Amol Ramsing Kolhe is an Indian actor and politician from Maharashtra. He is widely known for portraying Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Marathi historical television serials, and has served as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha representing the Shirur constituency in Pune district.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Name | Amol Ramsing Kolhe |
| Profession | Actor, politician, medical doctor |
| Nationality | Indian |
| State | Maharashtra |
| Constituency | Shirur (Lok Sabha) |
| Party | Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) |
| Known for | Roles as Sambhaji Maharaj and Shivaji Maharaj on Marathi television |
Kolhe trained as a medical doctor before pursuing a full-time career in acting. He hails from Maharashtra and has been associated with Marathi cultural and historical themes throughout his public life. His combination of professional training in medicine, acting, and public speaking has shaped his public persona.
Kolhe rose to prominence on Marathi television through historical serials based on the Maratha Empire. He played Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in Raja Shivchhatrapati, a serial centred on the life of Shivaji Maharaj, and later portrayed Shivaji Maharaj himself in Swarajyarakshak Sambhaji, which focused on the reign of Sambhaji. These roles established him as a recognisable face in Maharashtra's popular culture and gave him a wide following, particularly among audiences interested in Maratha history.
He has also been associated with stage performances and public lectures (vyakhyans) on Maratha history, often delivered in costume or with dramatic narration.
Kolhe entered electoral politics with the Shiv Sena before moving to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the 2019 Indian general election. Contesting from the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 on an NCP ticket, he defeated the sitting member and entered the 17th Lok Sabha.
Following the 2023 split in the Nationalist Congress Party, Kolhe aligned with the faction led by Sharad Pawar, known as the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). He was re-elected from Shirur in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, returning to Parliament for a second term.
Kolhe is among a small group of Indian public figures who have moved from popular historical drama on television to elected office, leveraging mass recognition built through cultural roles. In Maharashtra, his portrayals of Shivaji and Sambhaji are frequently invoked in his political messaging, linking his cultural appeal in the Maratha-majority region with constituency-level politics in western Maharashtra.