She began her acting career on stage with M.G. Rangnekar's Marathi play Ashirwad. She entered the Hindi film industry with a small role in Uday Shankar's dance-drama film Kalpana (1948). She went on to act in numerous popular Hindi films such as Nazrana (1961), Daag (1952), and Baadbaan (1954), (for which she won the very first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1955), Kabuliwala (1961), Patita (1953), Mili, Bawarchi (1972) and Chupke Chupke (1975).

Her famous Marathi films include Shikleli Bayko, Jasach Tase, Postatli Mulgi, Dudh Bhakar, Stree Janma Hi Tuzi Kahani, Kanyadaan (for which she received the Maharashtra Government's award for best actress), Gariba Gharchi Lek, and Kanchanganga.

She starred opposite Hindi film actors such as Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan.

She died in Nashik at the age of 70.^[1]

Her father's name was Balkrishna Vishnu Marathe and mother's name was Radha. She was the second among five daughters. She was married to Dr. Manohar Kher, who was Dean of LTMMG (Sion) hospital, Mumbai. They were the parents of two children, a son, Advait Kher and a daughter, Tanvi Azmi. Usha Kiran's son Adwait is a former model, now settled in Nashik with his wife Uttara (who was Femina Miss India - 1982) and his two daughters Saunskruti Kher and Saiyami Kher.^[5] Usha Kiran's daughter Tanvi Azmi is a well known television and film actress, married to cinematographer Baba Azmi, brother of Shabana Azmi.^[6]

• Kalpana (1948)
• Sarkar
• Maya Machhindra (1951)
• Madhosh (1951)
• Daag (1952)
• Patita (1953)
• Dost (1954)
• Badshah
• Baadbaan (1954)
• Adhikar
• Parivar
• Anuraag (1956)
• Musafir
• Nazrana (1961)
• Kabuliwala (1961)
• Gehra Daag (1963)
• Bawarchi (1972)
• Mili (1975)
• Chupke Chupke (1975)