Multi-talented Kishani Alanki moved beyond the screen into law, entrepreneurship and becoming a beauty queen. Every role has defined a different stage of her life. She has her hands full with her latest project, a talk show titled ‘Conversations with Alanki’. “My law degree has been a great strength to me in my talk show in which I discuss topics such as politics, current affairs and law mostly. I have been an actor for the longest time.
Therefore, it’s hard to say what defines me the most. I think I’m a versatile person and I enjoy many different career paths and have been blessed to be able to do so. Everything has molded me to be who I am today!” Kishani explained with a smile. Kishani notes that she studied law because there is no other subject that she would prefer to study. “If I had to do it all over again, I’d still study law! I loved the subject, even though I do not practice,” she said. Her saree boutique ‘Radha’ takes much of her time too. She and her mother are business partners in this venture. “Radha is doing very well. It’s an exclusive saree Boutique with one of a kind sarees for special ocassions.
Most of our clients purchase sarees for special occasions and weddings. The idea belongs to my mother. She has always been inspired by sarees and has been passionate about it. Her strength, her eye for sarees and her courage has been the reason for its success! The reason ‘Radha’ sarees stands out is because we provide the finest quality sarees you can find in Sri Lanka. Each saree is unique, beautiful and elegant,” she elaborated. Reflecting on the time she represented Sri Lanka at Mr and Miss Pancontinental Kishani says that the pageant not only focused on beauty but also on the intellect and knowledge of the contestants. “I was chosen to represent the country by the National Director Prasanna Pathmanathan. The best memory about it was receiving a call saying that they’ve decided to nominate me to represent Sri Lanka! It was challenging in many ways because I had never been a part of pageants.
Therefore, I had to train to walk, model and to lose weight within a short period of time. The experience taught me a lot about resilience because there was so much expected from you! It was a completely different experience!” she recalled. Queried on what she learnt from the experience and Kishani says that she realized that girls don’t need to be a part of beauty pageants to prove themselves. “It’s a great opportunity to represent your country but I think it’s an outdated concept now especially at a time when there are so many platforms to prove your talents and capabilities. Beauty pageants expect you to look a certain way or be a certain size and to “impress”. It doesn’t seem real to me,” she said.Among the other things she is involved in is a project which is close to her heart: raising funds for underprivileged children.
Running for many years now, this has been something which she does with a lot of passion. “I think we have a duty to care for others in this world and to help make it a better place for everyone to live in. If we are privileged in life, then we should be able to give back and contribute,” she pointed out. Kishani says that the pandemic has affected most businesses around the world and its always challenging for small business owners. “The pandemic has mostly affected my other work because we can’t shoot or work during lockdowns. However there is a very interesting project on the way! I shall keep it a secret until it’s complete,” she added with a wink.
Marriage is not in the cards anytime soon for her because hasn’t found her soulmate yet. She notes it should happen only when one has found the right one or when one is truly ready to take the big leap. Kishani believes that everyone has unfulfilled dreams. She too is no exception. However, she is grateful for all the opportunities that have come her way. “My mother inspires me. Everyday people who overcome challenges in life inspire me and motivate me. My advice to youth would be to not limit yourselves to an idea and not to be influenced by what others expect you to be but to be who you truly want to be and to do what you wish to do unapologetically,” she concluded.
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