Daniela Lavender - Award Winning Brazilian Actress

Today our focus is Award Winning Brazilian Actress Daniela Lavender.

Daniela Lavender's birth year is 1975. Her former name was Daniela Barbosa. She is a Brazilian actress. On 3 September 2007, she married Sir Ben Kingsley, an Academy Award Winning actor. In 2009 she played Hippolyta/Titania in the British Shakespeare Company's tour of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Lavender is starring in Kingsley's production company's first feature film based on the story of the Taj Mahal titled Taj.

Eearly Life

Born in Bahia, Brazil, Daniela is part of a close knit 30-strong family.Daniela studied Journalism and was awarded her Bachelor of Arts by PUC University and also studied Drama at Dirceu de Mattos College in Rio de Janeiro. Parallel to pursuing her acting career, she studied Journalism by day, continuing drama classes in the evening. It was at this time that a friend suggested she study English in London. Although her mother was a professor of English Daniela had never spoken a word of English. After a year of waitressing and studying English at every available hour she was presented with an opening to audition for London International School of Acting. The chosen audition piece was no less than ‘Queen Anne’ from Shakespeare's ‘Richard III’. Despite the language barrier Daniela persisted and it paid off as she passed the audition. Daniela began training in ballet, jazz and contemporary dance from the age of 8. Daniela has also studied Flamenco under Roberto Amaral and Yolanda Arroyo in Los Angeles.

Acting Career

Daniela was approached for a film project titled Emotional Backgammon She auditioned for actor turned director Leon Herbert and was given the leading role for which she was awarded Best Actress at the Denver Film Festival Daniela completed her European tour with the British Shakespeare Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream Daniela has starred in film projects alongside actors such as Sacha Baron Cohen and Michael Gambon (Ali G Indahouse) and Jeremy Irons (Longitude). Daniela has also starred in notable TV dramas and soaps such as EastEnders, Casualty In Taj, Daniela will play the character of Princess Kandahari Begum. The film also marks the first project in which both Sir Ben and Daniela will be starring alongside each other.

Courtesy : en.wikipedia

Madhuri Dixit - Award Wining Best Indian Actress

Madhuri Dixit is unbeaten Film personality for the Bollywood and even in World Cinema. She is very perfect character for Indian Film Industry and as well as her personal life. She is balancing both of two subjects very well. That is extremely good example for everybody in this world.

Her real name is Madhuri Shankar Dixit. She was born ON 15 may 1967. She is related to Marathi family .

Madhuru made her acting debut in ABODH (1984) but we knowing about her from TEZAAB(1988) and from this film she received 1st Filmfare nomination for best actress.

Then she started her career a lot of hits like as RAM LAKHAN (1989) ,PARINDA(1989) , TRIDEV(1989) , KISHEN KANHAIYA(1990) . She did alot of films with anil kapoor and also alot of hits with him .

In 1990 she starred romantic drama DIL , this film became one of the biggest box office hits of year in India and also she got 1st Filmfare as best actress award .

She did alot of super hit films after DIL , SAAJAN (1991) , BETA (1992) , KHALNAYAK(1993) , HUM AAP KE HEIN KON (1994) , RAJA (1995) .

Madhuri Dixit performances in BETA is very good and she won her 2nd Filmfare award as best actress .

HUM AAP KE HEIN KON , she did this film with Salman Khan and this film became one of the biggest grossers ever in the history of Indian cinema . She won an other and her 3rd Filmfare award as best actress and same year she nominated also in Filmfare as best actress for ANJAAM film , which won her critical acclaim .

After that she got an other good film with Shah Rukh Khan in DIL TO PAGAL HAI (1997), she won her 4rth Filmfare as best actress award .

She did nice films like as PUKAR with Anil Kapoor and MRITUDAND with Ayub Khan. This film we can say b/w the commercial and art films .

In 2002 she starred in DEVDAS with Sharukh Khan and Aishwaria. She won as best supporting actress award in Filmfare.

After her marriage on Dec 07 2006 , she returned to Mumbai along with her husband and she did film AAJA NACHLE in 2007 .

She married with the Indian Doctor named Sriram Madhav Nene. He is living in USA , she has two sons Avin and Raayan .

She did a lot of films which is not getting hit but nice and good films like as DAYAVAN, SAILAAB ,DEEWANA MUJHSA NAHIN , 100 DAYS , PRAHAAR , KOYLA , LAJJA and many more .

