Jayamala

Jayamala
Jayamala in 2020
Ex-Minister for Women and Child Development and Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, Government of Karnataka Leader of the Upper House, Karnataka Legislative Council
In office
June 2018 – June 2019
Preceded byUmashree
Minister for Kannada and Culture, and Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka
In office
6 June 2018 – June 2019
Preceded byUmashree
Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council
In office
24 June 2014 – 23 June 2020
President, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce
In office
29 June 2008 – May 2010
Succeeded byBasant Kumar Patil
Personal details
Born (1959-02-28) 28 February 1959 (age 65)
Mangalore
Political partyIndian National Congress
Spouses
(m. 1985; div. 1994)
H.M. Ramachandra
(m. 1998)
ChildrenSoundarya (1990) Prabhakar (b.1990)
Profession
  • Actress
  • politician

Jayamala is an Indian actress and politician. She served as the Minister for Women and Child Development and Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens in the Government of Karnataka, by virtue of being a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council.[1] She served as the female president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce between 2008 and 2010.[2][3] Her popular Kannada films include Premada Kanike, Shankar Guru, Antha and Chandi Chamundi among several others. She has produced and acted in the award-winning Thaayi Saheba.

Personal life

Jayamala was born to a Tulu speaking Billava family in Mangalore. Her father G. Omaiah was an agriculturist and mother Kamalamma, a homemaker. She has six sisters and a brother. They moved to Chikmagalur in 1963 after being displaced due to the harbour work in Panambur.[4]

She was first married to Kannada Film actor Tiger Prabhakar. and the couple has a daughter Soundarya, a popular actress in her own right. After her divorce [5][6] she married cinematographer H. M. Ramachandra.[4][7]

Film career

Jayamala has acted in several movies mainly in Kannada. Jayamala was the most glamorous heroine of Kannada cinema during the early 1980s. She started her career as a Rajkumar heroine and after a string of successful movies with him went on to star opposite all the top heroes of Sandalwood,[citation needed] With Anant Nag, she has acted in romantic movies as Janma Janmada Anubandha and Premave Baalina Belaku. With Vishnuvardhan, she starred in multi-starrer pot-boilers like Hanthakana Sanchu, Naga Kala Bhairava and Sididedda Sahodara. Her pairing with Ambareesh, started with the cult classic Antha where she played the tragic role of a cabaret dancer who is his sister and then went on to become his heroine in several movies like Ajith, Prema Matsara and Khadeema Kallaru. Her pairing with Shankar Nag in many movies also proved successful, including the heroine-oriented Chandi Chamundi that made her a household name as an action heroine.

Her last successful pairing was with Prabhakar, (who incidentally had played her brother in Chandi Chamundi) whom she married in 1985 after which she quit films. Interestingly Jayamala and top heroine Aarathi costarred in nine films with Jayamala's glamour quotient complementing Aarathi's simple-girl appeal.

Her first production venture Thaayi Saheba was directed by Girish Kasaravalli and won a National award. Jayamala received a special jury award for her performance in the film.[8] Jayamala created history of sorts when she became the only actress in the Indian film industry to be conferred a doctorate for writing a thesis. Her thesis was on the rehabilitation of rural woman in Karnataka and required her to tour Karnataka and also scrutinise several documents. The Doctorate was conferred by the Bangalore University on 18 January 2008 and presented by former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.

Controversy

She was at the center of a controversy when she claimed that she touched the Lord Ayyappa idol in Sabarimala during the shooting of Tamil movie titled 'Nambinar Keduvathillai'. Women from the age 10–50 are banned from entering Sabarimala temple. It created a furor in India and led to ideological warfare in Indian media and courts. It was Mr V Rajendran[9][10] who is currently the Kerala state committee member of Bharatiya Janata Party who filed the petition against her in Ranni court. Jayamala has said she regretted her action, but clarified that she was pushed into the shrine by a crowd of devotees. Rajendran insisted that it is impossible to touch as the shrine is located far inside the Garbhagriha. The Supreme Priest of Sabarimala Kantararu Maheshwararu had dismissed the actress's statement as a figment of her imagination.[11][12][13][14][15]

