Swarna Mallawarachchi

Acting

Swarna Mallawarachchi

Born August 1, 1948 · Sri Lanka (age 78)

Swarna Mallawarachchi is a Sri Lankan film actress, also known as the "Golden star of Sinhalese cinema". She began her acting career whilst still a schoolgirl - starring in the 1966 released Sinhalese film Sath Samudura directed by Siri Gunasinghe. During a career that spans over 40 years, Swarna has won the 'Best Actress Award' 26 times.

Known For

Crystal BookCrystal Book · 1994
Crystal Book
★ 9.01994
MovieDrama
This European thriller, set in Sri Lanka, attempts to expound upon the philosophical implications of life, death, and memory. JB, an academic famed for his studies of oriental culture and alcoholic who has never recovered from his wife's suicide, returns to Sri Lanka to translate a book written on glass. It is supposed to contain Buddha's discourse upon memory. While he is there, an attractive nurse, Julia asks him to assist a young boy who wants to locate his father who is now living in a Tamil-occupied area. The Tamil terrorists will kill any trespassers. Compounding JB's conflict in deciding to go is that his former home where he lived with his wife is in that area. Unbeknownst to him, the boy is really a Tamil spy.
Let Her CryLet Her Cry · 2016
Let Her Cry
★ 6.52016
MovieDrama
When an alluring young undergrad becomes infatuated with her nearly retired professor, she stirs up the man's humdrum home life in a most unusual way.
InbetweenInbetween · 1992
Inbetween
1992
MovieDramaDocumentary
A semi-autobiographical account of a move from Sri Lanka to Britain, which explores "being inbetween East/West, mother/father, male/female". The filmmaker was born in Sri Lanka and brought up in the traditions of European culture and Roman Catholicism. He moved to England to live and work, and the film, which combines drama and documentary, is a personal account of his "negotiation of his personal history".
Bawa Karma - The Sorrow of Existence - Part IIBawa Karma - The Sorrow of Existence - Part II · 1997
Bawa Karma - The Sorrow of Existence - Part II
1997
Movie
A continuation of “Bawa Duka”; via Peduru’s family, the narrative exposes the social stasis/class discrimination encouraged by the local Sinhalese Buddhist clergy, while the arrival of the Christian missionaries signals a more progressive mindset, though at the cost of conversion to a monotheistic faith. Tyranny is not only practiced by the British colonials but equally facilitated by local traditional institutions--thus, the resultant suffering (Duka) of Peduru is a combination of the two.
Bawa Duka - The Sorrow of Existence - Part IBawa Duka - The Sorrow of Existence - Part I · 1997
Bawa Duka - The Sorrow of Existence - Part I
1997
MovieDrama
Set during the British colonial reign in Sri Lanka (1905), this powerful drama follows Peduru who descends from a line of traditional drummers, crossing over to three generations. Peduru's struggle for survival in this harsh rural hamlet exposes the repressive Buddhist institutionalization of the locals, and the hierarchical structure backed by the British colonials.
One League of SkyOne League of Sky · 1974
One League of Sky
★ 4.51974
MovieDrama
Three young men have to face the realities of adult life as they move on from youthful frolicking to battle issues of unemployment, restlessness and the allure of the city. Two of them, Jaye and Gune, unlike their other friend who finds both a job and a wife, have only each other for company, In search of quick and easy money, they fall into hands of a scheming network of underworld figures.They become hustlers and decide to outwit their contact.
Sath SamuduraSath Samudura · 1967
Sath Samudura
★ 9.01967
MovieDrama
Sath Samudura is a landmark Sri Lankan film directed by professor Siri Gunasinghe and released in 1967. This film was critically acclaimed and is considered a major work in Sri Lankan cinema. It depicts the plight of fishermen living in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka.
The HuntThe Hunt · 1984
The Hunt
★ 6.01984
MovieDramaThriller
A woman plots her revenge after being duped by a slick, ruthless man who impregnates her and tries to bail her out of marriage.

Filmography

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Crystal BookCrystal Book · 1994
Crystal Book
★ 9.01994
MovieDrama
This European thriller, set in Sri Lanka, attempts to expound upon the philosophical implications of life, death, and memory. JB, an academic famed for his studies of oriental culture and alcoholic who has never recovered from his wife's suicide, returns to Sri Lanka to translate a book written on glass. It is supposed to contain Buddha's discourse upon memory. While he is there, an attractive nurse, Julia asks him to assist a young boy who wants to locate his father who is now living in a Tamil-occupied area. The Tamil terrorists will kill any trespassers. Compounding JB's conflict in deciding to go is that his former home where he lived with his wife is in that area. Unbeknownst to him, the boy is really a Tamil spy.

Sonali Jayasinghe