Sarala Kariyawasam Child actress originally from Sri Lanka Country: Sri Lanka

1. Sarala Kariyawasam - A Child Actress from Sri Lanka
2. Award-winning Performance in 'Water'
3. A Bright Talent
4. Overcoming Challenges
5. 'Water' - A Powerful Story

Sarala Kariyawasam - A Child Actress from Sri Lanka

Sarala Kariyawasam is a young actress from Galle, Sri Lanka. She is currently a student at Sangamitta Girls College, where she is also the first child actress from Sri Lanka to make her debut in international cinema. Sarala is also participating in a national children's television show. In an interview, Sarala expressed her hopes of becoming a doctor in the future. Her favorite subjects are English, mathematics, and natural sciences. She is the youngest child in her family, with an older sister and brother.

Award-winning Performance in 'Water'

Sarala received international recognition and acclaim for her role in Deepa Mehta's film 'Water'. The Hollywood Young Actors Foundation awarded Sarala the 'Best Child Actor' international prize for her outstanding performance. The film 'Water' became extremely popular in Sri Lanka. Sarala was one of fifty girls who auditioned for Mehta for the chance to play the lead role. At the age of only eight, she impressed the director and was chosen for the role. Before this, Sarala had participated in several school plays and won first place in a national talent competition.

A Bright Talent

Sarala's incredible talent caught the attention of Maurine Dragon, the chairperson of the Young Actors Foundation, which has been scouting for talented children worldwide for twenty-eight years. Dragon said, "Sarala delivered an exceptional performance in a brilliant film that should have captured much more attention in Hollywood." Sarala's dedication to her craft was evident as she didn't know a word of Hindi and had to memorize all her dialogues. However, she portrayed her character with such skill that she left many critics amazed. After the film's premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, one critic said, "The entire film rests on Sarala's extraordinary portrayal of a girl whose spirit remains unbroken. She exudes immense emotional energy."

Overcoming Challenges

When Sarala discovered her acting talent, she didn't know either English or Hindi. However, to the delight of the director, she managed to learn both languages in just a few weeks. The film was shot over three months. One sacrifice Sarala had to make for the role was shaving her head, which was a difficult decision for her as she cherished her long hair, which she had grown since childhood. Nevertheless, she agreed to take this step to match her character in the film.

'Water' - A Powerful Story

The film tells the story of the harsh treatment of widows in 1930s India. Sarala played a young girl who lost her husband at the age of eight and was sent to an ashram with other widows, where she had to live an austere life, sleeping on a concrete floor, begging for alms, and even being forced into prostitution. She became friends with another widow, portrayed by Lisa Ray. A British critic remarked, "Sarala is simply enchanting; her innocence and shyness reflect back on ourselves. Her childlike performance is even more astonishing considering she didn't know a word of English or Hindi and learned the entire script phonetically... A magnificent and deeply moving film; the images of the girls will stay with us forever."