Sumalatha Ambareesh

Sumalatha did her schooling at St. Joseph's Convent School, Brodipet, Guntur. She began acting at age 15, after winning an Andhra Pradesh beauty contest in 1979. After her pictures began circulating in the magazines, film producer D. Ramanaidu expressed interest in casting her in his film and offered her a signining amount of ₹1,001 in 1979. However, she made her film debut in Tamil with Thisai Maariya Paravaigal (1979). She was named the Best New Face following the film.

She entered the Telugu film industry with Samajaniki Saval (1979). She made her Kannada debut with Ravichandra (1980) opposite Dr. Rajkumar her Malayalam debut with Moorkhan (1980). She was Rajinikanth's heroine along with Rati Agnihotri in films like Murattu Kaalai and Kazhugu. She was the heroine of legendary Malayalam actor Jayan's last film Kolilakkam (1981).

Sumalatha reportedly speaks six languages, and has acted in five appearing in many Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films and a few in Hindi. Her most memorable Malayalam films include Thazhvaram, Isabella, Nirakkoottu, Dhinarathrangal, Thoovanathumbikal, Parampara and New Delhi. Her popular Kannada movies include Aahuti, Avatara Purusha, New Delhi, Taayi Kanasu, Karna, Hong Kongnalli Agent Amar, Taayiya Hone and Kallarali Hoovagii.

She received the best actress Nandi Award for her role in Shrutilayalu in 1987.

She is a close friend of actress Suhasini Maniratnam. The friendship between the two provided the material for a candid scene in the film, when director Kodandarami Reddy noticed Suhasini combing Sumalatha's long hair on a train journey to the film set. Reddy had asked his cameraman, Ashok Reddy, to film the two and added the scene to the movie's final cut.