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Uma Padmanabhan Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 16, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth27 September 1965

Age56 Years

BirthplaceChennai, Tamil Nadu, India

ProfessionTamil television and movie actress, news presenter, TV host, and Tamil socialite

NationalityIndian

Marital statusDivorced

SpousePadmanabhan

FamilyDaughter - Sharanya; Parents - K. G. Subramanyan (father), Susheela Jasra (mother)

Uma Padmanabhan Biography

Uma Padmanabhan is an Indian television presenter, actress and socialite known for her long-running work in Tamil television and film. Born and raised inCh

Early life and background

Uma Padmanabhan was born Uma Iyer on 27 September 1965 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She completed a B.Sc. in Commerce from S.I.E.T., Nandanam, Chennai. Uma spent a year of schooling in New York when her father received a Rockefeller Foundation grant; that period left a lasting impression on her, as she later recounted discovering new facets of her father’s artistic practice while in the United States.

Her parents were noted figures: her father, K. G. Subramanyan, was a celebrated painter, poet and teacher who received national honours, and her mother, Susheela Jasra, was a Gandhian social worker and artist. Uma is their only child. After her mother’s death in 2005 she took on the responsibility of caring for her father during his illness.

Career

Uma began her on-screen career in the early 1990s as a television host. Six months after SUN TV launched in 1993 she joined the channel, initially working as a newsreader before becoming a presenter of the morning show Vanakkam Tamizha(kam). The program became one of the state’s most-watched breakfast shows, and Uma went on to host many programs across SUN TV as well as working with Vijay TV, Jaya TV and other Tamil channels.

Her film debut came with the Tamil movie Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen (1998). After a period away from substantial film roles, she returned to acting on-screen in the early 2000s, with a notable part in the 2002 film Yai! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke, which led to renewed offers. Her body of work spans Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films: she appeared in the Malayalam film The Thriller (2010) as Meera’s mother and in the Telugu film Oopiri Thozha (2016) as Swathi’s mother-in-law. On television she has acted in serials such as Micro Thodar-Oru Kudumbam Oru Ragasiyam (2000) and made a comeback to serials in 2016 with Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya, portraying the lead actor’s mother.

Uma’s on-screen roles cover multiple genres including romance, comedy, drama and action; she has said she enjoys working in comedy. She has shared screen space with several well-known actors in South Indian cinema and continues to dub her own lines in Hindi and other languages. In addition to acting and presenting, Uma has sung Tamil songs and participated in devotional performances, and she has appeared in television commercials.

Public profile

Uma has been active in public causes as well as entertainment. In 2013 she served as the Chennai “Pink Ambassador” for India Turns Pink, an organisation focused on breast cancer awareness.

She follows and comments on television reality programming, notably the Tamil edition of Bigg Boss, and has maintained a visible presence on social platforms. Her long-running television serial Poove Poochudavaa reached 1,000 episodes in February 2021, marking a milestone in her TV career.

Personal life

Uma was married to Padmanabhan; her listed marital status is divorced. She has one daughter, Sharanya. Her height is reported as approximately 168 cm (5 ft 6 in). Her eye colour is dark brown and her hair is black. She is Indian by nationality and her zodiac sign is Libra.

Latest updates

After a decade away from soap operas, Uma returned to television in 2016 with a prominent serial role. She continues to work across television and film, lending her voice in multiple languages and taking on character roles, especially in motherly parts in recent years.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Uma Padmanabhan, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya

Television serial in which Uma played the role of the leading actor’s mother; marked her comeback to TV serials in 2016 after a decade-long break.

2016
Poove Poochudavaa

Tamil television show that reached 1,000 episodes in February 2021.

2021
Oopiri Thozha

Telugu film in which she appeared as Swathi's mother-in-law.

2016
The Thriller

Malayalam film in which she appeared as Meera's mother.

2010
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Career Highlights

  1. Long-running TV presenter and host on SUN TV, including the morning show Vanakkam Tamizha(kam).
  2. Film debut in Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen (1998) and comeback with Yai! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke (2002).
  3. Worked across Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu cinema; known for character and mother roles.
  4. Chennai ‘Pink Ambassador’ for India Turns Pink (2013).
  5. Poove Poochudavaa reached 1,000 episodes in 2021.
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Uma Padmanabhan born?

Uma Padmanabhan was born on 27 September 1965.

What is Uma Padmanabhan known for?

Uma Padmanabhan is known for tamil television and movie actress, news presenter, TV host, and Tamil socialite.

What is Uma Padmanabhan’s marital status?

Uma Padmanabhan's marital status is listed as Divorced.

Who is Uma Padmanabhan married to?

Uma Padmanabhan is publicly listed as married to Padmanabhan.