Q: What is your weakest point and what is your strength?
A: My weakness is probably my ability to sympathize with others. I try to help people by putting myself in their shoes. They have misused my kindness and hurt my feelings. I love speaking my mind.
Therefore people sometimes misinterpret what I say or misunderstand my good intentions. Therefore, after 2006, I took more care not to be so open about my feelings. I was not as ‘genuine’ as I used to be. My strength is also my compassion. Looking back at the past I realize now that I gained my present status because I was compassionate towards people.
Q: How were you as a kid?
A: I was fun loving and easy going. I come from a broken family but I was very close to my mother. I am always obedient to her. I have been through the hardships that any child from a broken family goes through. I only became rebellious during my late teens! (Laughs)
I loved playing the piano and dancing. I had a positive outlook and was active. Though I was not the top of my class, I did well in my studies.
Q: How do you see your character in ‘Cinderella’?
A: Ishanka is totally me! (Laughs) When an actor portrays a character people tend to believe that the person is similar to that character. When I achieved fame as Paba, they expected me to be similar to her. Therefore, when I stammered during some of the Sinhala interviews they thought that I was doing it out of purpose! They thought that I was trying to show off that I cannot speak Sinhala properly!
I did not have to act while doing Ishanka’s character and I believe that really shows in the production. She is so like me! I am ever so grateful to Enoka Sathyangani for giving me such a character. It is the most realistic character I have portrayed.
Q: How do you handle negative criticism?
A: I try my best to see the motive behind the criticism. If it is constructive criticism, I try to accept it and deal with it. But you cannot please everyone. I have pretty much taken the decisions in my life and do not go by what people say. From the time I turned 26 years onwards I live by the people I love. I am here today because of my mother. There was a time that I almost lost myself.
If it is unfair and extreme criticism, I have spoken back to people and showed them that they are wrong. I can be a bit rude like that! (Bursts out laughing)
Q: If you could play any character in a local movie made so far, whose character would you choose?
A: Hmmm... To be honest I haven’t watched that much local movies. I do not agree with certain parts of the movies in most of those which I have watched so far. I am mostly a Bollywood fan.
However, I would love to portray Swarna Mallawarachchi’s character in ‘Dadayama’ and Sangeetha Weeraratne’s role in ‘Aswesuma.’
Q: If you could choose any Bollywood actor as your co-star for a movie, who would you choose and what genre would the movie be?
A: Oh my god!!! (Almost swoons) It would be a dream come true to share the screen with Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan! They possess amazing talent. I watched IIFA 2010 at the Sugathadasa Stadium and Hrithik was the only one who did justice to his performance.
I was quite taken by Leena Yadav’s ‘Shabd’ which stars Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai.
It is a movie which deals with a physiological disorder. I have not gotten the opportunity to portray such a character.
It signifies that if you are not emotionally strong, you could lose yourself to those emotions.
Q:Are you an animal lover?
A: (Heaves a big sigh) Oh, I love nature! You can understand god and yourself if you are close to nature. I have a pet dog, Rocky, whom I love to bits! I want to keep three more dogs. I used to keep pet fish but that never worked out.
Dogs eat and breath for us. The bond we share with them is amazing!
Q: What do you like to have for breakfast in the morning?
A: Some of the items on my list are tough to have here because they are expensive. But where I spent my childhood in Kuwait I used to have cereal and oats for breakfast.
They were not luxury food over there. They were the type of food that you would find on your menu everyday.
I like light meals since my lifestyle is not physically active.
Even string hoppers and eggs sounds fine by me.
Q: Are there some food you dislike or avoid?
A: Rotten food! (Laughs) I generally don’t go for food that that is very spicy but if it tasty and spicy, I don’t mind going through the torture!
(More laughter) I love tasting anything out there.
Q: Five things that make you smile.
A: 1) Rocky
2) Kids
3) A good movie
4) Good music
5) My handful of genuine and ‘lunatic’ friends
Q: What superpower do you dream of possessing?
A: If ‘bringing justice’ can be categorized as a superpower, I would like to possess it! (Laughs) It is not easy because everyone has a reason for what they do. If someone is being very wicked, I have no sympathy for him or her.
Q: What is the most irritating question that you have been asked?
A: ‘Why did you get into politics?’ (Grimaces) What makes it worse is that I myself do not know the answer to that question! I am very grateful to the public who voted for me but I had no intention in getting into politics in the first place. I had no motive or the background. It was purely based on circumstances.
Q: A beauty tip you would give to another woman.
A: Be yourself! Appreciate yourself. Test yourself. Everyone is unique and that is what makes the society beautiful. Be true to who you are. Beauty is only skin deep.
Q: If you could have a plastic surgery right now and change anything about yourself, what would you change?
A: (Mischievously) I would change something for sure but I wouldn’t tell you what it is! (On a more serious note) I think it is fine to do a few alterations when you grow mature, as long as you don’t overdo things. In countries like Brazil, it is a norm while it is mostly seen as a negative factor here. I have seen the world out there. Therefore, I do not shun things like this. I would like to age gracefully.
Q: Tell us about your wedding plans.
A: My fiance is a businessman. We have known each other from 2011. It has not been a long term relationship because it is only a few months back that I gave my consent to him.
We will be married this month. I will continue to act after marriage but another thing I am looking forward to is become a mom.