Vasanthi Chathurani - Award Wining Sri Lankan Film Personality

We all know about this film personality specially the Sri Lankans. She is Vasanthi Chathurani. She was called "Tear Drop" of the film screen one of past film generation. This is her mini biography. Hope you all love to read it.

Mini Biography For Vasanthi Chathurani

Vasanthi Chathurani is an award-winning Sri Lankan film and teledrama actress. She made her debut as a teenager in Sumitra Peiris's Gehenu Lamai in 1978. Her most acclaimed role in the silver screen was that of 'Nirmala' in Ganga Addara opposite late Vijaya Kumaratunga in 1980. She was crowned Best Actress for her performance in this film, at the Sarasaviya Awards Festival that year.

Chathurani also made her mark as a teledrama actress, in classics such as 'Iti Pahan' , 'Giraya' , 'Kadulla' and 'Gajaman Puwatha' . She won the Sumathi Most Popular Tele Actress Award in 1997 and the Sumathi Best Tele Actress Award in 1998 and 2002.

An extremely natural actress, Vasanthi Chathurani is one of the most successful personalities on Sri Lanka's silver and small screen.

Sandra Annette Bullock - Award Winning Hollywood Actress

Today MANDAKINIYA focus is Award Winning Hollywood Actresses Sandra Annette Bullock. This is her biography.

BIOGRAPHY

Birth name: Sandra Annette Bullock
Nickname: Sandy
Height: 5' 7½" (1.71 m)

Born in Arlington a Virginia suburb of Washington D.C. daughter to a German opera singer and a voice teacher, Sandra grew up on the road with her parents and younger sister. She was raised, in part, in Nuremberg. She often performed in the children's chorus of whatever production her mother was in, usually playing the part of a gypsy child in the background. Sandra and her family moved back to Virginia when she was ten years old. That singing talent later came in use for her role of an aspiring country singer in The Thing Called Love (1993). Her family moved back to the Washington D.C. area when she was a teenager.

She later enrolled in E. Carolina University in North Carolina, USA where she studied acting. Shortly thereafter she moved to New York to pursue a career on the stage. This led to acting in television programs and then feature films. She gave memorable performances in Demolition Man (1993) and Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993) but did not achieve the stardom that seemed inevitable for her until her work in the smash hit Speed (1994). She now ranks as one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood.

In 1982 she graduated from Washington-Lee High School, where she was voted "The girl most likely to brighten up your day". After high school she majored in Drama at East Carolina University in North Carolina. She then moved to New York to pursue a career in acting. She worked as a waitress, went to auditions, and tried to get herself established in the acting field. She got a role in the TV version of "Working Girl", co-starring with Nana Visitor but she hated every minute of it, and was glad when it was canceled.

She moved to Los Angeles, and got a job as a supporting role in the made-for-TV movie, "The Preppie Murder" with William Baldwin. But after making several smaller budget films (Fire in the Amazon, Who Do I Gotta Kill, etc) she replaced Lori Petty as Sylvester Stallone's partner in the futuristic action/sci-fi flick, Demolition Man. In this film, she gained a bunch of fans, and nice addition to her resume.

This helped get Sandra the part in Jan de Bont's directorial debut film, Speed, which also starred Keanu Reaves and Dennis Hopper. Speed was a huge success, grossing over 120 million dollars at the box office. In this film she stole the show from the larger stars and became a star overnight, although she missed most of the launch buzz, as she was in Europe, promoting the film.
Sandra then moved on to the hit, While You Were Sleeping, which was carried by her now-well-known name. While You Were Sleeping was a hit, bringing in 85 million, and showed that she could be very funny.
After WYWS, came The Net, and recently she starred in Two If By Sea, which brought in disappointing reviews, and didn't stay at the theaters for very long.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sandra's performances in Speed, then Demolition Man and finally Miss Congeniality. One day out of curiosity, I put on a DVD which came as a promotional bundle - hence B movies. The film was called Fire on the Amazon. I had to force myself to watch it, since the lead actor deserved a punch on the nose for his performance and the dirty cop was only slightly less annoying. Then without warning Sandra was performing a breathtaking love scene, which I watched with my jaw still on the floor.

Although the film was badly directed, the quality was poor and it was obviously made on a low budget, I applaud Ms Bullock for making the film, which I take as her statement to the rape of the rain forests all over the world. Well done Sandy.

