Death of popular actress Shanthi Lekha

Popular actress of yesteryear Shanthi Lekha passed away in France yesterday. She was 79 and was ailing for some time.

A pioneer from the early days of the Sinhala Cinema she was a much sought after actress who performed many a memorable role that won for her much acclaim.

Along with stalwarts such as Denavaka Hamine, Ruby de Mel and Pearl Vasudevi, Shanthi Lekha was mostly cast in the role of the mother to the popular stars of the Sinhala cinema but also gave out some unique performances in character roles and was equally a household name in that era of the Sinhala cinema. Funeral arrangements will be notified later.