters: Nayana, Kokila, Dammika, Dinusha, Shyama and two younger brothers: Thilak and Upendra.

Her father's elder sister Aruna Wickramapala was married to Hinni Appuhamy's aka Maliban Mudalali's brother A. G. Wickramapala.

Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe (born 5 July 1955: ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ), popularly known as Geetha Kumarasinghe, is a Sri Lankan film actress and Member of a Parliament.

She is the current State Minister of Women and Child Affairs.

In 1973 at the age of 16, Geetha won the competition.

During the participation in the beauty pageant, her mother was always with her.

Her aunt, Anula Wickramapala, was also a friend of renowned director Lester James Peiris.

Incidentally, her aunts' mansion was used as the location for his film Ransalu.

Little Geetha, who used to spend her school vacations in her aunt's house in Kollupitiya would imitate Punya Heendeniya, her childhood heroine.

She signed contracts for 21 films before her debut film was released, a record in Sri Lankan Cinema.

She made her debut in veteran director K. A. W. Perera's 1975 film, Wasana but it was Neil Rupasinghe's Lassana Kella which was released first.

It was in the year 1975 that Geetha debuted in K.A.W. Perera's Vasana but it was Neil Rupasinghe's Lassana Kella which reached cinemas first.

Kumarasinghe, who is often cast in controversial roles, has also performed the foreign films Pakistani, Hindi, Japanese, Tamil and French productions.

During the filming of Podi Malli in Bambarakele, Nuwara Eliya in 1976, her car met with a major accident and then she had plastic surgery on the face.

She received critical acclaim in roles such as 'Dulcie' in Pembara Madhu, 'Dotty' in Palama Yata, 'Punna' in Lokuduwa and 'Amali' in Ran Diya Dahara.

In the novel 'Palama Yata' written by Kulasena Fonseka, it was made into the film adaptation where Geetha was the lead actress as well as is producer.

She acted opposite Sivaji Ganesan in Mohana Punnagai which was released on 1981.

Geetha's father died in 1983 and mother in 2016.

As a child, she showed her talent for singing and dancing.

She played the role of 'Kundalakeshi' in the play Chora Pabbatha on the school stage.

Though her father did not approve of a film career.

Meanwhile, the neighbors demanded her parents submit Geetha to the 'Avurudu Rupa Sundari' competition organized by the 'Savasa' newspaper in Bentota.

Dad gave the permission after the request of family friend Amitha Abeysekara.

Geetha also represented Sri Lanka at the 1990 Singapore International Film Festival with the film.

Since then, She is often referred to as "the prettiest girl ( සිංහල සිනමාවේ ලස්සන කෙල්ල)" on Sri Lankan silver screen and she has appeared in over 80 movies, winning the Sarasaviya Best Actress Award four times, in 1991, 1996, 2000 and 2004.

She has also received the Sarasaviya Most Popular Actress Award several times.

She won 10 awards at the 1991 Sarasaviya Awards, 09 awards at the Swarna Sankha Awards, 07 OCIC Awards and a total of 26 awards.

Geetha won both Best Actress Award and the Best Producer Award for this film.

It was also the highest-grossing film of all time at the Regal Cinema for 100 consecutive days.

In 2006, she launched official website with a ceremony at Water's Edge at Battaramulla.

As a film producer, she later produced the films Salambak Handai, Loku Duwa, Anuragaye Ananthaya, Wasuli and Geetha.

Both of her productions, Palama Yata and Loku Duwa won her the Best Film Awards at the Sarasaviya Awards Festival.

Geetha was an ardent supporter of Mahinda Rajapakse at 2010 presidential elections and was appointed as the chief organizer to Elpitiya electorate.

She unsuccessfully contested at the 2010 general elections and blamed election irregularities for her defeat.