Mohan Niyaz is a Sri Lankan film director, producer, screenwriter, and an attorney at law. He is one of the most successful and acclaimed filmmakers in the country, with a career spanning over three decades. He is recognized in the industry for pursuing more serious topics of today's generation.

Seiyad Lebbe Mohammed Niyaz was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka. His father, Seiyad Mohammed was a businessman and an Ayurvedic Physician and his mother, Saliha Umma too was a Ayurvedic Physican. He was raised in Peradeniya, closer to the Mahaweli River and Peradeniya Railway Station. Niyaz was the youngest child of the family. He has eight siblings - His older brothers, Hassim, Mahroof, Surajdeen and Jabir, and his older sisters, Zahra, Asma, Faudina and Raufa. Niyaz was raised as Muslim.

Niyaz attended St. Sylvester's College Kandy and was known to be a very clever student. Niyaz played on the football and hockey team at St. Sylvester's. Niyaz was an introspective person and found pleasure in artwork, painting, drawing, and watching movies. His future work would be heavily influenced by the works of such childhood heroes as Ritwik Ghatak and Alfred Hitchcock. After passing his G.C.E. Advanced Levels Examination successfully, Niyaz attended University of Peradeniya to study law.

Growing up, Niyaz had an obsession with movies. He and his family used to watch movies all the time at theaters around Kandy. Niyaz was influenced by films such as Rashomon, Psycho and Doctor Zhivago. When he was 18, Niyaz shot his first 35mm black and white negatives short film using an Arriflex 2C. In 1986 he wrote the Sinhala movie script Mala Daruwo and went on to direct it. However financial issues arrived with the producer of the movie, and production was cancelled.

Niyaz, when he turned 21, directed the sinhala teledrama Man Nathi Da (The Day I am not there anymore) which was written by famous play-writer, K. B. Herath. The Teledrama was tele-casted in Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. The teledrama starred famous dramatist, movie and teledrama actor, Jayalath Manorathne in the leading role. The Teledrama became the most watched program in TV, and Niyaz eventually became famous. From there onwards Niyaz made an alias for himself, Mohan Niyaz.

Next Niyaz wrote and directed the sinhala teledrama Sihina Issawa (Dreams of the beyond) which featured the love story of a mermaid and an architect. Niyaz wrote and directed the teledrama, Unmadha Rathriya (The Insane Night) for MTV (now known as Sirasa TV). Niyaz next directed Sri Lanka's First English Teledrama, starring Anarkali Akarsha, Sanoja Bibile and the late Rex Koddippili, Silk and Sapphire.

Niyaz was inspired to write the movie Yasoma based on true incidents in 1994, and he pitched the script to famous actress Nadeeka Gunasekara. Nadeeka was impressed by Niyaz's pitch, and showed the script to producer Buddhi Keerthisena. Buddhi, who was impressed by the script too wanted to buy it from Niyaz and get famous filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage to direct it. However Niyaz refused and said he wanted to direct the movie himself. After long discussions, Niyaz directed his first movie, Yasoma. Yasoma became a blockbuster movie, and it played in theaters all island for more than 100 days. Nadeeka Gunasekara, Lucky Dias, Ravindra Randeniya, Cletus Mendis, Sanoja Bibile in leading roles.

In the meantime, British Writer, John Adams met with Niyaz in 1995 and pitched his English Language movie, Blendings. This movie was produced by AA Productions, a joint venture with a company based on London. The cast of the movie included both British as well as Sri Lankan stars.The film is based on the Plantation Raj era of the late 1800's, where a young British Planter falls in love with a Sri Lankan girl. This Film was screened at the 49th Cairo International film festival and Long beach International film festival USA in the year 1997. Blendings became the winner of the special jury award at the critics film festival conducted by the Asian Film Center. The film stars John Adams, Cyrill Wickramage, Sabeetha Perera, Roger Senevirathne, Jane Adams in leading roles.

In the year 1996, famous actress and producer Geetha Kumarasinghe met with Niyaz to produce the movie Anuragaye Ananthaya. The film stars Geetha Kumarasinghe, Lucky Dias, Cyrill Wickramage, Rex Kodippili, Mahendra Perera & Palitha Silva in leading roles. The film landed on theaters in the year 2000.

