Jaya Prada Nahata (born Lalitha Rani; 3 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician. She is hailed as one of the most iconic and influential actresses in both
Telugu and
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
film industries in late '70s, '80s and early '90s. Jayaprada is the recipient of three
Filmfare Awards South and has starred in many
Telugu and
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
films along with several
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
,
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
and
Marathi films. She left the film industry at the peak of her career, as she joined the
Telugu Desam Party
The Telugu Desam Party (; TDP) is an Indian regional political party operating in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at the state and central level. Since its founding by N. T. Rama Rao (often referred to as NTR) on 29 March 1982, the party has fo ...
(TDP) in 1994 and entered politics. She was a
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
(MP) from
Rampur,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
from 2004 to 2014.
Some of her notable films include ''
Anthuleni Katha
''Anthuleni Katha'' () is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language film directed by K. Balachander, starring Jaya Prada, with Fatafat Jayalaxmi, Rajinikanth and Sripriya in supporting roles. Kamal Haasan played a cameo. The film is a remake of the 1974 T ...
'' (1976), ''
Siri Siri Muvva
''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film with his leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ''Siri ...
'' (1976), ''
Sita Kalyanam'' (1976), ''
Adavi Ramudu'' (1977), ''
Yamagola
''Yamagola'' ( Havoc in Hell or The Great Havoc) is a 1977 Indian Telugu-language fantasy comedy film directed by T. Rama Rao who co-wrote the film with D. V. Narasa Raju. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Jaya Prada, with music composed by Chak ...
'' (1977), ''
Sanaadi Appanna
''Sanaadi Appanna'' is a 1977 Indian Kannada-language musical film directed by Vijay based on the novel ''Kuniyitu Hejje Naliyithu Gejje'' by Krishnamoorthy Puranik which was loosely based on the life of Bagalkote shehnai player Appanna (1876- ...
'' (1977), ''
Huliya Haalina Mevu
''Huliya Haalina Mevu'' () is a 1979 Indian Kannada-language epic historical drama film directed by Vijay, based on a novel of the same name by Bharathisutha starring Rajkumar as Chengumani, the commander-in-chief of the 18th-century Kingdom ...
'' (1979), ''
Sargam'' (1979), ''
Ooriki Monagadu'' (1981), ''
Kaamchor
''Kaamchor'' is a 1982 Bollywood drama movie. Produced by Rakesh Roshan, the film was directed by K. Viswanath, a remake of his Telugu film ''Subhodayam'' (1980). The film stars Rakesh Roshan, Jaya Prada, Tanuja, Sujit Kumar, Suresh Oberoi, Shr ...
'' (1982), ''
Kaviratna Kalidasa'' (1983), ''
Sagara Sangamam
''Sagara Sangamam'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath and produced by Edida Nageswara Rao. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, S. P. Sailaja and Chakri Toleti. Upon release, ...
'' (1983), ''
Tohfa
''Tohfa'' () is a 1984 Indian Hindi-language melodrama comedy film produced by D. Ramanaidu under the Suresh Productions banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Jeetendra, Sridevi and Jaya Prada. The film upon its release was a massi ...
'' (1984), ''
Sharaabi
''Sharaabi'' ( en, Drunkard, italic=yes) is a 1984 Indian Hindi comedy drama film produced and directed by Prakash Mehra. This was Mehra's sixth film with Amitabh Bachchan.
Sharaabi stars Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Prada in lead roles along wi ...
'' (1984), ''
Maqsad
''Maqsad'' () is a 1984 Indian Hindi-language action film, produced by D. Rama Naidu under the Suresh Productions banner and directed by K. Bapaiah. The film stars Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna, Sridevi, Jaya Prada with music composed by Bappi Lahi ...
'' (1984), ''
Sanjog'' (1985), ''
Aakhree Raasta
''Aakhree Raasta'' () is a 1986 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film written and directed by K. Bhagyaraj, presented by T. Rama Rao and produced by A. Purnachandra Rao both under banner Lakshmi Productions (Madras) (P).LTD. The film stars A ...
