Today, we say goodbye to Malini Fonseka. But we are not here to be sad. We are here to celebrate a beautiful life that brought hope and courage to so many people.
Everyone knew Malini as the queen of Sinhala cinema. For many years, she acted in movies that made people laugh, cry, and happy. Families would sit together to watch her films. Her acting was so real that people felt she understood their lives.
But for us, we knew Malini differently. To us, she was the queen of hearts. She was brave, kind, and always ready to help others. Just like Indira Jayasuriya, who fought cancer with strength, Malini showed us what real courage looks like.
We knew a story.
When Indira Cancer Trust asked her to help tell people about breast cancer, she said yes right away. She didn’t just become a spokesperson; she became much more than that. She became a heroine, a teacher, and a friend.
Malini had breast cancer herself. She knew how scary it could be. She knew the fear that comes when a doctor gives you bad news. She knew about the treatments, the pain, and the worry. But she also knew something else – she knew that cancer could be beaten.
When she sat in that yellow blouse for the Indira Cancer Trust’s breast cancer awareness campaign, she wasn’t acting. She was being herself – a woman who had faced cancer and won. Her message was simple but powerful: “Don’t be afraid. Fight back. You can win this battle, too.”
Her words weren’t just words. They were the truth from someone who had lived through it. When she told people to be brave, they listened because they knew she had been brave, too. When she said cancer could be defeated, they believed her because she was living proof.
Because of Malini, many women went for check-ups. Many cancers were found early. Many lives were saved. But her gift was bigger than just the numbers. She gave people something precious – hope.
When a woman got scary news from her doctor, she could remember Malini’s face and think, “If she can do it, so can I.” When families felt lost and afraid, they could remember her message of courage. When doctors and nurses worked hard to help patients, they could think of Malini and know their work mattered.
Malini understood that helping people was more important than being famous. She knew that her most important job wasn’t acting in movies. Her most important job was helping people fight cancer and win.
Even though she was sick herself, she chose to help others. She didn’t complain. She didn’t hide. Instead, she stood up and said, “Look at me. I had cancer, and I’m still here. You can be here too.”
She knew that being truly great meant helping other people. Her best performances weren’t in movies – they were in real life, in hospital rooms where she comforted sick people, in meetings where she spoke about cancer, and in quiet moments when she gave hope to people who had lost it.
Malini lived her life completely. She gave everything she had to help others. She showed us that when someone lives like this, death cannot take away what they built. Her love, courage, and kindness live on in everyone she helped.
Her story continues every time someone finds courage because of her example, every time a life is saved through early detection, and every time a family keeps hope alive during hard times.
Even in the end, Malini faced death the same way she faced everything else – with grace, strength, and dignity. She never stopped being the brave woman who taught others to be brave, too.
Today, we don’t say goodbye to Malini. We say thank you. Thank you for your movies, which brought joy to so many families. Thank you for your courage, which saved so many lives. Thank you for your big heart, which made our world better.
Thank you for showing us that real queens aren’t born—they become queens by serving others, being kind, and never giving up on helping people.
The queen of cinema has left us, but the queen of hearts will always be with us. She lives on in every person she helped save, every moment of courage she inspired, and every act of love she taught us to give.
Her message will never die: Be brave, don’t give up, help each other, and love wins.
Thank you, dear Malini. You did good work. You lived a beautiful life. Now rest in peace, knowing that your love continues through all of us.
—
Friends of Malini
