Umashree
Born	Nonavinakere, Tumkur, Karnataka, India
Occupation	Actress, Politician & Social Service
Years active	Since 1978

Umashree (Kannada: ಉಮಾಶ್ರೀ) born on (10 May 1957) is an Indian theatre and film actress of Kannada film industry also well-known politician. She was a Member of the Legislative Council in Karnataka.^[1] She has done so many varied roles as a character artiste with equal finesse and aplomb. However she is most famous for her portrayal of comic roles. Her range in acting is unparalleled - mainly due to her stint in stage plays - and has acted in more than 350 Kannada movies, of which her portrayal in Swabimana, Golmal Radhakrishna, Yaru Hone, Sangya balya, Putnanja, Tumbida Mane, Kotreshi Kanasu, Kurigalu Sir Kurigalu, Kotigalu Sir Kotigalu, Yaarige Saalutte Sambala, Mani, Veeru, Gulabi Talkies, Kanasemba Kudureyaneriand now recently Bheema Theeradalli are few to be appreciated.

Theatre experience[link]

She has 31 years long experience in village, amateur, mythological and professional drama. She has acted under the direction of great theatre directors like German director Fritz Bennewitz, B.V. Karanth, Girish Karnad, C. G. Krishnaswamy, R. Nagesh, T.S. Nagabharana etc. She has been part of many eminent theatre groups of the State and is an active member of Rangasampada Amateur Theatre group of Bangalore. She has performed nearly hundred different plays in Amateur, Professional, Rural and Industrial theatre sectors. As of date more than 6000 shows have been performed. Well known actress of Kannada film industry, Umashri has got Best Actress National Award for Gulabi Talkies film. Which is directed by four time Swarna Kamal National award winner director Girish Kasaravalli.

Movie experience[link]

(if i am not wrong, she debuted with AV Sheshagiri Rao's 1981 movie Pattanake Banda Patniyaru) She started her movie career with an inconsequential role in the movie Anubhava opposite Kashinath in the late 1980s. Even though she had only a supporting role - which had a comic streak and also grey shades - in the movie, her acting was appreciated by one and all. She even bagged an award for the role. But later she was branded for same kind of comedy roles bordering on the line of indecency with double meaning dialogs. Initially she formed the best pair with N. S. Rao and with his unique kind of dialog delivery, they both regaled the Kannada audiences in many movies. Later after the actor's demise she was paired with Mukhyamantri Chandru, Doddanna and Karibasavaiah with whom also she formed a great pairing and shared a unique comic timing. Her acting in the movie Kotigalu Sir Kotigalu as Muniyamma^[2] a limp washer-women was enjoyed thoroughly by children as well as grown-ups.

The role in the movie Puttananja changed everything for Umashree. Her portrayal of an 80 years old grandmother in the movie made everyone sit-up and notice her immense talent, even though she was praised for her performances in movies like Tayyavva, Amrutha Ghalige, Sangya Balya, etc. Later she was provided better roles which had immense scope to perform and display her talent by many directors S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu, Yograj Bhat. Her portrayal as an aged prostitute trying hard to save her daughter from the flesh-trade in the movie Mani was exemplary and won her Karnataka State award for Best Supporting Actress in the year 2005. She is the only Kannada actress to receive Karnataka State awards/prizes (Silver Medals) six times conferred on her by one Governor and six chief ministers of karnataka. She is also the recipient of the state's prestigious 'Rajyothsava Award' Gold Medal.

Umashree starred in the 2008 film Gulabi Talkies directed by Girish Kasaravalli,which even bought her The Osians' Cinefan Film Festival's Best Actress Award. She was also nominated for the Best Actress award for Gulabi Talkies at Middle East International Film Festival Abu Dhabi 2008. And presently Gulabi Talkies is also nominated for Indian International Film Festival 2008 for Indian Panorama category. She has also received Karnataka State award for Best Actress for the year 2008 for the same movie.

