Devi Sakunthala

Ummu Salma (died 1 March 2019 as දේවී සකුන්තලා) [Sinhala]), popularly known by her stage name Devi Sakunthala, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. She is most notable for the role 'Angu Hami' in the television serial Kopi Kade.

Personal life Devi Sakunthala was born in Neboda, Kalutara, Sri Lanka to a Malay Muslim family. She is also known as R. A. Premavathi. Her sister Lakshmi Bai was a popular actress and singer who sung the song 'Pita Deepa Desha Jaya Gaththa'. Her parents tried to send Devi to school when she was young, but she did not want to go to school. So she couldn't read or write Sinhala.

She was married to popular comedian in Tower Hall, Piyadasa Perera who played the other main role along with Devi in the stage play Amma. To mark the 70th anniversary of her acting career, the drama troupe of Sooty Gamarala and Raigama Banda paid homage at the Tower Theater. Then in 2007, she was honored with Lifetime Achievement by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake at The Temple Trees on the occasion of the 97th Anniversary of the Tower Theater as well as Honorary Award from Sri Lanka National Arts Forum in the same year.