Upendra Rao Biography: Age, Wife, Children, Net Worth, Height, Parents, Brother, Sister, Movies, Awards

Upendra Rao is an Indian film artist and filmmaker whose career began behind the camera and later took centre stage.

He started as a writer and assistant director before creating the comedy Tharle Nan Maga in 1992. His breakthrough came when he both directed and starred in the film A in 1998, which not only performed exceptionally but also brought his presence in front of the audience into sharp focus.

Profile

• Full name: Upendra Rao
• Date of birth: 18 September 1968
• Age: 57 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Koteshwara, Kundapura taluk, Udupi district, Karnataka, India
• Nationality: Indian
• Profession: Actor, director, producer, screenwriter, lyricist, playback singer, politician
• Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
• Eye color: Dark
• Hair color: Black
• Parents: Manjunath Rao (father) and Anusuya Rao (mother)
• Siblings: Sudheendra Rao (elder brother); Amulya Rao (sister)
• Spouse: Priyanka Upendra (née Priyanka Trivedi)
• Children: Ayush Upendra (son); Aishwarya Upendra (daughter)
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Hindu
• Net worth: $1 million

Early Life and education

Upendra Rao is now 57 years old. He was born on 18 September 1968 in Koteshwara, in the Kundapura taluk of Udupi district, Karnataka.

His father is Manjunath Rao, and his mother is Anusuya Rao. He has an elder brother named Sudheendra Rao, who served in the army, and a sister named Amulya. His family background is rooted in Karnataka, and he was raised in the Kannada cultural context.

He completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree from APS College of Commerce in Bangalore. During his time at college, he participated in theatre and formed drama troupes with his peers.

In his final year, he connected with his distant relative, actor-director Kashinath, and began working as an assistant writer and director under him.

Personal Life

Upendra married actress Priyanka Trivedi on 14 December 2003. They met through their work in films, including the Telugu movie Raa and H2O.

The couple resides in Bengaluru. They have two children: a son named Ayush Upendra and a daughter named Aishwarya Upendra.

In 2024, their children were teenagers, and Upendra spoke candidly about his approach to parenting, describing himself as the more lenient parent while navigating the challenges of adolescence at home.

Career

Upendra Rao launched his career in the film industry under Kashinath as a writer and assistant director. His directorial debut was the comedy Tharle Nan Maga in 1992, which achieved cult status. This was followed by Shhh! (1993) and the crime drama Om (1995), which solidified his reputation.

In 1998, Upendra directed and starred in A, a psychological romance thriller that became a commercial hit and introduced him as a star actor. In 1999, his self-titled film Upendra further increased his fame.

He continued to act in and direct numerous films, including Preethse (2000), Super Star (2002), Kutumba (2003), Gokarna (2003), Hollywood (2002), Raktha Kanneeru (2003), Gowramma (2005), Aishwarya (2006), Anatharu (2007), Budhivanta (2008), Kalpana (2012), Godfather (2012), S/O Satyamurthy (2015, Telugu), Uppi 2 (2015), I Love You (2019), UI (2024), and Coolie (2025).

In 2010, he made a significant return to directing with Super, which achieved both critical and commercial success. In UI (2024), he played multiple roles and also directed the sci-fi dystopian thriller, which had mixed reactions but was recognized for its technical ambition.

In 2025, he appeared in Coolie, returning to Tamil cinema after Sathyam in 2004.

He also founded his political party in 2018 called Uttama Prajaakeeya Party (UPP), based on ideas of citizen-centric governance, after breaking away from Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Paksha due to ideological differences.

Awards

• Filmfare Award for Best Director (Kannada) for Om (1995)
• Filmfare Award for Best Director (Kannada) for Upendra (1999)
• Nominated for South Indian International Movie Awards Best Actor for Uppi 2 (2015)

Net worth

Upendra Rao’s net worth is estimated at approximately $1 million, accumulated through his career as an actor, director, producer, lyricist, singer and politician.

Social Media

• Instagram: @nimmaupendra
• X: @realupendra

Filmography

• Som Mangal Shani (1988)
• Om (1995)
• Shhh! (1993)
• Tharle Nan Maga (1992)
• Swasthik
• Upendra (1999)
• Preethse (2000)
• Super Star (2002)
• Kutumba (2003)
• Gokarna (2003)