Umashree (born 10 May 1957) is an Indian actress and politician. She appears in Kannada cinema, particularly in character roles and supporting roles. She received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role as Gulabi in the 2008 Kannada film Gulabi Talkies.[1]

Umashree
Member of Karnataka Legislative Council
Assumed office
21 August 2023
Preceded byC. M. Lingappa
ConstituencyNominated
Minister for Women and Child Development
Government of Karnataka
In office
20 May 2013 – 15 May 2018
Preceded byKalakappa G. Bandi
Succeeded byJayamala
Minister for Kannada and Culture
Government of Karnataka
In office
20 May 2013 – 15 May 2018
Preceded byGovind M. Karjol
Succeeded byJayamala
Member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly
In office
17 May 2013 – 15 May 2018
Preceded bySiddu Savadi
Succeeded bySiddu Savadi
ConstituencyTerdal
Personal details
Born
Umashree

(1957-05-10) 10 May 1957 (age 67)
Nonavinakere, Tiptur, Tumkur, Karnataka, India
Political partyIndian National Congress
ProfessionActor (1978–present)
Politician (2013–present)

In 2013, Umashree became a Member of the Legislative Assembly[2] in Karnataka in the government of Siddaramaiah where she was the minister for women and child development,[3] empowerment of the differently abled and senior citizens, Kannada language and culture.[4]

Personal life

edit

Umashree was born into the Devanga family.[5][6] She has two children, a daughter named Gayathri, who is a dentist, and a son named Vijayakumar, an advocate, she raised them as a single mother.

Public office

edit

Umashree participates in positive social activities such as supporting rural and disadvantaged women. She performs on stage in rural villages to highlight their needs. Her election in 2013 as the member for Terdal constituency (Congress Party) allowed Umashree to continue her work. Umashree is Minister for Women and Child Development, Kannada and Culture.

Stage work

edit

Umashree has experience in village, amateur, mythological and professional drama. Her directors have included Fritz Bennewitz, B.V. Karanth, Girish Karnad, C. G. Krishnaswamy, R. Nagesh, and T.S. Nagabharana. She is a member of Rangasampada amateur theatre group of Bangalore.

Film work

edit

Umashree began her movie career in 1984 in a supporting role in Anubhava with Kashinath. But before that she was seen in a 1980 Kannada film Bangarada Jinke directed by T S Nagabharana.

However, it typecast her in comedy roles with a degree of innuendo. She worked with the actor N. S. Rao and later with Dinesh, Dwarakish, Mysore lokesh, Sihikahi chandru, Ramesh bhat, Mukhyamantri Chandru, Doddanna and Karibasavaiah. Her directors included S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu, Bhargava, Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, Perala, K V Raju, Vijay, Dorai Bhagavan, Dwairakish, D Rajendra babu, Dinesh Babu, V Ravichandran, Puri Jagannath and Yograj Bhat.

Television work

edit
  • Nondavara Haadu, a documentary about leprosy directed by T. S. Ranga for Doordarshan.
  • Hattye, a telefilm directed by H. Girijamma for Doordarshan.
  • Musanje, a serial directed by T. S. Nagabarana for Udaya TV.
  • Musanje Katha Prasanga, a serial directed by Prakash Belawadi for ETv.
  • Kicchu, a serial directed by Chaitanya for ETv.
  • Amma Ninagagi for ETv.
  • Arathigobba Kirthigobba for Star Suvarna.
  • Chinnara Chilipili for Udaya TV.
  • Puttakkana Makkalu for Zee Kannada

Partial filmography

edit

Awards

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Jo misses National Award by a whisker!". Sify. 8 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Karnataka 2013." Myneta website, National Election Watch. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Writer's remarks on Umashree draw flak." The Hindu Bangelore, 9 February 2014.
  4. ^ Nandakumar P. "Karnataka: Umashree lone woman minister." Deccan Chronicle 18 May 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2014
  5. ^ "Siddharamaiah, increases Quota in Cabinet".
  6. ^ "Terdal Election News".
edit