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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 cinema and Telugu cinema films. Widely regarded as one of the leading actress 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.
Ramya completed her schooling at Sacred Heart School (Church Park), Chennai, and later at St. Hilda's School, a residential institution in Ooty. She was pursuing a career in modeling and aspired to join the Mumbai-based Sheetal Designer Studio. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in commerce from St. Joseph's College of Commerce, Bangalore.
During her college years, Ramya was active in modelling and participated in ramp shows. Around this time, she began receiving film and eventually made her acting debut in Abhi opposite Puneeth Rajkumar. It was during the making of the film, the producer Parvathamma Rajkumar gave her the Stage name Ramya.
In 2006, she starred in Julie, a remake of the 1975 Hindi-language film, but it failed to attract audiences. After her following release, Datta, her next Kannada release, Jothe Jotheyali, was a successful venture in spite of unfavorable reviews by critics. Jothe Jotheyali. kannada.indiavilas.com Her final 2006 release, Tananam Tananam, an average performer that released to mixed reviews, gained Ramya her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She had described her role in the film as "little complex" and "challenging". In 2007, Ramya starred in three feature films; the first of these, Arasu, was a huge hit. She then appeared as a sex worker in a film made to create awareness about AIDS as part of Mira Nair's AIDS Jaago project. Her last 2007 film was Polladhavan, released during Deepavali; it was considered a commercial success and her breakthrough in Tamil. Rajinikanth was all praises for the entire crew of Polladhavan. 'Kuthu' Ramya aka Divya is on the moon with the success of "Polladhavan" . Bolly Treat (21 November 2007). Retrieved 23 March 2013.
Her first 2008 release, the Kannada film Mussanjemaatu, was a big hit, and gained her a nomination for a Best Actress Award at the 56th Filmfare Awards South. She followed this with the Tamil film Thoondil. Ramya later stated that she regretted accepting the film. Later that year, she starred in the films Bombaat and Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu, the former performing well at the box office. Kannada Box-Office (Sep1-5). Sify.com (5 September 2008). Retrieved 23 March 2013. Her final release in 2008 was Gautham Vasudev Menon's Vaaranam Aayiram, which also won that year's National Award for the best feature film in Tamil. She was credited as Divya in Vaaranam Aayiram. She dubbed her own voice for this film, which became a critical and commercial success. She did not have any releases in 2009, since both her films, Bhimoos Bang Bang Kids and Jothegaara, were delayed due to financial problems.
Her first release of 2010, Just Math Mathalli, received rave reviews, with appreciation for her role. She had two more releases that year, the long-delayed Jothegaara and Kiccha Huccha. Her next release was the Tamil film Singam Puli, followed by the romantic drama Sanju Weds Geetha. This film opened to positive reviews, with Ramya being praised by critics for her performance, which was considered among the best in her career. Review: Sanju Weds Geetha – Rediff.com Movies. Rediff.com (1 April 2011). Retrieved 23 March 2013. Movie Review : Review: Sanju Weds Geetha. Sify.com. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
Her first release in 2012 was a comedy drama, Sidlingu, in which she portrayed the role of a school teacher. This was followed by a light-comedy movie, Lucky. She appeared in the semi-mythological movie Katari Veera Surasundarangi. In August 2013, Ramya announced that she was considering quitting acting to pursue a career in politics.
Following her brief political career, Ramya made her acting comeback in 2016 with Nagarahavu, a film which placed deceased actor Vishnuvardhan in the lead role through visual effects. The film received negative reviews upon the release and failed to attract an audience.
After nearly 7 years of sabbatical, Ramya returned to the film industry with her own production company, AppleBox Studios. As the first assignment, she produced the film Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye (2023) which was directed by Raj B. Shetty. Her goal with this venture is to showcase powerful narratives centered around strong women.
In May 2017 she was given the task of reviving INC's social media wing and was made national head of Congress's digital team at national level. She took over the social media team from Deepender Singh Hooda. According to various newspapers and media houses, she is instrumental in turning around Rahul Gandhi's and INC's social media image.
In August 2017, Ramya created the online campaign #AintNoCinderella to support Varnika Kundu, a woman who was "chased and almost kidnapped" one night in Chandigarh. Senior Haryana state BJP politician Ramveer Bhatti told press the attack was Kundu's fault for being out so late: "The girl should not have gone out at 12 in the night. Why was she driving so late in the night? The atmosphere is not right. We need to take care of ourselves."
The campaign started when Ramya and friends began posting photos of themselves out late at night with the hashtag #AintNoCinderella. "Why shouldn't women go out after midnight?" Ramya told the BBC. "I'm asking people like Mr Bhatti who are they to set curfew hours for us? I want to ask him who is he to question us? This is such a regressive mindset."
On 3 October 2018, there was a rumor that she was reportedly upset with Congress Party and there was a speculation that she had stepped down as its social media head.
| credited as Spandana |
| Short film |
| Credited as Divya Ramya |
| Guest appearance |
| Special appearance |
| Cameo appearance |
| 2003 | Abhi | 51st Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress | 51st Annual Manikchand Filmfare Award winners | |
| 2005 | Amrithadhare | Udaya Film Awards | Best Actress | ||
| 53rd Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress | ||||
| 2006 | Tananam Tananam | 54th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress | ||
| South Indian Cinematographers Association Awards | Best Actress | ||||
| Udaya Film Award | Best Actress | ||||
| 2008 | Mussanjemaatu | 56th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress | ||
| Suvarna Film Awards | Best Actress | ||||
| Udaya Film Awards | Best Actress | ||||
| Suvarna Film Awards | Suvana Favorite Heroine | ||||
| 2010 | Just Maath Maathalli | 58th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress | ||
| Suvarna Film Awards | Best Actress | ||||
| Udaya Film Awards | Best Actress | ||||
| Suvarna Film Awards | Suvana Favorite Heroine | ||||
| 2011 | Sanju Weds Geetha | Udaya Film Awards | Best Actress | ||
| 59th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress | ||||
| 2010–11 Karnataka State Film Awards | Best Actress | ||||
| Suvarna Film Awards | Best Actress | ||||
| Suvarna Film Awards | Suvana Favorite Heroine | ||||
| 1st SIIMA Awards | SIIMA Best Actress | ||||
| 2012 | Sidlingu | 60th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress | Filmfare awards list of winners | |
| Udaya Film Award | Best Actress | ||||
| Suvarna Film Awards | Best Actress | ||||
| 2nd SIIMA Awards | SIIMA Best Actress | ||||
| 2023 | Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye | 69th Filmfare Awards South | Best Film |
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