J. K. Rithesh (5 March 1973 – 13 April 2019) was an Indian actor and member of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.[2] He was a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Member of Parliament (MP) in the 15th Lok Sabha from Ramanathpuram constituency. In the Indian general elections of 2009, Rithesh received 294,945 votes to defeat his closest rival, Satiyamoorthy of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party by a margin of 69,215 votes. On 10 April 2014, he joined AIADMK as a primary member. He died on 13 April 2019, due to heart attack.[1]
J. K. Ritheesh | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mugavai Kumar 5 March 1973 |
| Died | 14 April 2019 (aged 46) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Producer, Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2007 - 2019 |
| Spouse(s) | Jotheeswari (2007 - 2019)[1] |
| Children | 2 sons and a daughter |
| Parent | Thiru.Kuzhandaivelu & Thirumathi.Jayalakshmi[1] |
Early life and education
Rithesh was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 1973 before migrating to Rameswaram in 1976, where he was brought up. He was the grandson of Tamil Nadu Minister for Housing and Slum Clearance, Suba Thangavelan. His father was employed in the agricultural sector and his mother is a housewife. Rithesh has two elder sisters, Shanthi and Mani. Rithesh married Jotheeswari in 2007 and has a son, Arik Roshan (born 2008). He completed Diploma in Civil Engineering at Mohamed Sathak Polytechnic College Kilakarai, Ramanathapuram district.[1]
Career
His first film was Kaanal Neer, directed by Chinni Jayanth.[3] Rithesh had helped produce the project but the film failed to become a success at the box-office. His second film, Nayagan took an average opening at the box-office.[citation needed]
After the moderate performance of Nayagan, the actor announced several projects and started work on films including Thillu Mullu alongside another debutant Siddique, a film with Chinni Jayanth, Deivamagan and his home production, Thalapathy. As of 2019, None of these projects have been completed. He made his acting comeback with a negative role in LKG.[4]
He was arrested in November 2011 in a land grabbing case.[5] He was booked in charges of cheating a US citizen of Indian origin for promising him buying a land.[6]
Death
He unexpectedly died, on 13 April 2019, due to heart attack at Ramanathapuram at the age of 45.[7][8]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Kaanal Neer | Rajavel | [citation needed] |
| 2008 | Nayagan | Guru | [citation needed] |
| 2010 | Pen Singam | [citation needed] | |
| 2019 | LKG | Ramraj Pandian | [citation needed] |
References
- ^ a b c d "Detailed Profile - Shri K. alias J.K. Ritheesh Shivakumar - Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) - Who's Who - Government: National Portal of India". Archive.india.gov.in. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ http://jkrithish.com/ Archived 31 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Movie Review- Kaanal Neer- Actor JK Rithesh- Actress Manisha - Oneindia Entertainment".
- ^ "Interview - No harm in depicting bad politicians, just don't spread misinformation: JK Rithesh". The New Indian Express.
- ^ "DMK MP JK Ritheesh Kumar arrested in land grabbing case". 16 November 2011 – via The Economic Times.
- ^ "After HC whip, J K Rithesh booked in cheating case". The New Indian Express.
- ^ "Actor-politician J K Rithesh dies at 46". 14 April 2019.
- ^ Upadhyaya, Prakash (13 April 2019). "Tamil actor and politician JK Rithesh dies of cardiac arrest; celebs, fans express condolence over shocking death". International Business Times, India Edition.