The Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi — Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, at this time when condolence motions on several former Members are before us, I wish particularly to speak on the late Hon. Malini Fonseka, former MP.

¶ 02 I first convey our respect, emotion, and condolences to her close relatives and friends present in the Gallery, and to the families of the other late Members.

¶ 03 Hon. Malini Fonseka entered Parliament in 2010 via the National List of the United People’s Freedom Alliance. From the appreciations heard today, we understand the value of the life she led. While her parliamentary tenure was brief, her prime field was cinema, theatre, and television — the visual arts.

¶ 04 Born on 30 April 1947, she passed away on 24 May 2025, after a fulfilled life of 78 years. Hailing from Kelaniya, she had her early education in Nugegoda and secondary at Gurukula Vidyalaya, Kelaniya. Her talents were identified by the renowned dance teacher S. Malalasekara at Gurukula, who guided her onto the performance path. Her first notable stage performance was in 1963 in the school play “Noratha Ratha,” produced by H.W. Weerasiri for Vidyalankara Natya Sangamaya.

¶ 05 From 1963–1969, she shone on stage. After the eminent dramatist Joe Abeywickrama and film director Tissa Liyanage noticed her in “Akal Wessa,” she was cast in the film “Punchi Baba” (1968). From that debut until the end of her life, she remained an active performer, enacting roles in over 150 films — an extraordinary span by any standard. She bridged all three dominant streams of Sinhala cinema identified by scholars — popular imitative films, popular literary adaptations, and art cinema — excelling in each.

¶ 06 From early landmarks like “Nidhanaya” (1972) to “Wekande Walauwa” (2003), she contributed to cinematic masterpieces by Dr. Lester James Peries, while also leading in box-office successes by directors like Lenin Morais and Neil Rupasinghe, and art-house films by Dharmasena Pathiraja, Vasantha Obeysekera, and Prasanna Vithanage.

¶ 07 The year 2025 marks 100 years of Sri Lankan cinema, dating from “Rajakeeya Vikramaya” (“Shantha”) in 1925, whose lead actor later became Finance Minister Dr. N.M. Perera. In this centenary year, we lost Malini Fonseka. Her accolades are well known, but I wish to note a gap: since 1967, there has been insufficient advanced academic research on her oeuvre. Prof. Saumya Liyanage’s oration at her felicitation was a rare critical evaluation; such scholarship should be expanded.

¶ 08 Her range — the swift, subtle transitions within complex characters — was not merely the product of formal training but of innate artistry. From Pathiraja’s “Soldadu Unnahe” and “Bambaru Avith,” her performances merit renewed critical study. She helped introduce new concepts and equilibria to acting; her legacy deserves in‑depth research. The finest tribute would be to finally establish a national film and performing arts school and a national film archive to preserve our celluloid heritage for future study.

¶ 09 She also served as juror and industry advocate. We extend our condolences to her family, including Ms. Damayanthi Fonseka in the Gallery, and to the broader artistic family. May she attain the supreme bliss of peace. Thank you.