Upendra (actor)

This article is about the Kannada actor and director. For the film, see Upendra (film).

Upendra
Upendra at KLE Society's Law-College, Bangalore
Born
Upendra Rao

(1968-09-18) 18 September 1968 (age 56)
Koteshwara, Mysore State (present–day Karnataka), India
Other namesUppi
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • playback singer
  • lyricist
  • politician
Years active1989 – present
WorksFull list
Political partyUttama Prajaakeeya Party
Spouse
​
(m. 2003)​
Children2

Upendra Rao (born 18 September 1968) is an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, playback singer, lyricist and politician who worked primarily in Kannada films. He has also worked in a few Telugu films. In 2017, He joined the political party Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Paksha,[1][2] before quitting the party in 2018 due to internal differences and formed another party named Uttama Prajaakeeya Party (UPP), which was based on the principles of Prajakiya (citizen-centric administration). He received an Honorary Doctorate from Angkor University in 2015.[3]

He started his film career as a writer and an assistant director with actor and film director Kashinath. His first directorial venture was Tharle Nan Maga (1992). In the mid-1990s, Upendra directed Om (1995) which emerged as a blockbuster at the box office and became a cult film. He later made the film in Telugu as Omkaram. This was followed by A, in which he debuted as an actor. The film went to be a major success and catapulted him to new heights of fame.[4] His next film was the psychological thriller Upendra (1999), which became a cult film.[5] After a decade of acting,[6] he returned to directing with Super, which was well-received critically and commercially.[7]

Upendra is known for his works in films such as Preethse (2000), Super Star (2002), Kutumba (2002), Gokarna (2002), Hollywood (2002), Raktha Kanneeru (2003), Gowramma (2005), Aishwarya (2006), Anatharu (2007), Budhivanta (2008), Kalpana (2012), Godfather (2012), S/O Satyamurthy (2015), Uppi 2 (2015), and I Love You (2019).

  1. ^ "Kannada film actor Upendra unveils name of his new political outfit". The Times of India. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Karnataka Pragnavantha Janatha Paksha(KPJP)". The News Minute. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  3. ^ "ನಟ-ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ಉಪೇಂದ್ರಗೆ ಗೌರವ ಡಾಕ್ಟರೇಟ್".
  4. ^ "This Day, That Year: Upendra's debut as hero, the cult classic 'A' turns 24". The Times of India. 23 January 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  5. ^ Desk, Roktim Rajpal,DH Web (18 September 2020). "Birthday special: 5 movies that prove Upendra is the 'Real Star' of Kannada cinema". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Excited Upendra on Tamil Film 'Sathyam'". IndiaGlitz. 14 June 2008. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Upendra Kannada Film Super Box Office Report, Collections". Cinemagupshup.com. 22 December 2010. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010.