Jithan Ramesh

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 reviews from critics for his portrayal of the 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 mixed 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".[3][4] Jithan performed well commercially at the box-office, prompting Ramesh to add the word 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 the box-office value of Ramesh's films. Regarding his performance in Nee Venunda Chellam, a reviewer from Rediff.com wrote "with an idiotic smile, deadpan look and depressing dialogue delivery, Ramesh is hardly the right choice for a romantic hero".[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 negative reviews upon release.[8][9]

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][12] 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.[13]

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, and then appeared in a supporting role as a police officer in the Malayalam film Day and Night (2014).[14] 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".[15][16][17]

Following a further break from acting, Ramesh returned to Telugu films after fifteen years 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".[18][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]

Ramesh is currently working on a Tamil film titled Miratchi, where he portrays the antagonist. In 2020, he was involved as a participant in Star Vijay's reality television show, Bigg Boss Tamil 4, hosted by Kamal Haasan.[21][22]