In May 1993, Uma Kamesh got an opportunity to act in a film opposite actor Riyaz Khan. The role came about when Roshini, Uma’s classmate at the Fatima Matriculation Higher Secondary School at Chennai, recommended her name to her brother Riyaz.
Uma, who was only 18 then, had to do a photo shoot. During the assignment, they had to hug each other and stand close. “That was when I felt an attraction for him,” says Uma. “Riyaz has an innocent face. And his eyes are so attractive. It is his best attribute. It is not black or brown. In fact, it is an in-between colour.” Two months later, Uma told her mother, Kamala Kamesh, that she wanted to marry Riyaz. Kamala was a veteran actress who has acted in more than 400 films. Uma’s father, Kamesh, a film music director, had died when Uma, an only child, was eight years old.
Kamala said, “It is your life. Think hard about it before taking the step.” After thinking for a while, Uma told her mother she wanted to go ahead. And, today, she analyses the reason why. “During my younger days, my mother was very busy and so I was alone most of the time,” says Uma. “So when Riyaz showed a little attention, I immediately fell in love.” Riyaz’s mother and relatives had been initially hesitant, because Uma is a Tamil Brahmin, but agreed soon after when they realised that Riyaz was in love. The nikaah took place on July 14, 1993.
When asked about the uncertainty of life in the film industry, Uma, has been working in Tamil films for a while now, says, “Yes, we are in an unpredictable profession. But I don’t think it is stressful because we love our work. And we believe that it is our destiny. We don’t know anything else, apart from films,” she says.
She liked her husband the best in his role as police inspector, Arjun Yadav, in the Hindi super hit, Ghajini, which stars Aamir Khan. “He acted well in it,” she says. And like Aamir, Riyaz also has a muscular body. “He spends two hours in the gym every day whenever he is at home,” says a proud Uma. Their son Shariq is now following in their footsteps. He is making his debut as an anti-hero in a Tamil film, Pencil, which will be released in March.