Sarala Kariyawasam is a Sri Lankan actress, who made her acting debut as a child artist with Deepa Mehtas Indo-Canadian film Water (2005). The movie exploring the lives of widows, living in an ashram in Varanasi, India, the movie also featured Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham in important roles. Sarala Kariyawasam of Chuyia, an eight-year-old widow, got her worldwide critical acclaim and Hollywoods Young Artist Award Foundation honored her the Best Young Performer in an International Feature Film Award.