Maureen Neliya Ballard, known professionally as Jana Davi, has died. 

Born 9 January 1937, the Sri Lankan actress, dancer, model, and Miss Ceylon 1955 became the first from Ceylon to win an award at Miss Universe, placing second runner-up in 1955. 

Celebrated for putting Ceylon on the global map, she performed as a solo dancer in Los Angeles and starred in films like The King and I, Fort Bowie, and Gunmen from Laredo, signed by Universal International Studios and 20th Century Fox. 

Hingert’s legacy as a cultural ambassador endures in Sri Lanka and beyond.