In Pics | Kannada actors who became politicians

Several Kannada film stars have entered politics over the years. From Ambareesh and Sumalatha Ambareesh to Upendra, here are the Kannada stars who joined politics amid their successful showbiz journey.

Ambareesh: 'Rebel star' Ambareesh took a plunge into politics in 1994. He joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Mandya constituency. He then joined Janata Dal (Secular) and contested general elections in 1998 from Mandya and won. Later on, he rejoined the Congress and became an MP. Ambareesh also held ministerial positions in the Karnataka government. Credit: DH Photo

Sumalatha Ambareesh: Sumalatha is a reputed name in the Indian film industry and is known for her amazing work in Kannada cinema. After the demise of her husband, Ambareesh, she entered politics and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from the Mandya constituency. She emerged victorious defeating the candidate supported by the dominant regional party. Credit: Instagram/@sumalathaamarnath

Kumar Bangarappa: Kumar Bangarappa had a successful career as an actor in Kannada cinema. He appeared in several films during the 1990s and gained popularity for his performances. However, he shifted his focus to politics in the mid-90s and joined Karnataka Congress Party, a regional political party founded by his father. Nearly after two decades, he joined BJP in 2017. Credit: PTI Photo

Jaggesh: Jaggesh, whose full name is Eeshwar Gowda, is a popular actor and comedian in the Kannada film industry. He started his political journey in 1999 with Congress and contested the Assembly election in 2004 and 2008 respectively. Later, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during 'Operation Lotus' and continues to offer his services to the saffron party till date. Credit: BH Shivakumar/DH Photo

Upendra: Upendra, a popular name in the Kannada industry, formed his own political party called the 'Uttama Prajaakeeya Party' (UPP) in 2018 after exiting the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Paksha party (KPJP) in 2017. His party contested from 110 constituencies in the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023. Credit: DH Photo

Prakash Raj: Prakash Raj, a renowned actor in South Indian cinema, became actively involved in politics in 2017 after Gauri Lankesh's assassination. In 2019, he announced his decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency. Credit: SK Dinesh/DH Photo