Umashree born on (May 10th 1957) is an Indian theatre actress and character actress of Kannada Film Industry also well known politician. She was a Member of the Legislative Council in Karnataka. She has done so many varied roles as a character artiste with equal finesse and aplomb. However she is most famous for her potryal of comic roles. Her range in acting is unparalleled - mainly due to her stint in stage plays - and has acted in more than 325 Kannada movies, of which her potryal in Swabimana, Anjadagandu, Putnanja, Yaru Hone, Laalihaadu, Minchina Ota, Mani, Ranga SSLC, Kotigalu Sir Kotigalu, Yaarige Saalutte Sambala, Kurigalu Sir Kurigalu, Tumbida Mane, Sangya balya,Tayyavva, Monalisa, Veeru, Kotreshi Kanasu, Chellata, Bhairavi, Malla, Kattegalu Sir Kattegalu now recently Gulabi Talkies are few to be appreciated. 

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, Nagabarana 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. 

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 doctor 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. 

Life Achievement Awards : 

She has been awarded with many awards and prizes and to name them a few are: 
Karnataka State Government's highest honour the Rajyotsava Award 1999-2000 - Gold Medal (for her enormous service to the Theatre and Film industry). 
International Award as Best actress at Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema 2008 for 'Gulabi Talkies' 
State Award six times from Government of Karnataka 
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) 
Felicitation by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce in 2008 (for being the first Kannada actress to obtain an International Award). 
Felicitation by Karnataka Film Directors Association (for being honoured by international Award). 
Devika Rani Memorial Award 1996 being honoured by Veteran Actor Dev Anand 
Karnataka Nataka Academy Award 1997-98 
International Fellowship - Paul Harris fellowship 
Aryabhatta Award 
K. V. Shankare Gowda Award 2004-05 
Apart from these she has also received more than twenty Best Actress prizes in different Industrial Competition Plays.