Perera was noticed by the film director and producer D. B. Nihalsinghe while he was reporting on NYSC.
As a present for completing the SSC examination, Nihalsinghe's father veteran journalist D.B Dhanapala presented him with a 16mm Bolex cine camera.
Weerasinghe rose to popularity in cinema after winning the Silver Peacock Award for the Best Actress at the New Delhi International Film Festival in 1987 for the film Maldeniye Simion, directed by D.B. Nihalsinghe.