Yashoda Wimaladharma - Senior Sri Lankan Teledrama & Film Actress

Career & Achievements

Year: 1985
Title: ATTA BINDEI (Broken branch)
Medium: 12-episode teledrama
Character: Priyanka, a school girl who is separated from her best friend as a result of ethnic conflict.
Notes: Atta Bindei was the first indoor studio television production done in Sri Lanka and Yashoís first small screen performance

Year: 1987
Title: ASALVASIYO (Neighbours)
Medium: Television series

Year: 1990
Title: GIRAYA (Sinhala translation of Punyakanthi Wijeyanayake's novel)
Medium: Television series
Director: Sir Lester James Peiris

Year: 1990-1993
Title: HIRU DAHASA (Sinhala translation of the American play, ëOur Towní)
Medium: Theatre
Character: Emily Webb
Awards: Best Actress Award in the 1990 State Drama Awards Festival
Notes: Yashoís first theatrical performance.

Year: 1990-1993
Title: KADULLA (Leaping hurdles)
Medium: Television series
Character: Manel

Yashoda Wimaladharma - Charming Beauty Of Sri Lankan Cinema

More further to her official website biography is reporting;

During her free time, she likes to be in the comfort of her home, helping her mother. She is very fond of children and enjoys taking her friendsí children out. It is nice to lead a normal life, away from the camera, public events and the limelight she says.

Even today, this versatile actress is in disbelief that she is a much-loved celebrity. Her explanation is that this is a result of her previous birth and it is her calling, her destiny. Perhaps another reason why people love Yashoda is because she is so approachable. Her warm smile and striking eyes instantly display her honest and kind mannerisms.

Yet it has not been smooth sailing for Yashoda. She had a tough time in university where she was never accepted as a fellow student. The students who were once fans of the actress felt that she did not belong in a university. The ragging and isolation were so severe that she could not attend most of her lectures. She had to study by herself, asking her father for help in Hindi, and even obtaining her notes from India. This was a turning point in Yashoís life to realize how inhuman people can be.

A well-known and popular figure as a Hindi professor and SLBC broadcaster, Yashoda’s father meant the world to her. As her role model, she greatly respected him and as his biggest fan, she loved listening to his voice. However his larger-than-life personality meant she was unable to communicate with him on the same level.

Yet things changed. Yashoda’s father was diagnosed with Parkinson ’s Disease which he battled for 15 years. Dealing with his deteriorating condition was a heart-rending time for Yasho and her family, especially when he was bedridden for the last five years of his life. She did everything for her father despite her busy schedules, taking him to the hospital, feeding him and even retelling the stories he used to recite to her as a child. A positive aspect of his illness was that Yasho was able to help her father and grow closer to him.

The most difficult situation was when her father was losing his memory and could not recognize people anymore. He would ask her where his little daughter was. She says that no one should endure such a tragic situation.

One of Yashoda’s goals is to bring greater awareness about Parkinson’s Disease in Sri Lanka as it is not well known here. It is a difficult disease to cope with, especially for the families of patients.

As an artiste, we hope to see Yasho’s dazzling eyes in varied characters as she seeks more challenging roles. Her many talents are yet to be discovered and there is no stopping Yashoda.

In her personal life, Yasho hopes to maintain a quiet life, setting up her dream home surrounded by the people she cares for. My ideal husband is someone who truly loves, appreciates and respects me as a career woman and an artiste, most of all as a human being she explains. This chapter on Yashoda is just beginning of her life.

So not even in such a grate actress as an ever loving daughter to her parents, as a caring sister to her sister and kind hearted human being to the society, we can proud of her honestly.

Yashoda Wimaladharma - Senior Sri Lankan Actress

Further to her official website biography says;

The secret to Yashoís success as an accomplished actress is to ëliveí the character in a production. She says, “You can’t act as someone else or as Yashoda. You have to breathe life into that character and become that person.” In choosing her projects, she picks challenging roles with powerful messages where she can do justice to the character.

Yashoda believes that to be a professional actress, one requires God-given talent as well as formal training. She says that Sri Lanka needs to develop its film industry further to reach international standards.

Multi-talented Yashoda has always had a flare for languages, speaking Hindi even as a child. She studied languages for Aílevels and is fluent in English, Sinhala, French and Hindi. She went on to Kelaniya University to complete her Honours Degree in Hindi. In 2002, she earned her Masters degree in Hindi from Lucknow University in India and has plans to work towards a PhD. Not letting her fans down, she continued working in movies, theatre and television throughout her university period.

