Veteran Sandalwood Comedian M S Umesh passed away
Veteran Sandalwood comedian and actor M S Umesh (Mysore Srikantayya Umesh) has passed away at the age of 80 Sunday, November 30, 2025 (today). He passed away after a battle with liver cancer at Kidwai Hospital in Bengaluru.
His health had reportedly deteriorated following a fall at his residence last month, during which his cancer was discovered. Known for his unique dialogue delivery, comic timing, and character roles, his career spanned over six decades and included more than 400 films.
He was particularly famous for his roles in movies like Golmaal Radhakrishna, Guru Shishyaru, and Venkata in Sankata, and his popular dialogue, “Apartha madkobedi” (Don’t misunderstand me).
S. Umesh’s career spanned over six decades, featuring him as an actor, producer, director, screenwriter, and dialogue writer. He is renowned for his unique dialogue delivery and comedic timing. He started his career at the age of four when he joined the popular theater troupe run by K. Hirannaiah. He later joined the more famous Gubbi Veeranna’s company as a child artist.
Film Debut (Lead Role): Makkala Rajya (1960), directed by B. R. Panthulu.
Major Comeback: After a lull, he made a successful comeback in Puttanna Kanagal’s anthology film Katha Sangama (1977).
Number of Films: He acted in over 350 feature films.
Notable Roles: He is widely known for his character role as “Sithapathi” in the film Golmaal Radhakrishna (1990) and the sequel Golmaal Part 2 (1991).
Direction: He also directed several films, including the Tamil movie Idhu Unga Kudumbam (1989) and the Kannada films Avane Nanna Ganda (1989), Sididedda Gandu (1990), and Baduku Jataka Bandi (1997).
He worked with many leading actors of his time, including Rajkumar, Vishnu Vardhan, Ambareesh, and also with Tamil actors like Sivaji Ganesan and Rajinikanth.
Awards:
1975: Karnataka State Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as “Thimmarayi” in the Munithaayi episode of Katha Sangama.
2013: Karnataka Nataka Akademy Award for his contribution to the professional theatre.
Family Details:
He was married and had a wife and a daughter who was reportedly a noted actress.
In an interview, he mentioned that his wife and daughter were dependent on him.
There are reports mentioning that his daughter, an actress, is Prerana.Veteran Sandalwood Comedian M S Umesh passed away
