A star and a legend!
Veteran Indian actress, politician, and filmmaker Jamuna nee Jana Bai worked primarily in Telugu cinema. Her roughly 200-film resume also included Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi films.
Born in Hampi, Karnataka, and raised in Duggirala, Guntur district, A.P., she completed her high school education privately.
After seeing her performance in her school play Maa Bhoomi in 1952, Garikipati Raja Rao, a director of IPTA ( Indian People’s Theatre Association), offered her a role in his Telugu film Puttillu (1953). Only 16 then, she was hired for the project for Rs 500 per month. A photographer captured her shots without any makeup since they thought she resembled Nargis. Hero Raja Rao was much older than her, therefore the movie didn’t work, but it worked for her.
Comedy films Vaddante Dabbu and Iddaru Pellalu, directed by B. S. Ranga, and Maa Gopi were released in 1954. But her big break came with L.V. Prasad’s Missamma (1955), for her supporting part with Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Savitri, and N. T. Rama Rao in the starring roles. Then came the 1955 film Bangaru Papa, the 1957 political drama Tenali Ramakrishna and the 1958 Hindu mythological picture Bhookailas. In 1964, she starred in the Battle of Bobbili-based movie Bobbili Yuddham.
She was adored by Telugu fans for immortalising the roles of Kaikeyi, the wife of King Dasaratha in Sampoorna Ramayanam, and Satyabhama, the wife of Lord Krishna in mythical films like Srikrishna Thulabharam. She played a range of female lead parts for a four-decade career alongside great performers.
She made her film debut in Tamil in 1954 with Panam Paduthum Padu. Then followed Missiamma (1955), a romantic comedy; Thiruttu Raman (1957); Thangamalai Ragasiyam (1958); and Kadan Venango Kalyaanam (1959), a drama; and comedy. In the 1961 swashbuckler movie Marutha Nattu Veeran, she portrayed a princess. Nichaya Thamboolam followed in 1962, and in 1973, she played the lead in Anbu Sagodharargal, followed by Thoongathey Thambi Thoongathey in 1983.
Her Kannada film debut was in 1955 with Aadarsha Sathi. Then came the drama films Bhookailasa (1956), Rathnagiri Rahasya (1957) Sakshatkara (1971), Mayeya Musuku (1979), and in 1980, Guru Sarvabhowma Sri Karune, Raghavendra. She was chosen for a supporting part in the action movie Police Matthu Dada in 1991.
Jamuna acted in 11 Hindi films. Making her cinematic debut in 1957 with the comedy Miss Mary, Ek Raaz, Hamrahi, Beti Bete (1963), Milan (1967), Rishte Nate (1965), Dulhan (1974), Raaj Tilak (1984), and Lady Tarzan (1990) followed.
She was elected president of the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Congress in the 1980s. She represented the Congress in the Rajahmundry constituency in the 9th Lok Sabha in 1989. She lost the 1991 election and resigned from politics, but she briefly canvassed for the BJP in the late 1990s.
In the 1965 Telugu film Sri Krishna Tulabharam, Jamuna was cast in the character of Satyabhama opposite N.T. Ramarao (NTR), who was portraying Krishna. She had to kick him in the song O Cheli Kopama. NTR fans found this unacceptable, though it was part of the script. Actors NTR and ANR also boycotted Jamuna for more than three years over disagreements on equal pay and respect.
She received numerous honours. – 1972: Filmfare Special Jury South award for Telugu film Pandanti Kapuram; 1968: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award 1967 for Hindi film Milan; 1999: Tamil Nadu MGR Award, 2008: Andhra Pradesh government’s NTR National Award; the Padma Bhushan B. Saroja Devi National Award for Lifetime Achievement; the 17th Santosham Film Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award; etc.
When she started receiving roles for elderly characters, she stopped acting because she wanted to be remembered for her glitz as an andala tara (beautiful star)! She passed away aged 86 in Hyderabad, survived by son Vamsee and daughter Sravanthi.
A.Radhakrishnan is a Pune based freelance journalist, poet and short story writer.