She is currently acting in various movies which offers her better roles. She is interested in politics and was an MLC (Member of Legislative Council) in the Karnataka State Government and currently she is the Chairman for Other Backward Class Department in Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. She had also contested in the 13th Karnataka State Assembly elections from Terdal constituency in Bagalkot district, under an Indian National Congress Congress ticket. But she lost the election with a reasonable margin. And that to was with just 20 days of campaigning, though it was the same for her as well as her opponent ^[3]

Television experience[link]

• Nondavara Haadu (documentary on leprosy) Directed by T. S Ranga for Doordarshan
• Hattye (telefilm) directed by Dr. H. Girijamma for Doordarshan
• Musanje (serial) directed by T. S Nagabarana for Udaya TV
• Musanje Katha Prasanga (serial) directed by Prakash Belawadi for ETv
• Kicchu (serial) directed by Chaitanya for ETv
• Amma Ninagagi for ETv

Personal life[link]

Umashree's husband had deserted her at a very early age and had married someone else. She had single-handedly brought up her two children. That is the reason she took to acting - to ably support her family. Her elder daughter Gayathri is a dentist and completed her Master of Dental Surgery and her son Vijayakumar is an Advocate, also completed his Post Graduation in Master of Laws from Australia. She is also involved in many social activities in upliftment of rural and suppressed women and has done many stage-plays highlighting the issues they face, in many interior villages of Karnataka. She also brought these issues to notice of the Karnataka government as a sitting MLC.

Awards[link]

She has been awarded with many awards and prizes and to name few are:

• International Award - Best Actress at Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema 2008 for Gulabi Talkies.

Nominated for international Award as Best Actress for ‘Gulabi Talkies’ at Middle East International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi 2008

• National Award (Rajat Kamal) - Best Actress 55th National Film Awards for Gulabi Talkies. This will be given by President Of India and on behalf of Government Of India.
• Rajyothsava Award 1999-2000 - Gold Medal - Karnataka State Government's highest honour for her enormous service to the Theatre and Film industry).
• Filmfare - Best Supporting Actress (2010) for Krishnan Love Story at 58th Filmfare Awards South held on July 2, 2011 in Hyderabad.
• State Awards (6 times Rajata Kamala) from Government of Karnataka fllms are Yaru Hone - Sangya Balya - Kottreshi Kanasu - Kurigalu Sar Kurigalu - Mani - Gulabi Talkies. First Lady in Kannada Film Industry.
• Karnataka Nataka Academy Award 1997-98
• NTR Puraskar by the Karnataka Telugu Academy in association with NTR Fans' Association and other Telugu cultural organisations.
• Devika Rani Memorial Award – 1996 being honoured by Veteran Actor Dev Anand
• Madras Film Fans’ Award – 3 times.
• TV Ratna Puraskar 2010 by Karnataka Television Association.
• Aryabhatta Award (Twice)
• K. V. Shankare Gowda Award 2004-05
• Felicitation by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and Karnataka Film Directors’ Association in 2008 (for being the first Kannada actress to obtain an International Award).
• Basava Guru Karunya Prashasthi
• Former Chief Minister Late D. Devaraj Urs National Sri Rathna Award - 1999 (for serving women, children and in particular the social and economical Backward Class).
• Sri. M. Vishweswaraiah Memorial Award (for Social Service)
• Nekarara Bhushana Award (for the Upliftment of Weaver Sector)
• International Fellowship - Paul Harris fellowship by Rotary International.

Apart from these she has also received more than twenty Best Actress prizes in different Industrial Competition Plays.

Filmography[link]

• Neenu Nakkare Haalu Sakkare (1989)
• Dhani (1996) (Co-Actors: Vishnuvardhan, Vineetha, Taara, Directed by C H Baalaji Singh Baabu, music by Saadhu Kokila)
• Onde Goodina Hakkigalu

References[link]