Ramesh Choudary, also known by his stage name Jithan Ramesh, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Tamil cinema. He is the third son of film producer R. B. Choudary and elder brother of actor Jiiva. He made his breakthrough with the thriller film Jithan (2005) and has continued to appear in lead roles.

Jithan Ramesh
Born
Ramesh Choudary

(1982-10-23) 23 October 1982 (age 42)
NationalityIndian
Other namesRamesh
Occupation(s)Actor, film producer
Years active2004 –present
ParentR. B. Choudary
RelativesJiiva (brother)

Career

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2004–2007

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Ramesh made his acting debut through the Telugu language film, Vidyardhi (2004), produced by his father R. B. Choudary's studio Super Good Films.[1] Ramesh received negative response for his premiere lead role.[1][2] He then appeared in his first Tamil language film, Jithan (2005), a remake of the Hindi film Gayab (2004). Directed by Vincent Selva and produced by Radaan Mediaworks, the film starred Ramesh as an introverted student who gets superpowers, and featured him alongside Pooja in the lead role. The film and Ramesh's performance received awesome reviews. While a critic from The Hindu noted that he does a "convincing job", a reviewer from Sify.com noted "Ramesh has miles to go before he gets his expressions correct". However, Jithan Movie is still considered one of his most popular ones thus far.[3][4] Jithan performed well commercially at the box-office, prompting Ramesh to add the title Jithan to his stagename.[5]

Soon after the release of Jithan, Ramesh signed multiple films including the romantic dramas Madhu (2006) and Nee Venunda Chellam (2006), as well as the comedy drama Jerry (2006), written by Crazy Mohan. The former two films did not perform well commercially, affecting box-office value of his films. Regarding his performance in Nee Venunda Chellam, a reviewer from Rediff.com wrote mixed reviews about the movie".[6] Jerry received better reviews, with a critic adding "Ramesh, in a breezy role, enjoys every bit of it" and "though comedy is not his strong suit, he has tried his best and come out with a satisfactory performance".[7] His following two films Madurai Veeran (2007) and Puli Varudhu (2007) were action dramas, which earned mixed reviews upon release.[8][9]

2011–2016

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After a four-year break from films, Ramesh's next release was Osthe (2011), where he portrayed a supporting role as the brother of Silambarasan's character. During the film's promotional campaign, Silambarasan noted that he could not think of anyone else to play that particular role, while Ramesh announced his delight at working in a big star cast.[10] The film had a high-profile release at the box office, but earned mixed reviews from critics. Ramesh's performance was described as a "surprise" by The Hindu, while Rediff.com noted that he was "colourless".[11] He then played the lead role in Kishore Tirumala's directorial debut Pillaiyar Theru Kadaisi Veedu (2011) opposite Sanchita Padukone. The film, produced by his father, went largely unnoticed.[12]

As his acting career continued to falter, Ramesh chose to prioritise his work as a co-producer with his family's studio, Super Good Films. During the mid-2010s, he notably launched a spiritual sequel to Jithan during 2013,[13] and then appeared in a supporting role as a police officer in the Malayalam film Day Night Game (2014). Jithan 2 (2016) eventually had a delayed release three years later, with Ramesh reprising a role of a timid individual who experiences paranormal activity. The film opened to negative reviews, with a reviewer from Rediff noting "unfortunately Ramesh has a blank expression throughout, irrespective of what the scene demands".[14][15][16]

2019–present

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Following a further break from acting, Ramesh returned to Telugu films after with Okate Life (2019) directed by M. Venkat. The film had a low profile release, with a reviewer noting Ramesh is "okay in his rough look and has tried to evoke decent emotions".[17][18] He played a negative role in the Telugu film Nireekshana, which had a delayed release in 2023.[19] He then worked on the adult comedy Ongala Podanum Sir (2019), which was publicised prior to release as his comeback to Tamil-language films. The film garnered unfavourable reviews for its content and went unnoticed at the box office.[20]

In 2020, he was involved as a participant in Star Vijay's reality television show, Bigg Boss Tamil 4, hosted by Kamal Haasan.[21] Regarding his performance in Farhana (2023), a critic from The Times of India wrote that "The character of Jithan Ramesh, who portrays Aishwarya Rajesh's husband, is well-crafted as a progressive Muslim man with his own insecurities, and Ramesh delivers a commendable performance".[22] He played a man who works under Karthi and later betrays him in Japan (2023), which was a surprise box office failure.[23]

