Ramesh T. V. (born 1 October 1981), professionally credited as Ramesh Pisharody, is an Indian politician, actor, film director, television presenter, impressionist and stand-up comedian who serves as a Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Palakkad since 2026. A member of the Indian National Congress, he is known for his work in Malayalam television, stage shows and cinema, particularly in observational comedy.
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Early life
Pisharody was born as the youngest son in the family and has four siblings. He studied his first and second grades at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Velloor. It was an English-medium school, where he made his mimicry debut by imitating a dog's barking for a musical drama. After putting pressure on his family, he was moved to a Malayalam-medium school from his third grade onward so that he could enjoy holidays on Saturdays. The new school had no school uniform. Since then, he has been participating in mimicry competitions.
After winning second prize at a youth festival at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, he started getting stage programmes. In 2000, he joined Cochin Stallions, the mimicry troupe formed by actor Salim Kumar, where he worked for four years. Meanwhile, he completed his graduation in Politics from Dewaswom Board College, Thalayolaparambu. After which, he teamed up with mimicry artist Sajan Palluruthi and together they did several programmes.
Film career
2000-2007
He joined Salim Kumar's mimicry troupe Cochin Stallions when it was formed in 2000 and worked for four years. He also made his television debut in 2000 in an Onam-special program with Salim Kumar on Asianet. Three years later, he began working with comedians Sajan Palluruthy and Kalabhavan Prajod in the comedy program Comedy Show on Asianet. Later, he went on to work in more comedy programs in Asianet, such as Cinemala, Five Star Thattukada, and Comedy Cousins. It was while working in Cinemala he first met Dharmajan Bolgatty, both of them would later team up to form a comedy duo. When Asianet Plus was launched in 2005, Pisharody and Dharmajan co-hosted the comedy show Bluffmasters. The show was a breakthrough in their career and it ran for more than 450 episodes. Besides, he also frequently performs on stage as a stand-up comedian.
2008-2017
He debuted as a film actor through Positive (2008) in a prominent supporting role. Although his first release was Nasrani (2007) in which he played a minor role. He then went on to act in several Malayalam films, mostly in supporting roles. In the 2014 film To Noora with Love, he acted in a negative role. His first leading role was in the comedy film Kappal Muthalaali (2009). His other notable films include Celluloid (2013), Left Right Left (2013), Immanuel and Amar Akbar Anthony. In 2013, Dharmajan and Pisharody teamed again for the comedy series Badai Bungalow on Asianet with Pisharody as co-host (with Mukesh) and Dharmajan as actor. It aired for five years.
2018-2026
Pisharody made his directional debut in 2018 through the comedy-drama Panchavarnathatha starring Jayaram and Kunchacko Boban, which received favourable reviews and successful run at the box office. His second directional venture was Ganagandharvan with Mammootty. On 5 May 2026, following his election victory from the Palakkad Assembly constituency, Ramesh Pisharody announced a five-year break from films and stage shows to focus on public service in Palakkad.
Political career
Ramesh Pisharody had been associated with the Indian National Congress for several years before formally entering electoral politics. He frequently participated in Congress events, campaign programmes and public meetings across Kerala, .
In March 2026, the Congress announced Pisharody as the United Democratic Front candidate for the Palakkad Assembly constituency in the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election. The constituency witnessed a high-profile triangular contest between Pisharody, Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Sobha Surendran representing the NDA, and N. M. R. Razak backed by the Left Democratic Front.
The Palakkad contest became one of the most closely watched battles of the election due to the constituency's history of close contests and the prominence of the candidates. During the campaign, Pisharody focused on local development issues including infrastructure, employment opportunities, agriculture, healthcare and public transport. His campaign style, which blended humour and public interaction with political messaging, attracted significant attention across Kerala media.
In the election, Pisharody secured 62,199 votes and defeated Sobha Surendran, who received 49,052 votes, by a margin of 13,147 votes. LDF-backed candidate N. M. R. Razak finished third with 33,931 votes.
Following his victory, Pisharody announced that he would take a temporary break from films, television programmes and stage performances to focus on his responsibilities as MLA and public service in Palakkad..
Personal life
Ramesh is married to Soumya and the couple have three children.
Filmography
Awards
2015: Asianet Comedy Awards – Best Anchor
2016: Asianet Television Awards – Entertainer of the Year
Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi – Yuva Prathibha Puraskaram (mimicry)
Asiavision Film Awards – Promising Director in Family Entertainment
2018: Flowers TV awards -Best Anchor
2019: Mazhavil Entertainment Awards – All-rounder
