Sumalatha | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sumalatha in 2019 | |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 23 May 2019 – 4 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | L. R. Shivarame Gowda |
| Succeeded by | H.D.Kumaraswamy |
| Constituency | Mandya |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1963-08-27)27 August 1963 (age 62)[1] |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (2024–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent (2019–2024) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Abhishek Gowda |
| Occupation |
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Sumalatha Ambareesh (born 27 August 1963) is an Indian actress and politician. She has acted in over 220 films across multiple languages, primarily inTelugu,Malayalam, andKannada, with a few appearances inTamil andHindi cinema. She received theNandi Award forBest Actress for her role inSruthilayalu (1987).
Sumalatha is the widow of Kannada actor-politicianAmbareesh, with whom she has a son,Abhishek Ambareesh. In March 2019, she announced her candidacy for theMandya Lok Sabha seat inKarnataka. Contesting as an independent, she won the election, defeatingNikhil Kumaraswamy by a margin of over 1.25lakh votes.[2]
Sumalatha did her schooling at St. Joseph's Convent School, Brodipet,Guntur.[3] She began acting at age 15, after winning an Andhra Pradeshbeauty contest in 1979. After her pictures began circulating in the magazines, film producerD. Ramanaidu expressed interest in casting her in his film and offered her a signing amount of₹1,001 in 1979.[4] However, she made her film debut inTamil withThisai Maariya Paravaigal (1979). She was named the Best New Face following the film.
She entered the Telugu film industry withSamajaniki Saval (1979). She made her Kannada debut withRavichandra (1980) oppositeDr. Rajkumar her Malayalam debut withMoorkhan (1980). She wasRajinikanth's heroine along withRati Agnihotri in films likeMurattu Kaalai andKazhugu. She was the heroine of legendary Malayalam actorJayan's last filmKolilakkam (1981).
Sumalatha reportedly speaks six languages, and has acted in five appearing in manyTelugu,Malayalam,Kannada films and a few inTamil andHindi. Her most memorable Malayalam films includeThazhvaram,Isabella,Nirakkoottu,Dhinarathrangal,Thoovanathumbikal,Parampara andNew Delhi.[5] Her popular Kannada movies includeAahuti,Avatara Purusha,New Delhi,Taayi Kanasu,Karna,Hong Kongnalli Agent Amar,Taayiya Hone andKallarali Hoovagii.
She received the best actress Nandi Award for her role inShrutilayalu in 1987.
She is a close friend of actressSuhasini Maniratnam. The friendship between the two provided the material for a candid scene in the film, when director Kodandarami Reddy noticed Suhasini combing Sumalatha's long hair on a train journey to the film set. Reddy had asked his cameraman, Ashok Reddy, to film the two and added the scene to the movie's final cut.[6]
Sumalatha marriedKannada actor and politicianAmbareesh on 8 December 1991 and their son Abhishek Gowda was born in the year 1993.[citation needed] She starred alongside Ambareesh[citation needed] in movies likeAahuti,Avatara Purusha,Kallarali Hoovagi,New Delhi andSri Manjunatha.Kallarali Hoovagi went on to win aNational Film Award.
In an interview withTV9 Kannada, the couple revealed that they first met each other on the sets of the movieAahuti. In the course of the interview, Sumalatha expressed that Ambareesh wasextroverted and gregarious in nature where as she leaned more towards anintroverted andconscientious personality on the sets. She shared memories of Ambareesh giving her friendly advice to mingle with other co-stars on set by involving herself in group activities; else it could lead to misunderstandings. She revealed that it was Ambareesh's bold, and carefree personality that made him memorable and attractive to her.[7][8]
On 24 November 2018 Ambareesh died due to a cardiac arrest.[9] Sumalatha shared an emotional letter addressed to late Ambareesh on 8 December 2018, their 27th wedding anniversary.[10][non-primary source needed] On 6 July 2020, it was reported that Sumalatha tested positive forCOVID-19 and had placed herself in home quarantine.
In March 2019, Sumalatha announced that she would be contesting as an independent candidate in the2019 Indian general election in Karnataka (Lok Sabha) fromMandya.[11] She was backed by big stars from theKannada film industry likeDarshan,Yash,Rockline Venkatesh,Doddanna.[12]Bharatiya Janata Party decided not to field a candidate inMandya in efforts to support her. Some of theCongress Party workers supported her indirectly due to the history of traditional rivalry between JDS - Congress rivalry inMandya which was a tricky situation for congress.[13] She won, defeating Nikhil with a margin of 128,876 votes.[14] She is the first Independent womanMember of parliament fromKarnataka.[15]
Sumalatha joined BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha Elections on 05 April 2024 in the presence of Former Chief MinistersB S Yediyurappa &D V Sadananda Gowda, State President B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly R Ashoka, national General Secretary in-charge of elections in Karnataka Radha Mohan Das Agarwal.[16][17]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| 1977–1980 |
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| 2011–present |
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