R. Sarathkumar

Ramanathan Sarathkumar was born on 14 July 1954 in New Delhi and completed his education at The New College and Loyola College, Chennai. Before entering politics, he worked as a journalist and bodybuilder, and later became a prominent film actor in the South Indian film industry, appearing in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi films. His public visibility from the cinema contributed to his later political engagement.

He entered active politics in 1996 by joining the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and became a Member of the Rajya Sabha representing Tamil Nadu from 25 July 2001 to 31 May 2006. This period marked his first formal political office and provided him with experience in national legislative procedures.

After leaving the DMK and the Rajya Sabha, Sarathkumar shifted political alignment and briefly joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in 2006–2007. In 2007, he founded his own regional party, the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK), aiming to represent local and state political interests while positioning the party within Tamil Nadu’s alliance politics.

With AISMK, he contested state elections and was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from the Tenkasi constituency in 2011, serving until 2016. During this time, AISMK allied with major regional parties, including the AIADMK‑led alliance and, later, other political coalitions. His political activity combined his celebrity presence with efforts to build grassroots support.

In March 2024, Sarathkumar formally merged the AISMK into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the general elections, marking a shift toward a national party platform while dissolving the regional party he founded.

As of 2026, he remains engaged in politics through his association with the BJP and continues public engagement in Tamil Nadu’s political context.