'' (1986), ''
Simhasanam'' (1986), ''
Sindoor
Sindooram is a traditional vermilion red or orange-red coloured cosmetic powder from the Indian subcontinent, usually worn by married women along the part of their hairline. In Hindu communities the sindoor is a visual marker of marital stat ...
'' (1987), ''
Samsaram'' (1988), ''
Elaan-E-Jung
''Elaan-E-Jung '' is a 1989 Bollywood action film directed by Anil Sharma and starring Dharmendra and Jaya Prada. The movie colected 11 crores and was a box office success. The film had Sadashiv Amrapurkar as the main villain.
Plot
A smal ...
'' (1989), ''
Aaj Ka Arjun'' (1990), ''
Thanedaar
Thanedaar () is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language action film, produced by Sanjay Ray, Sudhir Roy under the Shiva Arts International banner and directed by Raj N. Sippy. It stars Jeetendra, Jaya Prada, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and music composed ...
'' (1990), ''
Maa'' (1991), ''
Habba
''Habba'' () is a 1999 Indian Kannada-language drama film written and directed by D. Rajendra Babu. The film has an ensemble cast including Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh, Devaraj, Jayapradha, Urvashi, Shashikumar, Ramkumar, Vijayalakshmi, Kast ...
'' (1999), ''
Shabdavedhi
''Shabdavedhi'' is a 2000 Kannada-language action drama film directed by S. Narayan and produced by Sri Bhargavi Arts Combines. The film stars Rajkumar, Jayapradha, K. S. Ashwath, Sowcar Janaki, Umashree. The music was composed by Hamsalekha.
...
'' (2000), ''
Devadoothan
''Devadoothan'' () is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language
musical mystery horror film, produced by Siyad Koker under the banner of Koker Films, directed by Sibi Malayil and written by Raghunath Paleri. The film stars Mohanlal in the title role ...
'' (2000), ''
Pranayam'' (2011), ''
Ee Bandhana
''Ee Bandhana'' is a 2007 Indian Kannada-language drama film written, directed and co-produced by Vijayalakshmi Singh. This marks her debut directorial project. It stars Vishnuvardhan and Jayapradha. While Darshan, Ananth Nag, Tara, Sharmiel ...
'' (2007) and ''
Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna'' (2012). She won the
Filmfare Award
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
for
Best Actress – Telugu for her performance in ''Sagara Sangamam''. She has also been awarded Filmfare
Special Award
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
for her performance in ''Siri Siri Muvva'' and ''Anthuleni Katha''.
She has been considered by many as one of the most beautiful face to have ever graced Indian cinema including
Satyajit Ray who called her "the most beautiful face on the Indian screen".
Early life
Jayaprada was born as Lalitha Rani in
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Rajah ...
,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
Rajaka family. Her father, Krishna Rao, was a Telugu film financier. Her mother, Neelavani, was a home-maker. Lalitha attended a
Telugu medium school in Rajahmundry and was also enrolled in dance and music classes at an early age.
Film career
![Raadhika and Jayaprada 62nd FF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Raadhika_and_Jayaprada_62nd_FF.jpg)
When Jayaprada was a teenager, she performed a dance at her school's annual function. A film director in the audience offered her a three-minute dance number in the
Telugu film ''
Bhoomi Kosam'' (1974). She was hesitant, but her family encouraged her to accept it. She was paid only 10
rupees
Rupee is the common name for the currencies of
India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...
for her work in the film, but the rushes of those three minutes of film were shown to the major figures of the Telugu film industry. Major filmmakers offered her starring roles in quality films, and she accepted them. She became a huge star in 1976 with major hit films. Director
K. Balachander's black-and-white film ''
Anthuleni Katha
''Anthuleni Katha'' () is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language film directed by K. Balachander, starring Jaya Prada, with Fatafat Jayalaxmi, Rajinikanth and Sripriya in supporting roles. Kamal Haasan played a cameo. The film is a remake of the 1974 T ...
