Sumalatha

Sumalatha Ambareesh—now, there’s a name that rings bells in pretty much every South Indian household. Born in Chennai, but she’s all heart for Karnataka. She jumped into movies way back in ‘79, kicking things off with the Kannada flick “Ganeshana Maduve.” After that, honestly, she was everywhere—Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, even a few Hindi films. People remember her for stuff like “Anuraga Aralithu,” “Neenu Nakkare Haalu Sakkare,” and “Thayi Mamathe.” She really had this knack for picking roles that were all over the map—never boxed into just one type. But acting’s just half the story. After her husband Ambareesh—legendary actor and politician—passed away, Sumalatha didn’t just sit back. Nope, she threw herself into politics. In 2019, she ran as an independent for the Mandya Lok Sabha seat. And get this—she won, first woman ever to represent Mandya in Parliament. That’s not some small-time achievement in a place where politics is a full-on battleground. People in Karnataka genuinely respect her, both for the movies and for what she’s done in public service. She’s got this reputation for being tough, honest, and not just riding on her husband’s legacy. Fans still talk about her old films, but these days, you’ll hear just as much about her work in Parliament. Kind of wild how she balances both worlds, right? It’s rare, but she makes it look easy.