Bommasandra Srinivasaiah Suryanarayana Murthy (16 March 1933–26 December 1985), known by his screen name Uday Kumar, was an Indian actor and producer in Kannada cinema.

The family's roots trace back to Andhra Pradesh, with their ancestors relocated to Karnataka approximately 200 years before Udaykumar's birth.

[citation needed] After unsuccessfully attempting the matriculation exams, Uday Kumar married Kamalamma at age 20.

[6] In 1954, while working on the script for Bhagyodaya, story and screenwriter Kanagal Prabhakar Shastry sought a lead actor for the film.

Impressed by his performance, S. K. Bhagavan, Shastry's assistant, offered him the lead role and he was cast for the part after a successful screen test.

[7] Nicknamed "Gandugali" Uday Kumar appeared in 193 feature films, including 171 in Kannada, 15 in Telugu, 6 in Tamil, and one in Hindi.

[citation needed] In 2005, on Uday Kumar's 73rd birthday, the registered charitable trust Pavanasutha Kesari Kalaa Shalaa was founded during a cultural event titled Udaya-73 Ondu Savinenapu.

The trust’s activities include formal education, nurturing rural talent in performing arts, and organizing state-level drama competitions.