Yet many question how Hindi can help her with her career as an actress. She follows her father’s advice that education is vital, no matter what career path one chooses. Furthermore, learning a language also involves learning other aspects like culture, music and literature, which she feels has helped her when portraying different characters, especially when working in foreign films.

It was her first time in theater but it didn’t stop her from winning the 1991 Best Actress Award in the State Drama Awards Festival for her portrayal of Emily Webb in "Hiru Dahasa" (directed by Withanage), a Sri Lankan adaptation of the American play based on Thornton Wilder's "Our Town". Today, Yasho continues to look back on this character who taught her many things about acting and life itself.

She strongly believes that for an artiste, theatre productions are more challenging and rewarding because the performance is ëliveí and the audience interacts simultaneously.

The role Yashoda played as a youngster attempting to retrace her roots after discovering that she is adopted in the movie, “Theertha Yathra” is another character she admires. A lot of research had to be conducted for this philosophical part which taught Yashoda much about her own self and how blessed she is.

Yasho’s portrayal of Kirimenike in Jayantha Chandrasiri’s “Agnidahaya” (Fire and Water) as a maiden in the 17th century, received rave reviews. The film itself is complex, dealing with the tragedy of human existence where people relentlessly pursue their passions, especially for power. Her inimitable style of getting into the character where one loses sight of Yashoda made it a truly stunning performance which gave fans a new perspective to Yashoís talents.

Working alongside Geraldine Chaplin (Comedian Charlie Chaplin’s daughter) in the movie about Mother Theresaís life as Sister Maria was yet another wonderful role. ìI learnt a lot from Geraldine and it was a very special project telling the story of such a giving human being, she reminisces.

Since their first meeting in 1991, Yashoda has always looked up to Irangani Serasinghe. She feels that Irangani, being ìan institute of actingî herself, is a valuable asset to Sri Lanka where one can learn so much from observing her. ìShe has been an inspiration in my career and personal life, and I am privileged to know her as well as I do. Being so courageous and full of life, I could write a book about her!î says Yashoda.

Being a child artist, she never had the same freedom that her friends enjoyed but Yasho has no regrets in her life. Her closest friends remain her seven best pals from her school days, and surprisingly Yasho is still in touch with some of her school teachers as well. Celebrity status has not changed Yashoda, she remains the same person she always was.

Yashoda Wimaladharma - The Innocent Smile Of Sri Lankan Cinema

When we talk about the present cinema from Sri Lanka to the World Cinema there is a Sri Lankan "Innocent Smile" that we can talk about very proudly. Now here we are going to tell you a brief introduction about this charming personality.

Yashoda Wimaladharma was born on October 28, 1970 in Sri Lanka to Ravi Laal Wimaladharma, a Hindi language Professor at University of Kelaniya and Mallika Wimaladharma, a former dancer and school teacher. Her sister Thusitha, now a school teacher, is seven years older than Yashoda.
Wimaladharma attended St. Paul's girl's school in a Milagiriya.

Yashoda made her cinema debut in 1990 from the film titled Gurugedara (Teacher's home) directed by Vijaya Dharmasiri, and also won the merit award for this film at Sarasaviya Film Festival in 1993.

Yashoda hosted her personal website (www.yashodaw.com) on June 18, 2003 the ceremony held at Galadari hotel, Colombo. This was the first ever website hosted by a Sri Lankan actress.

Yashoda was a very shy and timid child who kept to herself. She was always observant and had a vivid imagination, two qualities that would help her later on in life as an artiste. During her school days at St Paul’s Girls’ School in Milagiriya, her most memorable times were as a girl guide. Regular visits to hospitals and orphanages taught her about the hardship that others endured. With her generous personality, she always enjoyed helping people.

She never dreamt of becoming an actress, let alone such a successful one! If not for her uncle, director Bandula Withanage, Yashoda may have followed an academic path like her parents and sister.

Withanage invited her to take part in a 12-episode teledrama called “Atta Bindei” in 1985. Encouraged by her father, but only 15 years old and with no prior experience or training in acting, she took the role.

Her father saw her talent and felt she should continue with acting alongside her studies. She recounts a time during her AíLevels when she had to sit an exam in the morning, go for rehearsals in the evening and have film shoots the next day! Yashodaís life changed drastically after that and at first, she found the fame difficult to handle, being the reserved person she was, but her family’s support helped her get through the stressful times.