Personal life

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Ramesh is the third son of R. B. Choudary and the elder brother of actor Jiiva.[24] His father is a Hindu of Marwari heritage born in Chennai to Marwari-speaking Rajasthani migrants. Jithan Ramesh was also a popular Bigg Boss Tamil Season 4 contestant. Choudary practices Hinduism along with his siblings. He attended Gill Adarsh Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Royapettah, Chennai and he completed his Business Administration degree from D.G. Vaishnav College. Choudary married Shilpa in February 2006 and has children Toshna and Prishaan.[25]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2004 Vidyardhi Kranthi Telugu film
2005 Jithan Surya
2006 Madhu Madhukrishnan
Jerry Jayaram (Jerry)
Nee Venunda Chellam Kanna
2007 Madurai Veeran Shiva
Puli Varudhu Ramesh
2011 Pillaiyar Theru Kadaisi Veedu Ganesh
Osthe Balan
2012 Oru Nadigaiyin Vaakkumoolam Himself Cameo appearance
2014 Jilla Dancer Cameo appearance
Day Night Game Muhammed Iqbal Malayalam film
2016 Jithan 2 Surya
2019 Okate Life Ram Telugu film
Ongala Podanum Sir David
2023 Farhana Kareem
Nireekshana David Daniel Raj Telugu film;
only dubbed version released[26]
Japan Gangadhar
Route No. 17 Freddy [27]

Television

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Year Series/Shows Role Channel Notes
2020 Bigg Boss Tamil 4 Contestant Star Vijay Evicted Day 69
2020 Bigg Boss Telugu 4 Guest Star Maa Crossover episode with Bigg Boss Tamil 4
2021 BB Jodigal Season 1 Contestant Star Vijay Runner up
Paired with Samyuktha

References

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  1. ^ a b "Telugu Cinema Functions - Muhuart of Vidyardhi - Ramesh, Mamata Zhaveri - RB Chowdary". idlebrain.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Vidyarthi review: Vidyarthi (Telugu) Movie Review - fullhyd.com". Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Jithan". Sify. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020.
  4. ^ "A modern, mythical medley". The Hindu. 13 May 2005.
  5. ^ "Tamil movies : Jithan Ramesh rocks in Madhu". behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Nee Venunda Chellam: A mess". Rediff.com.
  7. ^ "Jerry review. Jerry Tamil movie review, story, rating". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Maduraiveeran". Sify. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019.
  9. ^ "Review". Sify. 10 July 2017. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
  10. ^ "STR could not think of anyone else - Tamil Movie Articles - Osthi | Dabangg". behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  11. ^ Srinivasan, Pavithra. "Review: Osthe lacks the magic that made Dabangg work". Rediff. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Pillaiyar Theru Kadaisi Veedu". Sify. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  13. ^ Lakshmi, V. "Ramesh, Santhanam to team up for Jithan 2?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  14. ^ Srinivasan, Sudhir (9 April 2016). "Jithan 2: A ghost that dances". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Jithan-2 review: Avoidable". Sify. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016.
  16. ^ Saraswathi, S. "Review: Jithan 2 is a waste of time". Rediff. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Okate life Telugu Movie Review". 3 May 2019. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Jithan Ramesh to debut in Tollywood". Deccan Chronicle. 3 February 2019. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  19. ^ "Actor Jithan Ramesh to play a villain in Vamsi Krishna Malla's Nireekshana". The Times of India. 13 August 2019.
  20. ^ "'Ongala Podanum Sir' review: Jithan Ramesh's comeback film a god-awful vulgarfest". 14 September 2019. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  21. ^ "Bigg Boss Tamil 4: Ramya Pandian puts Jithan Ramesh in a tight spot". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Farhana Movie Review : Aishwarya Rajesh shines in Farhana, an inventive thriller". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  23. ^ K, Janani (10 November 2023). "Japan Review: Karthi and Raju Murugan's film is a complete misfire". India Today. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Jithan's hero". The Hindu. 6 May 2005. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  25. ^ Actor to enter wedlock – Tamil Movie News Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Indiaglitz.com (2 February 2006). Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  26. ^ "Latest Tamil Thriller Movie 2023 | Miratchi Full Movie 2K | Jithan Ramesh | Ena Saha | Shraddha Das". YouTube. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  27. ^ "Jithan Ramesh's Route No 17 gets release date". Cinema Express. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
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