

She starred alongside Ambareesh in movies like Aahuti, Avatara Purusha, Kallarali Hoovagi, New Delhi and Sri Manjunatha. Sumalatha married Kannada actor and politician Ambareesh on 8 December 1991 and their son Abhishek Gowda was born in the year 1993.

Sumalatha reportedly speaks six languages, and has acted in five. Reddy asked his cameraman, Ashok Reddy, to film the two and added the scene to the movie's final cut. 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 the train journey to the film set. She is a close friend of actress Suhasini Maniratnam, her co-star in a Telugu movie. She received the best actress Nandi Award for her role in Shrutilayalu in 1987. Telugu is the language in which she acted the most followed by Malayalam and Kannada. She has acted in many Kannada movies like Aahuti, Avatara Purusha, Tayi Kanasu, Karna, Hong Kong nalli Agent Amar Tayiya Hone, Kallarali Hoovagi with Ravichandra being her Kannada debut in which she acted with actor Rajkumar. Her most memorable Malayalam films include Thazhvaram, Isabella, Nirakkoottu, Dhinarathrangal, Thoovanathumbikal, Parampara and New Delhi. In her Malayalam entry film Moorkhan, she acted as Jayan's second heroine. She was the heroine of legendary Malayalam actor Jayan's last film Kolilakkam (1981).

She was Rajinikanth's second heroine besides Rati Agnihotri in films like Murattu Kaalai and Kazhugu. She appeared in films in many languages Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu early in her career. She entered Telugu through Samajaniki Saval (1979), and Malayalam through Moorkhan (1980). Her Kannada entry was through Ravichandra opposite to Rajkumar. She was named the Best New Face following the film. However, she made her film debut in Tamil with Thisai Maariya Paravaigal (1979). Ramanaidu expressed interest in casting her in his film and offered her a signining amount of ₹1,001 in 1979. After her pictures began circulating in the magazines, film producer D. She began acting at age 15, after winning an Andhra Pradesh beauty contest in 1979. Joseph's Convent School, Brodipet, Guntur. Sumalatha during 60th Filmfare Awards South in 2013