'' (1976) showcased her dramatic skills;
K. Viswanath
Kasinadhuni Viswanath (born 19 February 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South ...
's colour film ''
Siri Siri Muvva
''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film with his leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ''Siri ...
'' (1976) showed her playing a mute girl with excellent dancing skills; and her title role as
Sita
Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...
in the big-budget mythological film ''
Seetha Kalyanam'' (1976) confirmed her versatility. In 1977, she starred in ''
Adavi Ramudu'', which broke box office records and which permanently cemented her star status. The song "Aaresukoboyi Paresukunnanu" performed by Prada and co-star
N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) became a mass hit. Important filmmakers were casting her and repeating her in their films. Filmmaker
Vijay introduced her to
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
cinema in his 1977 super-hit movie ''
Sanaadi Appanna
''Sanaadi Appanna'' is a 1977 Indian Kannada-language musical film directed by Vijay based on the novel ''Kuniyitu Hejje Naliyithu Gejje'' by Krishnamoorthy Puranik which was loosely based on the life of Bagalkote shehnai player Appanna (1876- ...
'' alongside
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
matinee idol
Dr. Rajkumar
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian ci ...
. The movie is also known to be the only movie to feature
shehnai
The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.[Ustad Bismillah Khan
Bismillah Khan (born Amaruddin Khan, 21 March 1916 – 21 August 2006), often referred to by the title ''Ustad'', was an Indian musician credited with popularizing the shehnai, a reeded woodwind instrument. While the shehnai had long held imp ...]
.
In 1979,
K. Balachander repeated her in the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
film ''
Ninaithale Inikkum'' opposite
Kamal Haasan and
Rajinikanth in which she played a terminally-ill patient. She continued to act in more films in Telugu opposite actors such as NTR,
ANR,
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
,
Krishnam Raju
Uppalapati Venkata Krishnam Raju (20 January 1940 – 11 September 2022) was an Indian actor and politician. He was known for his works in Telugu cinema and was widely known as "''Rebel Star''" for his rebellious acting style. He was also the ...
and
Sobhan Babu
Sobhan Babu (born Uppu Sobhana Chalapathi Rao; 14 January 1937 – 20 March 2008) was an Indian actor known for his works in Telugu cinema.Bangaru Panjaram in Venditera Paatalu, Krishnasastri Sahityam, third volume, Vishalandhra Publishing House ...
throughout the 70s and 80s. She acted in highest number of films with
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
like ''Sri Rajeshwari vilas coffee club'' (1976), ''
Bhale Krishnudu
''Bhale Krishnudu'' is a comedy-drama Telugu film starring Krishna. Krishna is the son of millionaire Madhav Rao. Madhav Rao's partners cheat him, which leads to his death. Krishna then has to take care of his family as well as avenge his fath ...
'' (1980), ''
Ooruki Monagadu'' (1981), ''
Mundadugu'' (1983), ''Prajarajyam'' (1983) and ''
Singhasan'' (1986),.
K. Viswanath
Kasinadhuni Viswanath (born 19 February 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South ...
remade ''
Siri Siri Muvva
''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film with his leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ''Siri ...
'' (1976) in
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
as ''
Sargam'', introducing Jayaprada to
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
in 1979. The film was successful and she became a star there as well. She earned her first
Filmfare nomination as
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
but couldn't capitalize on her success since she couldn't speak Hindi.
In 1981, she starred in the critically acclaimed
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
film ''
47 Natkal'' and simultaneously made
Telugu film ''
47 Rojulu
''47 Natkal'' () is a 1981 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by K. Balachander. It was simultaneously made in Telugu as ''47 Rojulu'' (). The film stars Chiranjeevi, Jaya Prada and Anne Patricia. Based on the novel of the ...
