Ramya (actress)

Divya Spandana (born 29 November 1982), known professionally as Ramya, is an Indian actress, film producer and politician. She served as the Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, representing the Mandya constituency in Karnataka. Primarily known for her work in Kannada cinema, she has also appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. Widely regarded as one of the leading actresses in Kannada Cinema, she has often been referred as the 'Sandalwood Queen'. Ramya is the recipient of two Filmfare awards, Udaya Award, and a Karnataka State Film Award.

Ramya made her acting debut in the 2003 Kannada-language film Abhi. While she has sporadically worked in Tamil and Telugu films, her most acclaimed performances have been in Kannada film industry which garnered her greater attention. She received the Udaya Award and Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the Amrithadhare (2005) and Tananam Tananam (2006) respectively. Her performance as the eponymous heroine in the 2011 romantic drama Sanju Weds Geetha garnered her further critical success and a Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress. She has also starred in the 2011 blockbuster fantasy film Katari Veera Surasundarangi and other commercially successful films including the 2016 epic-fantasy Nagarahavu.

After a brief hiatus from acting, Ramya returned to the film industry as a producer. In 2023, she launched her production banner, 'AppleBox Studios' and produced the film Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye, directed by Raj B Shetty. The film received positive critical reception and went on to win several awards, including the Sobha Filmfare Award for Best Actress south for Siri Ravikumar.

Ramya entered politics in 2012 by joining the Indian National Congress as a member of its youth wing. She was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2013 from Mandya constituency in Karnataka, becoming the youngest Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha and one of the youngest MPs in the Indian Parliament at the time.