Ramya, born Divya Spandana on 29 November 1982, is an Indian film actress and former politician known primarily for her work in Kannada cinema. She also appeared in a number of Tamil and Telugu films during the 2000s and early 2010s, and later served as a Member of Parliament representing the Indian National Congress.
| Birth name | Divya Spandana |
|---|---|
| Stage name | Ramya |
| Date of birth | 29 November 1982 |
| Primary industry | Kannada cinema (Sandalwood) |
| Other industries | Tamil, Telugu cinema |
| Debut film | Abhi (2003, Kannada) |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Public office | Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (Mandya constituency) |
Ramya was educated in Bengaluru and entered the film industry as a teenager. She adopted the screen name "Ramya" early in her acting career, and became one of the leading actresses in Kannada cinema during the mid-2000s.
Ramya made her debut in the Tamil film Kadhal Sadugudu (2003), and her Kannada debut with Abhi the same year, opposite Puneeth Rajkumar. The success of Abhi established her as a leading actress in Sandalwood.
She went on to appear in several commercially successful Kannada films, working with prominent directors and actors of the era. Her notable Kannada films include Excuse Me, Amrithadhare, Mungaru Male-era productions, Sevanthi Sevanthi, and Sanju Weds Geetha. She received the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Amrithadhare.
In Tamil cinema she appeared in films such as Arinthum Ariyamalum, while her Telugu work included roles in mainstream commercial productions.
Ramya joined the Indian National Congress and was elected to the Lok Sabha in a by-election from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka in 2013, following the death of the sitting MP. She served until the conclusion of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. She contested the 2014 general election from the same seat but was defeated.
She was subsequently appointed head of the social media cell of the Indian National Congress, a role in which she oversaw the party's digital communication strategy for a period before stepping down.
Ramya has been associated with various social and cultural causes in Karnataka. Her transition from mainstream cinema to electoral politics, and later to party communications, made her one of the more visible film personalities to take up a sustained political role in the state.
Ramya is regarded as one of the prominent Kannada film actresses of the 2000s decade and was among the few female leads of her generation to combine a successful film career with elected public office. Her tenure as an MP from Mandya and her later digital communications role for a national party are often cited as examples of the increasing intersection of South Indian cinema and Indian politics.