'' by filmmaker
K. Balachander in which
Chiranjeevi
Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, film producer and former politician, who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi starred in over 150 feature films in Telugu, as well as some fil ...
played her villainous, bigamist husband. After she took Hindi lessons, director
K. Vishwanath relaunched her in Hindi films, with ''
Kaamchor
''Kaamchor'' is a 1982 Bollywood drama movie. Produced by Rakesh Roshan, the film was directed by K. Viswanath, a remake of his Telugu film ''Subhodayam'' (1980). The film stars Rakesh Roshan, Jaya Prada, Tanuja, Sujit Kumar, Suresh Oberoi, Shr ...
'' where she spoke Hindi fluently for the first time. ''
Saagara Sangamam'' directed by K. Vishwanath, starring
Kamal Haasan proved to be a milestone in her career, winning her many accolades including
Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Telugu
''Filmfare'' is an Indian English language, English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, r ...
in 1983. She was now able to consistently work in Hindi films, and earned two more
Filmfare nominations as
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
for playing
Amitabh Bachchan's endearing girlfriend in
Prakash Mehra
Prakash Mehra (13 July 1939 – 17 May 2009) was a legendary Indian film director and producer known for his work in Hindi films. He was one of the pioneers of masala films, along with Nasir Hussain, and Manmohan Desai. His collaborations wit ...
's ''
Sharaabi
''Sharaabi'' ( en, Drunkard, italic=yes) is a 1984 Indian Hindi comedy drama film produced and directed by Prakash Mehra. This was Mehra's sixth film with Amitabh Bachchan.
Sharaabi stars Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Prada in lead roles along wi ...
'' (1984) and for her challenging double role in K. Vishwanath's ''
Sanjog'' (1985).
Jayaprada made a successful team not just with
Amitabh Bachchan and
Jeetendra
Ravi Kapoor ( ; born 7 April 1942), known mononymously by his screen name Jeetendra, is an Indian actor who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He also serves as the chairman of the Balaji Telefilms and Balaji Motion Pictures.
Early lif ...
, but also with her immediate screen rival
Sridevi, with whom she has acted in about a dozen films. Their hit Telugu film ''
Devatha
''Devata'' (pl: ''devatas'', meaning 'the gods') (Devanagari: देवता; Khmer: ទេវតា (''tevoda''); Thai: เทวดา (''tevada''); Javanese, Balinese, Sundanese, Malay: ''dewata''; Batak languages: ''debata'' (Toba) ...
'' (1982), where they played sisters who made huge sacrifices for each other, was remade into the hit
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
film ''
Tohfa
''Tohfa'' () is a 1984 Indian Hindi-language melodrama comedy film produced by D. Ramanaidu under the Suresh Productions banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Jeetendra, Sridevi and Jaya Prada. The film upon its release was a massi ...
'' (1984). These films endeared Jayaprada to the traditional conservative section of film goers and she amassed a huge female fan following as well. It was an image that would serve her well when she started a new career as a politician. In 1985, she acted in the Malayalam film ''
Iniyum Kadha Thudarum'' directed by
Joshiy starring
Mammootty,
Baby Shalini and
Ambika
Ambika may refer to:
Mythology
* Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti
* Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess
* Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...
.
Indian director
Satyajit Ray described her as one of the prettiest women in the world. Although she has acted in
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
films, she has never worked for Ray. (She claimed that Ray had her in mind for a film, but his illness and subsequent death prevented their collaboration).
![Jaya Prada at the launch of T P Aggarwal's trade magazine 'Blockbuster' 13](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Jaya_Prada_at_the_launch_of_T_P_Aggarwal%27s_trade_magazine_%27Blockbuster%27_13.jpg)
Jayaprada continued to act as a heroine mainly opposite Amitabh and Jeetendra during the early 1990s. She also acted in some significant Kannada films as the heroine. From 1994 onwards, she cut back on film assignments and got more involved with a political career on call by her co-star NTR.
