She first appeared as a 6-month-old baby in the movie
Vena Swargayak Kumatada, a
Robin Tampoe production in 1960. Having entered the silver screen at a very young age, she did 'child' roles in
Suwaneetha Lalini,
Suhada Divi Piduma,
Sithaka Mahima,
Satha Panaha,
Athulveema Thahanam,
Senehasa,
Penawa Neda and was known as
Baby Shyama. In 1969 her father launched their first production
Pravesam Vanna and cast her in a dual role opposite
Tony Ranasinghe,
Malini Fonseka and
Joe Abeywickrama in her first leading role. In 1969 she won the
Lanka Deepa Deepasika award for best child artists in Sri Lankan Sinhala Cinema’s 25 years history for the portrayal of twin sisters in her father’s first home production
Pravesam Venna, an MSA films release. In 1975, Shayama acted in the first of the Shayama series in
Mage Nangi Shayama with
Roy de Silva,
H. R. Jothipala and
Sumana Amarasinghe directed by her father. In 1978 she appeared in dual roles in the movie
Chandi Shyama which won the J.R. Jayawardena presidential award for one of the highest collections by a movie cinema since its beginning in 1948. She did a dual role in the film with
Gamini Fonseka, which was her most commercially successful film. In the third of the Shyama series
Hello Shayama (1982) she was cast as a dutiful daughter who competes with her father,
Gamini Fonseka to do justice for her mother. In the same year
Gehenu Lamai directed by
Sumitra Peries had Shayama played as "Padmini". The film was based on novel
Gehenu Lamai written by Karunasena Jayalath. He praised her acting as the same as the character he had imagined while writing the book. Ananda was the O.C.I.C. award recipient for this role. The film was based on popular Hollywood film
Home Alone. ==Filmography==