Shalani Tharaka

Shalani was born in Balangoda to her mother Suraji Fernando, a beautician by profession and her father Susantha Wijayabandara. She had her primary education at St. Agnes Convent, Balangoda. Since her Childhood, Shalani has indicated features of a talented personality. After the primary education she moved to her mother’s hometown Negombo and had her secondary education there onwards at Newstead Girls College which became an opportunity for her to brighten up her dancing skills in western and Kandyan dancing styles.

In 2007, when she was seventeen years old, she won the beauty pageant "Sirasa Kumariya" organized by Sirasa TV which brought her into mainstream popularity. The first step in her acting career was kept by her role in the drama "Poojasanaya" by Sherly P. Delankawala,her talents took her further in the field into many more teledramas such as "Isuru Bawana", "Hansi", "Samanalee", "Api Api Wage" (I & II), "Ganga Addara" and "Sanda Sanda Wage" which became popular among all her fans. Apart from teledramas she has also contributed in the TV commercials for Hero Honda, Raino and Janet. She has also played parts in music videos such as Prihans Oya dese, mata oya D n S, Wasthuwe shafee ft Delon. In 2012 she played the role of Medhavi in the movie "Selvam." She participated in the second season of Sirasa TV's dancing reality television program Sirasa Dancing Stars.

Gonakumbura Pangukarage Shalani Tharaka Wijayabandara (sinhala: ශලනි තාරකා; born 15 November 1990), popularly known as Shalani Tharaka, is a Sri Lankan actress, model and dancer. She holds the title for the Sri Lankan beauty pageant Sirasa Kumariya which she won in 2007. She has played leading roles in many Sri Lankan teledramas, commercials and music videos.