Today I have an award winning actress and also someone who is humble about all her achievements – Yashoda Wimaladharma. She is a past student of St. Paul’s Girls school Milagiriya. This soft spoken mega star comes from a family who believed in her and supported her talent, although they hail from an academic background. Her acting debut was with her uncle Withanage when she starred at the age of 15 in a tele-drama titled Atta Bindei in 1985.

Yashoda has always had a flair for languages speaking Hindi as a child. She studied languages for A/Ls and is fluent in English, Sinhala, French and Hindi. Then she went on to Kelaniya University to complete her Honours degree in Hindi in 2002. Then she earned her Masters degree in Hindi in Lucknow University in India. Today she speaks to me on The Buzz. Hope you enjoy.

1. Full Name: Yashoda Wimaladharma

2. Home Town: Colombo

3. Status: Single

4. Birthday: 28th October

5. Idols: My father, mother and Audrey Hepburn.

6. Passion: To act and to practice the techniques of acting all the time.

7. Favourite colour: Amber

8. What made you get into acting?

It was totally a surprise.. I still don't know why my uncle Bandula Vithanage invited me to act. As a child I was very shy, silent and timid. Apart from being a Girl Guide, I didn't do any extra activities related to arts in school. (I studied at St' Paul's Milagiriya Girls School). It was in 1984 when I was first offered a role in a television series called "ATHTHA BINDEYI". I refused but my father encouraged me to do the role at the age of 14. After doing it I developed an interest towards it surprisingly. My father was my mentor and my guide behind my success.

9. Biggest challenge in my profession?

After my first role I was offered a major role on stage and "Hiru Dahasa" was my first play. During the six months of the rehearsal period, I learned the basics in acting and the stage was very challenging. Forgetting your own identity and getting into someone else's soul and heart is very very challenging. Finding the key to get in to someone else and live in her is the biggest challange in acting because we have to make people feel for the role. So from there onwards I started getting acting lessons to make that challenge interesting.

10. Do you believe in keeping in touch with your friends?

Of course I do and I'm still in touch with all my school friends. There are 7 of us from grade 6. We still meet often, celebrate birthdays. we are still together like when we were in school.

11. Family?

My father was a famous person. He was the Hindi professor at Kelaniya University. He was Ravilal Wimaladharma and he was the first Sri Lankan to start a Hindi broadcasting service from the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corperation to Indian listeners. He was into media, music and many more. He passed away 14 years ago in the year 2000. My mother was a Kandyan dancing teacher and she has retired now. And I have a sister who's elder to me. She's also a teacher by profession.

12. Nicknames?

In my family there are only two girls. But my parents used to call me "Putha". So that became my nickname even among school friends and relatives.

13. Favourite hangout?

Since I started my career as a schoolgirl, I missed lot of normal things that girls would do and my time was totally devoted to studies and acting. Ever since then I've been busy and never had time to hang out.

14. Would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?

I feel as though every human being is a combination of both.

15. How do you celebrate your victories?

I don't take life as a competition of many things as there are many hurdles and challenges you get in life. I face them courageously and overcome it successfully. That's not a victory to celebrate. Every human goes through these things in life.

16. If you could learn one language fluently, what would it be?

It's the Hindi language (that's why I learnt it fluently).

17. If you had to describe yourself as a flavour, what would it be?

Totally a traditional cultured Sri Lankan flavour.

18. If you were in a band what instrument/role would you play?

I would love to play the piano. Wish I could play.

19. If you were born as Shakespeare and if you were to write a play about Sri Lanka, what would you call it?

"Sri Lanka is indeed a paradise" (the name of the play).

20. Would you rather have a man's top half and a woman's bottom half?

I'm extremely happy with the way I look as a graceful woman. I don't want to change anything about myself.

21. Your thoughts on the country's current situation?

I'm quite happy to say that today Sri Lanka is the most safest country in the whole of Southern Asia. And that's the most wonderful feeling any human being could have. As Sri Lankans we should be happy about it. And within a short period of time the whole country is gradually developing in every way. And time has come now for us as citizens to do our duties to the country. And give our services genuinely to the development of the country in every possible way.

22. Malini Fonseka or Nita Fernando. Who's your personal favourite on screen?

Both of them have great talent in their own way. They have made us proud by giving great performances on screen and working hard in the films. That was a golden era of Sinhala cinema. Most of all, they both brought international recognition to Sri Lankan cinema by winning international awards. Actors cannot be compared. Malini Akka is unique in her peformances. Nita Akka is also unique in her own way.  

23. Would you call yourself a diva?

Not at all. I'm a simple human being who lives a very simple lifestyle by keeping my two feet on the ground. Therefore I don't even see myself as a star. My profession is acting and when I'm away from the camera I'm just another human being. I want people to remember me as a talented artiste. And all the performances I did remains in their hearts even when I'm dead and gone someday. I truly believe in it.

24. Roshan, Menaka or Suraj. Who's your personal favourite?

I look at any other artists through their talent. All three of them are very talented in their own way. All they need is better opportunities to show their talent to develop their talent. I wish and pray that they will get better chances all the time. I want all of them to be successful cos they are my next generation. Without a next generation an industry cannot develop.

25. Five things that makes you angry? (all 5 are in relevant to the subject of acting)

1.Not being punctual
2.Not focusing  about one's role
3.Not learning your lines and positions.
4.When you are not supporting your opposite actor when you are off camera.
5.When trying to pretend without living in the role.

26.Fun..

Rebound relationships: Good
Teenage parents: Bad
Pirated download: Very bad.
Democracy: Good.

27.What's the most inspiring movie you've seen?

Dr.Lester James Peiris' "NIDHANAYA". Even as a child artiste it inspired me and made me learn acting techniques. It made me find out how they became Willy Abeynayake and Irene. Without giving a single mannerism of Mr.Gamini Fonseka and Malini Fonseka. Every time I watch it, it still inspires me. Great.

28.What's one thing you refuse to share?

Always being in a busy schedule as a human being anyone need a little bit of time for your own self within a day. It may be 10 minutes depending on the schedule within that day. So that little time cannot be shared as I need to breathe.