In 2000, she acted in the Malayalam film ''
Devadoothan
''Devadoothan'' () is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language
musical mystery horror film, produced by Siyad Koker under the banner of Koker Films, directed by Sibi Malayil and written by Raghunath Paleri. The film stars Mohanlal in the title role ...
'', starring
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically app ...
, directed by
Sibi Malayil
Sibi (Sindhi: سيوي ur, ) is a city situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is the headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.
Etymology
The origin of the town's name is attributed to Rani Sewi, a Hindu lad ...
. The film garnered immensely popular reviews from the critics but failed at the box office. But it met with great appreciation from the audience when released in Home Media and when aired on television. his movie had evergreen hit songs. She also starred for the last time, opposite Kannada super star
Dr. Rajkumar
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian ci ...
in Shabdavedi. In 2002, she stepped into the Marathi film industry by being a guest in the movie ''Aadhaar''. Thus far, she has acted in eight languages and has completed 300 films during a 30-year film career. In 2004, she acted in ''
Ee Snehatheerathu
''Ee Snehatheerathu'' or ''Saamam'' is a 2004 Malayalam film directed by Kaviyoor Sivaprasad and written by Ramakrishnan, starring Kunchacko Boban, Umashankari Sumithra, Lal, Nedumudi Venu and Jagathy Sreekumar. Kunchacko Boban won the Special ...
'', a Malayalam film as
Kunchacko Boban
Kunchacko Boban (born 2 November 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer. Sometimes referred to as Chackochan, he works in the Malayalam film industry and has acted in more than 90 films in more than two decades. He is a member of the Kun ...
's mother. She started playing mature roles.
She also owns the Jayaprada Theater in Chennai.
In 2011, she returned to Malayalam cinema with a strong role in ''
Pranayam'', alongside
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically app ...
and
Anupam Kher. She played "Grace" in this film, which won her critical acclaim and several awards. Her 2012 Kannada film ''Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna'' (''
Sangolli Rayanna
Sangolli Rayanna was born on 15 August 1798 was a nineteenth century Indian revolutionary, military chief (''Shetsanadi)'' and warrior in the Kittur princely state in the present day Indian state of Karnataka. He was the ''Shetsanadi'' of the ...
'') that saw her donning the historical role of courageous
Kittur Chennamma
Kittur Chennamma (23 October 1778 – 21 February 1829) was the Indian Queen of Kittur, a former princely state in present-day Karnataka. She led an armed resistance against the British East India Company in 1824, in defiance of the Paramountcy ...
, completed 100 days at the box office.
Personal life
On 22 February 1986, she married producer Srikanth Nahata, who was already married to Chandra and had 3 children. This marriage stirred a lot of controversy, especially since Nahata did not divorce his wife and had children with his first wife after marrying Jayaprada.
Political career
Jayaprada joined the
Telugu Desam Party
The Telugu Desam Party (; TDP) is an Indian regional political party operating in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at the state and central level. Since its founding by N. T. Rama Rao (often referred to as NTR) on 29 March 1982, the party has fo ...
(TDP) in 1994 at the invitation of its founder
N. T. Rama Rao
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as List of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh fo ...
, on the eve of the assembly elections, and rose quickly through the ranks. At that time there was speculation that she would run for election, but she preferred not to make her electoral debut, although she was offered a seat by Rao.
She campaigned in several constituencies in 1994. When Rao became the Chief minister in 1994, he appointed one of his sons-in-law Nara Chandrababu Naidu as the Revenue Minister. Soon after the formation of the government, Chandrababu Naidu convinced a majority of the TDP MLAs to elect him as the chief minister and revolted against his father in law. Since most of the legislators had gone over to his side, the Anti Defection Law did not apply and the Telugu Desam Party label passed on to the Chandrababu Naidu faction. During this period, Prada too joined the Chandrababu Naidu faction of the party. She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha representing Andhra Pradesh in 1996. She also held the post of
Telugu Mahila President.
