J. K. Rithesh

J. K. Ritheesh
Born
Mugavai Kumar

(1973-03-05)5 March 1973
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Died13 April 2019(2019-04-13) (aged 46)
Ramanathapuram, India
Occupation(s)Actor, Producer, Entrepreneur
Years active2007 - 2019
Spouse
Jotheeswari[1]
​
​
(m. 2007)​
Children2 sons and a daughter
Parents
  • Thiru.Kuzhandaivelu (father)
  • Thirumathi.Jayalakshmi[1] (mother)

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]

Early life and education

Rithesh was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 1973 before migrating to Rameswaram in 1976, where he was brought up. 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][4] 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.[5]

He was arrested in November 2011 in a land grabbing case.[6] He was booked in charges of cheating a US citizen of Indian origin for promising him buying a land.[7]

Death

Rithesh died on 13 April 2019, due to a heart attack at Ramanathapuram at the age of 46.[8][9]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes Ref
2007 Kaanal Neer Rajavel [10]
2008 Nayagan Guru [11]
2010 Pen Singam Cameo appearance [12]
2019 LKG Ramraj Pandian [13]

References

  1. ^ 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. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  2. ^ http://jkrithish.com/ Archived 31 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Kaanal Neer". Chennai Online. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Movie Review- Kaanal Neer- Actor JK Rithesh- Actress Manisha - Oneindia Entertainment". Archived from the original on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
  5. ^ "Interview - No harm in depicting bad politicians, just don't spread misinformation: JK Rithesh". The New Indian Express.
  6. ^ "DMK MP JK Ritheesh Kumar arrested in land grabbing case". The Economic Times. 16 November 2011.
  7. ^ "After HC whip, J K Rithesh booked in cheating case". The New Indian Express.
  8. ^ "Actor-politician J K Rithesh dies at 46". 14 April 2019.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Kaanal Neer review. Kaanal Neer Tamil movie review, story, rating".
  11. ^ "Review: Nayagan".
  12. ^ "Tamil actor and former Lok Sabha MP JK Rithesh passes away due to cardiac arrest".
  13. ^ "LKG Review {3.5/5}: A satisfying political satire and inarguably the best among the recent crop of political films". The Times of India.