| Umashree | |
| Birth Date: | 1957 5, df=yes |
| Birth Name: | Umashree |
| Birth Place: | Nonavinakere, Tiptur, Tumkur, Karnataka, India |
| Office: | Member of Karnataka Legislative Council |
| Term Start: | 21 August 2023 |
| Predecessor: | C. M. Lingappa |
| Constituency: | Nominated |
| Office1: | Minister for Women and Child Development Government of Karnataka |
| Term Start1: | 20 May 2013 |
| Term End1: | 15 May 2018 |
| Predecessor1: | Kalakappa G. Bandi |
| Successor1: | Jayamala |
| Office2: | Minister for Kannada and Culture Government of Karnataka |
| Term Start2: | 20 May 2013 |
| Term End2: | 15 May 2018 |
| Predecessor2: | Govind M. Karjol |
| Successor2: | Jayamala |
| Party: | Indian National Congress |
| Office3: | Member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly |
| Term Start3: | 17 May 2013 |
| Term End3: | 15 May 2018 |
| Constituency3: | Terdal |
| Predecessor3: | Siddu Savadi |
| Successor3: | Siddu Savadi |
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]
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.