Bengaluru: Veteran Kannada actor Mysore Srikantayya Umesh, popularly known as M S Umesh, passed away on Sunday, at the age of 80, after a prolonged battle with cancer.
Popular for his distinct comic timing and versatile character roles across a career spanning over six decades, his demise has sent a wave of grief across Sandalwood.
He is survived by his wife and a daughter. He had recently suffered a fall at home, injuring his leg and hip, and was hospitalised.
During treatment, doctors discovered he had cancer, including liver cancer, and performed surgery on him.
He succumbed to the illness at the city’s Kidwai hospital.
Born in Mysuru on April 24, 1945, Umesh’s artistic journey began on the stage. He started as a child artiste with renowned theatre troupes, including Gubbi Veeranna’s company, before making his silver screen debut in B R Panthulu’s 1960 film, Makkala Rajya.
His career gained significant momentum following his critically acclaimed role as Thimmarayi in the anthology film Katha Sangama (1976), directed by legendary film director S R Puttanna Kanagal, which fetched him the Karnataka state film award for best supporting actor. Umesh went on to act in over 350 films, sharing screen space with stalwarts such as Dr Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh, and Anant Nag.
He acted in films like Nagarahole, Anupama, Haavina Hede, Haalu Jenu, Kamanabillu, Apoorva Sangama and Shruti Seridaaga.
Umesh was particularly celebrated for his roles in classic comedies, including Guru Shishyaru and Golmaal Radhakrishna, where his iconic role as ‘Sithapathi’ and his signature dialogue ‘Ayyayyo nanna apaartha maadkobedi sar’ earned him enduring popularity among the Kannada audience. Umesh has received numerous awards and honours, including the Natak Akademi Award in 1994, the Mahanagara Palike award in 1997 and the Visvesvaraya Foundation award for his autobiography ‘Bannada Ghante’.