Nayanathara is a Berlin-based actor of Sri Lankan origin. She holds a BA in Acting from Catalyst Institute for Creative Arts and Technology. At Catalyst she gained hands-on experience in screen acting, original theatre and filmmaking. Catalyst proved to be a true catalyst for her artistic journey, providing the foundation to pursue acting professionally and develop an independent artistic voice.
Being raised in Sri Lanka and having lived in five different countries, today she brings that lived experiences, maturity, cultural perspectives, and grounded intensity to her work in Berlin. She seeks roles that explore complexity and emotional truth and she reflects a strong commitment to queer-inclusive storytelling.
Drawing inspiration from her own upbringing, life experiences and stories she wants to tell, it is her vision to blend emotional realism, humour, music, and visual atmosphere, to create performances that connect with audiences across cultures.
Alongside acting, Nayanathara writes original performance material and develops independent creative projects across theatre and film. Her wider artistic interests include dance, poetry, travel, and collaborative interdisciplinary work.
In 2026, Nayanathara was awarded Best Actor of the year at Catalyst Cattie Awards.
As an artist, I am interested in creating emotionally honest and culturally grounded work that connects personal experiences with wider social and human themes. Through performance, I love to explore ideas of identity, memory, displacement, belonging, and human connection.
I believe art has a responsibility beyond beauty or entertainment. It is important to me that the work I create or engage with explores social injustices, human struggles and issues that shape our communities. Drawing from both Sri Lankan cultural influences and contemporary international performance practices, I seek to create work that bridges cultures, and accessible to diverse audiences.
Whether working in theatre or film, I see art as the catalyst of change, a space for reflection and empathy.
My mission is to continue developing interdisciplinary and collaborative work that is emotionally impactful, visually engaging, and meaningful across cultural boundaries.