In 1998, Niyaz wrote and directed the R rated, Suspense thriller Sanda Yahanata which was produced by Anil Jayasooriya. The film marked the debut cinema appearance of Paboda Sandeepani. The film follows of Viveka, a woman trapped inside male oppositions and political rivals. Sabeetha Perera, Sanath Gunathilake, Palitha Silva, Cletus Mendis and Roshan Pilapitiya plays the leading roles in this film. The film played in theaters in 2000,

In 1999, Niyaz wrote and directed the romance movie Kalu Sudu Mal, which he also produced under his production company Cinemangani Films. Amal Rodrigo co-produced the movie. The film was screened at Film Festivals at Australia and France. The film stars Kamal Addararachchi, Dilhani Ekanayake, Yashoda Wimaladharma, Linton Semage & Veena Jayakody in leading roles. The film played in theaters in 2002.

In 2005, Niyaz wrote and directed Eka Malaka Pethi a musical movie. The movie was produced by Jagath Wijenayake for Silumina Films. The film had both famous singers Nalin Perera and Reema Ginger debut acting and in leading roles. The cast also includes famous actors Roshan Pilapitiya, Rex Kodippili, Manel Wanaguru, Anarkali Akarsha, Buddhika Jayarathne. Rookantha Gunathilake, Nalin Perera & Kasun Kalhara composed music and songs for this movie along with Sarath Wickrama.

Niyaz created the Teledrama Sihinayak Pata Patin in 2005, based on the popular picture story, Pata Pata Heenayak published in a well-known magazine SATHUTA in late 70s by Janaka Rathnayaka. Niyaz was a fan of the comics as a child, and when he was writing this teledrama, he added his personal experiences from when he was a student at the university to the story. Sihinayak Pata Patin became the most watched Teledrama in 2005, and it is considered as the best teledrama by Mohan Niyaz. Sihinayak Pata Patin was telecasted in Swarnawahini. Dinidu Jagoda, Anarkali Akarsha, Suraj Mapa and Manthi Manjula Thulara (Now known as Manjula Kumari) starred in leading roles of this teledrama.

As a picture story fan, Niyaz also loved the picture story Hithata Wahal Weemi by Sarath Kavirathne which was published in the Siththara magazine, which he directed as a Teledrama for Sirasa TV as Hithata Wahal Weemi. The teledrama follows of a love triangle between teenagers. In leading roles is Niroshan Wijesinghe, Dinakshie Priyasad, Kishani Alanki, Sarath Chandrasiri and Priyantha Senevirathne. The title theme song is composed by Dinesh Subasinghe which has become very famous among youngsters.

After the teledrama, Man Nathi Da's success, Niyaz decided to do a movie based on the same story. Therefore, Niyaz and K. B. Herath wrote the movie Api Marenne Na. Niyaz directed the movie in 2012, and he produced the movie himself under Cinemangani Films. Ruwan Rukmal Thilakarathne co produced the movie. The movie follows the story about a man who pretends his death, witnesses the reaction of the society and which places him in a complex situation and makes him frustrated. Palitha Silva, Semini Iddamalgoda, Kumara Thirimadura, Lucky Dias, Sarath Kothalawala, Anton Jude and D.B. Gangodathenna are in leading roles of this film. Api Marenne Na is Sri Lanka's first Black Comedy Film and played in theaters in 2014.

Growing up in hill country, Niyaz always dreamed of filming a historical movie, especially about the last king of Sri Lanka, King Sri Vickrama Rajasinha.

That dream came true when Niyaz started production for his first historical movie, Sri Wickrama. Sri Wickrama is produced by Dr. Lelwala Gihan Godakanda for Vendol Media (PVT). This movie will featured the biggest sets a Sri Lankan movie will ever have and is a High Budget Film. Sri Wickrama featured Akila Dhanuddara, Shriyantha Mendis, Palitha Silva, Roshan Pilapitiya, Chanchala Warnasooriya, Shyam Fernando, Chulakshi Ranathunga, Shiny Nethicumara in leading roles. Sri Wickrama was released in cinemas in 2023.

In 2024, Mohan Niyaz released one of his major action romance comedy films, Bambara Wasanthe, starring Channa Perera and Tanasha Hatharasinghe in leading roles. Bambara Wasanthe is known for it's extremely amazing camera work by K. D. Dayananda.

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Mohan Niyaz

Director

Writer

Producer

Casting Director