Suma Latha

Sumalatha (Kannada:ಸುಮಲತಾ) (born 27 August 1963) is a popular Indian film actress. She has acted in more than 200 films in Telugu,Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi movies. Born in Chennai, she was raised in Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh and remains based inKarnataka. Sumalatha began acting at age 15, after winning an Andhra Pradesh beauty contest. She is married to Kannada star and politician Ambareesh. Her most memorable films include New Delhi, Isabella, Thoovanathumbikal, Nirakkoottu and Kannada movie Anthabeing her favorite.

Film Career

Sumalatha has appeared in many Malayalam films including Thazhvaram, Isabella, Nirakkoottu,Thoovanathumbikal, Parampara and New Delhi. Her career best acting were in Isabella as a tour guide Isabella and in Thoovanathumbikal as a sex worker, Clara opposite Mohanlal. Her biggest hit was New Delhi in which she played the role of a dancer, Maria Fernandes opposite Mammootty. Her most of the memorable and hit films were with Mammootty with whom she maintained a wonderful onscreen chemistry. The list includes New Delhi, Nirakkoottu, Parampara, Nair Sab, Dhinarathrangal etc. She has acted in many kannada movies like Antha,Aahuti, Avatara Purusha, Tayi Kanasu, Karna, Tayiya Hone, Kallarali Hoovagi, Ravichandra in which she acted with legendary actor Dr. Rajkumar. She has also acted in many Telugu films. She received the best actress Nandi Award for her role in Sruthilayalu in 1987. She is a close friend of actress Suhasini Maniratnam, her co-star in a Telugu movie. 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 the train journey to the film set. Reddy asked his cameraman, Ashok Reddy, to film the two, and added the scene to the movie’s final cut.

Personal Life

Sumalatha reportedly speaks six languages, and has acted in four. She is married to actor and Karnataka politician Ambareesh with whom she has acted in couple of movies like ‘Antha’, ‘Aahuti’, ‘Avatara Purusha’, Kallarali Hoovagi which went on to win a National Award. They supposedly met on the sets of a movie and she was attracted to Ambareesh’s bold and bindas personality. In an interview to ‘TV9 Kannada’ she mentioned she was very much attracted to his rebellious type of attitude. It seems she used to be very silent and be to herself on the sets and he encouraged her to be talkative and mingle with the crew and the people around her. They have a son named ‘Abhishek’