Originally from the Sri Lankan hill-town of Kandy, Shalini's international upbringing took her to Newcastle, Hong Kong and then London. She first studied Social Anthropology and Violence, Conflict & Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), after which she worked for the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in Hong Kong. She then went on to complete a Masters in Acting at the Arts Educational Schools London. Since graduating in 2009, she's worked with renowned theatre companies across the UK such as Shakespeare's Globe, The Almeida, Manchester Royal Exchange and Hampstead Theatre. Her screen work includes "The White Lotus" (HBO), "The Ark" (Syfy), "Lockwood" (Netflix) and "Danny and Mick" (CBBC). She holds citizenship in Sri Lanka, the U.K. and Hong Kong.