Follow Us 
Updated: November 30, 2025 11:31 AM IST 
By 
Veteran Kannada actor ‘Mysore’ Srikantayya Umesh, widely known as MS Umesh, passed away in Bengaluru on Sunday after a prolonged illness. He was 80.
Born on April 24, 1945, in Mysuru, Umesh entered the world of theatre at just four years old, performing with Master K. Hirannaiah’s troupe. His journey continued with the iconic Gubbi Veeranna theatre company, where he refined his craft.
A breakthrough in cinema
Umesh got his first major film role in 1960 with Makkala Rajya. After a brief setback that pushed him back to theatre, he returned strongly to films with Katha Sangama in 1977, marking the start of a stable and successful screen career.
Five decades, 350+ films
Over the next several years, he appeared in more than 350 films, winning the love of Kannada audiences through roles in movies like Nagara Hole, Guru Shishyaru, Anupama, Kaamana Billu, and Venkata in Sankata.
He worked with almost every major actor of his era, Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh, Shankar Nag, Ananth Nag, B. Saroja Devi, and even shared the screen with Tamil icons Sivaji Ganesan and Rajinikanth.
Awards and recognition
Known for his versatility and natural flair for humour, Umesh won the Karnataka State Film Award in 1975 for his role in Katha Sangama. In 2013, he was honoured with the Karnataka Nataka Akademi Award for his contribution to theatre.
Condolences from the film fraternity
Reacting to his passing, Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy said he was deeply saddened by the news. He remembered Umesh as an artist whose effortless humour could “make audiences float in a sea of laughter.”
He called Umesh’s death a significant loss to the Kannada creative world and recalled his memorable performances in films like Guru Shishyaru, Haalu Jenu, and Apurva Sangama.