Filmography

Kannada films

Year Film Role Note(s)
1974 Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu Debut in supporting role[16]
1975 Daari Tappida Maga Princess of Bundelpur
1975 Thrimurthy Prema
1976 Yaaru Hitavaru
1976 Badavara Bandhu Susheela
1976 Premada Kanike Kumudha
1977 Babruvahana Subhadra
1977 Giri Kanye Cheluvi
1978 Shankar Guru Nalini
1979 Khandavideko Mamsavideko
1979 Savalige Saval
1979 Madhu Chandra Chandrika / Kammu
1980 Hanthakana Sanchu Aparna
1980 Janma Janmada Anubandha Malathi
1980 Nammammana Sose
1980 Akhanda Brahmacharigalu
1980 Kappu Kola Renuka
1981 Antha Shobha Special appearance
1981 Bhagyada Belaku
1981 Bhaari Bharjari Bete Leela
1981 Muniyana Madari
1981 Naga Kala Bhairava Sudha
1981 Sangeetha
1981 Number 5 Ekka
1982 Ajith
1982 Khadeema Kallaru Usha
1982 Prema Matsara Latha
1982 Raga Thala
1982 Muttinantha Attige
1982 Shankar Sundar
1982 Pedda Gedda
1983 Chandi Chamundi Parvati
1983 Geluvu Nannade Shanti
1983 Hosa Theerpu Radha
1983 Nyaya Gedditu Rajini
1983 Prema Yuddha
1983 Sididedda Sahodara Geetha
1983 Thirugu Baana Special appearance
1984 Bedaru Bombe
1984 Benki Birugali Jyothi
1984 Gandu Bherunda Myna
1984 Hosa Ithihaasa
1984 Huliyada Kala
1984 Jiddu
1984 Vigneshwarana Vahana[17] Vimala
1984 Nagabekamma Nagabeku
1984 Onti Dhwani
1984 Premave Balina Belaku Shantha
1984 Raktha Thilaka Radha
1984 Thaayi Naadu
1985 Pralaya Rudra
1995 Gadibidi Aliya
1996 Geluvina Saradara
1996 Nirbandha
1997 Thaayi Saheba Narmada National Film Special Jury Award;
Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress; Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada[18]
2004 Rowdy Aliya Malini Devi
2008 Navashakthi Vaibhava Mookambika

Tamil

  1. Oru Kodiyil Iru Malargal (1976)
  2. Jamboo (1980)
  3. Bhama Rukmani (1980)
  4. Andru Muthal Indru Varai (1981)
  5. Kadavulin Theerpu (1981)
  6. Kalthoon (1981)
  7. Asthivaram (1982)
  8. Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum (1983) as Valli
  9. Thalaimagan (1983)
  10. Kuvaa Kuvaa Vaaththukkal (1984)
  11. Pozhuthu Vidinchachu (1984)
  12. Padikkadha Pannaiyar (1985)
  13. Nambinar Keduvathillai (1986)
  14. En Pondatti Nallava (1995) as Mayilu

Malayalam: Credited as Jayanthi

  1. Devalokam (Unreleased)
  2. Makara Vilakku (1980)
  3. Oridathoru Phayalvaan (1981) as Chakkara
  4. Sindoora Sandhyakku Mounam (1982)
  5. Kadamba (1983)
  6. Rishi (1992)

Telugu

  1. Bhale Ramudu[19] (1984) as Asha
  2. Rakshasudu (1986)

References

  1. ^ "Four members to be nominated to Karnataka Council after poll results". The Hindu. 2 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 July 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Jayamala elected KFCC president". The Hindu. 29 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Basanth Patil is new chief of KFCC". Deccan Herald. 9 May 2010. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 October 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "This fighter finally met his match | Bengaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India. 28 March 2001. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  6. ^ "WebHost4Life | Web Hosting, Unix Hosting, E-Mail, Web Design". www.webhost4life.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Jayamala Jr set for debut? - Times of India". The Times of India. 3 September 2009. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Thaayi Saheba Awards: List of Awards won by Kannada movie Thaayi Saheba". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Sabarimala cinema shoot involving actresses forced rigid curbs on women". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Bharatiya Janata Party". Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  11. ^ "India actress 'defiles' shrine". 3 July 2006. Archived from the original on 15 June 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2007 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  12. ^ "News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates". News18. 15 June 2020. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  13. ^ "Deccan Herald". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 10 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Actress' confession sparks Sabarimala row". Rediff. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  15. ^ Jayamala in a song on YouTube
  16. ^ [1][permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Vigneshwarana Vahana". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Filmfare (South) awards presented". The Tribune. 26 April 1999. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Bhale Ramudu 1984 movie cast".