Divya Spandana, popularly known as Ramya, has taken a very different path after stepping away from regular acting and active electoral politics. Here is a look at what the Kannada star is doing now.
There was a time when Divya Spandana, better known to millions of Kannada film fans as Ramya, was one of the most recognisable faces in Sandalwood. She built a successful acting career before making an unexpected transition into politics, eventually becoming a Member of Parliament from Mandya.
Today, her professional life looks considerably different.
Divya Spandana is no longer regularly seen in mainstream films or active electoral politics. Instead, she has gradually moved towards film production, remains open to carefully selected acting opportunities and has increasingly used her public platform to discuss social and women’s health issues.
From ‘Abhi’ to one of Sandalwood’s leading stars
Divya Spandana began her film career with Abhi, in which she starred opposite Puneeth Rajkumar. The film marked the beginning of a successful Kannada cinema journey and helped establish her as a leading actress.
She subsequently appeared in several Kannada films and also expanded her work into Tamil cinema. Her Tamil credits included films such as Polladhavan and Vaaranam Aayiram, giving her recognition beyond the Kannada film industry.
At the peak of her acting career, Ramya was among the most popular actresses in South Indian cinema.
Ramya’s dramatic move into politics
In 2012, Divya Spandana entered politics through the Youth Congress.
Her political career progressed quickly. In a 2013 by-election, she won the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, becoming one of the younger prominent political figures from Karnataka at the time.
However, she could not retain the seat in the 2014 general election.
Her involvement with the Congress continued beyond electoral politics. In 2017, she took charge of the party’s national social media and digital communications operation, becoming a prominent figure in the party’s digital strategy.
Following the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, her high-profile political role came to an end, and she stepped back from active politics for an extended period.
She later returned to the political spotlight as one of the Congress star campaigners during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, although she did not return to full-time electoral politics.
Divya Spandana turns producer
After moving away from the centre of political activity, Divya Spandana gradually reconnected with cinema—but this time from behind the camera.
She launched AppleBox Studios, a production venture that backed the Kannada film Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye, directed by Raj B Shetty.
Her return to the film world was not limited entirely to production. She also made a cameo appearance in Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare, offering fans a rare on-screen appearance after a long absence from regular acting.
The move marked a new phase for Divya, allowing her to remain connected to cinema without immediately returning to the demanding routine of being a full-time actor.
Will Ramya make a full-fledged acting comeback?
The possibility of a Ramya comeback has remained a subject of interest among Kannada cinema fans.
However, Divya has indicated that she does not want to return to acting simply for the sake of making a comeback. Instead, she has been looking for material that genuinely interests her.
In a 2025 interview with Cinema Express, she described her comeback as an open question and said she was actively listening to scripts in the hope of finding the right project.
Her comments suggest that a return to acting has not been completely ruled out. At the same time, she appears to be approaching the decision selectively, with the quality of the character and script taking priority over simply returning to the screen.
Divya Spandana’s growing focus on women’s health
Divya’s public interests have also extended beyond cinema and politics.
In recent years, she has used her platform to speak about menopause and perimenopause awareness, drawing attention to women’s health issues that often receive inadequate public discussion.
Her advocacy reflects another aspect of her post-politics journey: using her visibility to encourage conversations around issues affecting women and wider society.
So, where is Divya Spandana now?
Divya Spandana’s career has gone through several striking transformations. She began as a popular Kannada film actress, ventured into electoral politics and became an MP, took on a prominent role in Congress’s digital communication efforts, and later stepped away from active politics.
She has since returned to the entertainment industry primarily through film production, while keeping the possibility of acting open if the right script comes along.
