MasterChef Sri Lanka Season 2 brings together passionate home cooks from across the country, each carrying a unique story, culinary identity and dream. As they face a series of demanding challenges, the competition celebrates Sri Lanka’s diverse flavours, traditions and the creativity shaping its evolving food culture. Here, we meet the eight contestants who have cooked their way into the Top 8.

Sonaya Rajapaksha

A 27-year-old Financial Crime Investigator from Nugegoda, Sonaya is a self-taught cook who
combines traditional Sri Lankan flavours with contemporary Western techniques. Her culinary
journey began in her early teens, inspired by international cooking shows and recipes. Calm and
methodical in the kitchen, she hopes MasterChef Sri Lanka will help her establish her culinary
identity. Her dream is to leave the corporate world and open a boutique brunch café serving
her signature Sri Lankan-Western fusion dishes.

Shelini Jayawardhana

Shelini is a 27-year-old Senior HR Executive from Kandy, currently residing in Kelaniya. Her love for gourmet cooking, travel and discovering different cuisines has shaped an elegant and creative approach to food. MasterChef Sri Lanka gives her an opportunity to step outside her professional comfort zone and test her creativity, precision and resilience. Having previously turned academic disappointment into motivation and success, Shelini enters the competition with the same determination to learn, grow and embrace a new challenge.

Narmatha Balasubramanaiam

Originally from Hatton and now residing in Mattakkuliya, Narmadha is a passionate home cook specialising in authentic country-style cuisine. Her signature dishes include handcrafted chicken biryani and vibrant seafood platters. She began cooking at the age of 12, taking on household responsibilities as her mother’s health declined. What began as a necessity grew into a lifelong passion grounded in family, discipline and perseverance. She now hopes to move closer to her dream of opening a restaurant of her own.

Mangula Sajeewani

Affectionately known as Sajee, the 37-year-old home chef and former corporate professional is a wife and mother of three. Her cooking reimagines Sri Lankan classics through creations such as Idiyappam Ravioli and a modern Kurakkan Konda Kevum. After competing in Season 1, Sajee returns with greater knowledge, refined presentation skills and renewed determination. She hopes to become an ambassador for Sri Lankan cuisine by preserving traditional recipes and presenting authentic local flavours to a new generation.

Shabnam Muzzamil

A media professional, writer and passionate home cook from Colombo, Shabnam brings together Sri Lankan, Indian, Pakistani and Asian influences. Her culinary journey took shape after moving to Singapore as a young wife, where she taught herself to cook through experimentation, cooking programmes and determination. Inspired by her 11-year-old son, who calls her “the world’s best cooker,” Shabnam sees the competition as an opportunity to build a future around food and inspire women rebuilding their lives after difficult circumstances.

Mohanrajah Sathveekan

Sathveekan is a 26-year-old aviation professional from Jaffna who prefers to let his food do the talking. Known for authentic Northern cuisine, his specialities include traditional pittu, kuzhal pittu and rich home-style curries. His MasterChef journey fulfils a dream he shared with his mother, who always hoped to see him become a celebrated chef. Beyond the competition, Sathveekan hopes to establish a culinary business that introduces the distinctive flavours and traditions of Jaffna to a wider audience.

Mohommed Yaseen

A 37-year-old electrical draftsman from Nintavur, Yaseen developed his culinary skills while helping his parents prepare meals and traditional snacks for their family food business. He is known for aromatic biryani, freshly ground spice blends and seafood dishes, particularly crab inspired by the Eastern Province. After working in Qatar for nearly a decade, he returned to Sri Lanka with a desire to pursue his passion. MasterChef Sri Lanka represents a fresh beginning and an opportunity to build a meaningful career through food.

Suvikaran MSK

Suvikaran is a 31-year-old actor, director and aspiring chef from Kanagarayankulam, Vavuniya. His cooking celebrates the traditional flavours of Jaffna and reflects his belief that food carries identity, history and community. Having begun cooking out of necessity during the difficult years of Sri Lanka’s civil conflict, he later discovered the kitchen as a place of creativity and connection. Drawing on his background in film and theatre, Suvikaran approaches each dish as a story and hopes to become an ambassador for Sri Lankan Tamil cuisine.