Ramesh Aravind

**Ramesh Aravind** (born September 10, 1964) is an Indian actor, director, screenwriter, and television host who works primarily in Kannada and Tamil cinema. Celebrated for his gentle charm, emotive depth, and sharp comic timing, he stood as one of Sandalwood's leading romantic and family heroes through the 1990s and 2000s. Mentored by legendary filmmaker K. Balachander, Aravind debuted in *Sundara Swapnagalu* (1986) and quickly established himself across South Indian industries, frequently collaborating with Kamal Haasan in celebrated Tamil films like *Sathi Leelavathi* (1995) and *Panchatanthiram* (2002). In Kannada cinema, he achieved massive stardom with a run of iconic hits including *Anuraga Sangama* (1995), *Nammoora Mandara Hoove* (1996), *Amruthavarshini* (1997), *America! America!!* (1997), and *Hoomale* (1998), which won him both the Karnataka State Film Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He also starred in the blockbuster multistarrer *Apthamitra* (2004) and headlined the mystery franchise *Shivaji Surathkal* (2020, 2023). As a filmmaker, he directed popular hits like *Rama Shama Bhama* (2005), *Accident* (2008), and Kamal Haasan's *Uttama Villain* (2015). On television, he achieved household cultural status across Karnataka as the beloved host of the long-running talk show *Weekend with Ramesh*.