Kishani Alanki Perera To Represent Sri Lanka in Pan Continental Pageant
By Sadhana Senanayake
Kishani Alanki Perera is a well known actress, model and presenter. She was discovered at the tender age of fifteen and has gone on to star in a wide range of media from teledramas, music videos, commercials and presenting TV shows. With so much already under her belt, Kishani plans to go a step further by stepping into the world of pageants.
In November, Kishani will represent Sri Lanka for the Miss Pancontinental Pagent which will be held for the first time in the Philippines. On how she got started in the world of pageantry she says, “I was always invited to do beauty contests but never had the urge to take part. Instead, I focused on my acting and presenting career and also pursued my law degree. I was first spotted by a well known photographer who invited me to be the cover girl of a magazine many years ago, and since then acting and modelling offers always poured in. I truly enjoy acting and presenting but never considered the pageant industry. The national director, Prasanna Pathmanathan selected me for this pageant, as he felt that I was the best candidate. Anuj Ranasinghe also will be representing Sri Lanka as Mr. Sri Lanka Pan continental.”
With all her work in the media, Kishani puts her heart and soul into everything she does, and she plans on doing the same for this pageant. “It will take a lot of work and preparation to take part in the international pageant.” She says, “But I am excited and honoured to have been selected to represent our country. I know this will be a life changing and memorable experience and I look forward to meeting delegates from all the countries and to be an ambassador in exposing the Sri Lankan culture to the world.”
Kishani is a great role model for young Sri Lankan women, as she shows that you can do anything you set your mind to, as long as you have confidence in yourself and don’t change who you are. “The best advice that I have been given was from mum.” She says, “She always wanted me to believe in myself and to always be myself. This is what every girl should do and this is what will make any girl stand out. It is always important to maintain your individuality. Always stay humble and grounded, that would take you higher in life!”
On what her future plans are, Kishani plans to return to her acting career in Sri Lanka, “I am also an ambassador of the Foundation of Goodness, which is a charity organisation that is involved in community work and helping underprivileged kids in rural areas of Sri Lanka to obtain an education. I hope to continue this work in the future too as it is very important to me. Furthermore, I hope to use this title I have obtained as a platform to raise more awareness about diabetes which is the main theme of this pageant as it affects so many people around the world.”
