Veteran multilingual actor Jayanthi, 76, handed away at her residence in Bengaluru on Monday morning. She was ailing for a while with age-related points. She is survived by a son.
Born as Kamala Kumari in Ballari on January 6, 1945, she was groomed by her mom Santanalakshmi to change into a classical dancer from a really younger age, for which she shifted to Chennai, then Madras. But it was motion pictures that turned her calling.
Small Roles As A Teenager
As a scholar at a dance faculty, the teenage lady acted in small roles with different ladies, together with Tamil veteran actor Manorama who was her batchmate. Spotted by filmmaker Y.R. Swamy, she debuted in Kannada cinema with the display screen identify he gave her — Jayanthi. Jenu Goodu in 1963 was her first movie and he or she by no means seemed again.
Her second movie Chandavalliya Thota reverse Dr. Rajkumar was an enormous hit and he or she additionally gained a nationwide award for it. She began performing in each Tamil and Telugu movies.
She has acted in additional than 500 movies in 5 languages — Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. She was paired onscreen in a number movies with matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar in Kannada and did essentially the most quantity motion pictures with him. She acted with N. T. Rama Rao in Telugu and Gemini Ganesan in Tamil. She additionally had lengthy collaborations with necessary filmmakers the time — Puttanna Kanagal in Kannada and Okay. Balachander in Tamil. However, all awards for her efficiency had been for her work in Kannada movies — 4 instances finest actor, twice finest supporting actor and two Filmfare awards for finest actor. A critically acclaimed actor she was known as ‘Abhinaya Sharade’ by Kannada movie connoisseurs.
Glam Avatar
What cemented her place within the Kannada movie pantheon as a star was the 1965 movie Miss Leelavathi, the place she was launched in a glamorous avatar. It was on this movie {that a} Kannada actor first wore a swimsuit on display screen. The movie, a lot mentioned for its daring portrayal ladies’s sexuality, gained a nationwide award and stays a cult basic even immediately.
Nearly a decade later, she essayed an analogous position in Eda Kallu Guddada Mele in 1973, for which she gained her first State award for finest actor. Later years, she graduated to essaying supporting roles throughout movies in 4 languages, and in addition in a couple tele-serials.
Troubled Life
Jayanthi ten spoke how stardom didn’t come straightforward to her. She was ten derided for being ‘overweight’ and this gave her a posh. Jayanthi had a turbulent private life too. She was married to Telugu actor and filmmaker Peketi Shivaram, however the couple quickly separated. Jayanthi suffered from bronchial asthma for over 35 years and ten developed respiratory points and had critical bouts diseases in 2018 and earlier this 12 months.
Yediyurappa’s Condolence
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa (2nd from proper) presenting an award to actor Jayanthi throughout the Vishwa Kannadigara Jagruthi Samavesha at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on January 18, 2009.
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa condoled her dying and described Jayanthi as an actor who might tackle wide-ranging roles with ease. Many from the Kannada movie trade have mourned her passing away.
