Veteran Kannada actor 'Mysore' Srikantayya Umesh died on Sunday after a prolonged illness, family sources said. He was 80. The actor has been suffering from cancer for quite some time and was recently admitted to a hospital, where he breathed his last. His career in the film industry spanned over five decades, where he acted in over 350 films.

All about the veteran actor Umesh

Born on April 24, 1945, in Mysuru, Umesh started his career at the age of four when he played a role in the 'Lanchavatara' fame Master K Hirannaiah's theatre group. Later, he joined Gubbi Veeranna's theatre troupe. Umesh got a major break in the film industry in 1960 when he played the lead role in the movie 'Makkala Rajya'. After the debut, there was a lull in his film career, which was marked by struggle. He was forced to return to theatres. The actor got the next break in the film industry through 'Katha Sangama' in 1977. Since then, there has been no looking back for Umesh. He acted in movies like 'Nagara Hole' (1978), 'Guru Shishyaru' (1981), 'Anupama' (1981), 'Kaamana Billu' (1983), and 'Venkata in Sankata' (2007).