Following differences with party Supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu, she left the TDP to join
Samajwadi Party. She contested from Rampur parliamentary Constituency in UP during the 2004 General election and got elected with a margin of more than 85000 votes. During her campaign for the
Lok Sabha elections
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...
in 2009, she was issued a notice by the Election Commission for violating the code of conduct by distributing
bindis to women in Rampur's Swar locality. On 11 May 2009, Jayaprada alleged that senior
Samajwadi Party leader
Azam Khan was distributing nude pictures of her. She was re-elected with a margin of more than 30,000 votes.
After she came out in open support of the former General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party,
Amar Singh, Prada was expelled from the party on 2 February 2010 for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities and damaging the party's secular image. Amar Singh, along with Jayaprada floated his own political party, Rashtriya Lok Manch, in 2011, and fielded candidates in 360 of the 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2012 assembly polls. However, his party did not win a single seat in these elections. Later she, along with Amar Singh joined the
RLD on 10 March 2014 and after that she got the ticket to contest from the
Bijnor seat in the
2014 general elections. She, however, lost the election.
She joined the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...
in the presence of National General Secretary
Bhupender Yadav
Bhupender Yadav (born 30 June 1969) is an Indian politician who serves as the Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Government of India. He is the National General Secretary of the Bh ...
on 26 March 2019.
Television
Awards
;
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
*
Nandi Award for Best Actress
The Nandi Award for Best Actress was commissioned in 1977. The winner is awarded a "Silver Nandi" and a cash award of 30,000.
Most Awards were received by Vijayashanti and Jayasudha (4 awards each).
List of winners of Nandi Awards for Best Ac ...
– ''
Anthuleni Katha
''Anthuleni Katha'' () is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language film directed by K. Balachander, starring Jaya Prada, with Fatafat Jayalaxmi, Rajinikanth and Sripriya in supporting roles. Kamal Haasan played a cameo. The film is a remake of the 1974 T ...
'' (1976)
;
Filmfare Awards South
*
Special Award
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
– ''
Siri Siri Muvva
''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film with his leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ''Siri ...
'' & ''
Anthuleni Katha
''Anthuleni Katha'' () is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language film directed by K. Balachander, starring Jaya Prada, with Fatafat Jayalaxmi, Rajinikanth and Sripriya in supporting roles. Kamal Haasan played a cameo. The film is a remake of the 1974 T ...
'' (1976)
*
Best Actress – Telugu – ''
Saagara Sangamam'' (1983)
*
Lifetime Achievement Award – South (2007)
![JayaPrada](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/JayaPrada.jpg)
;
Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards South
;Other awards
* Kalashree award
* Kala Saraswati Award
* Kinnera Savitri Award
* Rajiv Gandhi Award
* Nargis Dutt Gold Medal
* Shakuntala Kala Rathnam Award
* Uttam Kumar Award
*Ever Green Beauty of India at
14th Santosham Film Awards in 2016.
* ANR Achievement Award (2008)
* Venus of Indian Cinema Award from TSR TV9 Film Awards (2011)
Jaya Prada honoured – Times Of India
''The Times of India''. (18 April 2011). Retrieved 29 June 2011.
* Nana Film Award for Best Actress – '' Pranayam''
* Ujala Asianet Film Awards 2012 – Special Jury Award for ''Pranayam''
* Amrita Film Awards 2012 – Best Actress Award for ''Pranayam''
* Mathrubhumi Kalyan Silks film awards 2012 – Best Character Actress Award for ''Pranayam''
* Kerala Film Producers Association – Surya TV Film Awards 2012 – Outstanding Performance Award for ''Pranayam''
* Asiavision Movie Awards 2011 – Outstanding Performance Award for ''Pranayam''
Filmography
References
External links
*
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prada, Jaya
1952 births
Living people
Actresses in Telugu cinema
Actresses in Kannada cinema
Telugu politicians
Actresses in Malayalam cinema
India MPs 2004–2009
Samajwadi Party politicians
Indian actor-politicians
India MPs 2009–2014
Filmfare Awards South winners
Nandi Award winners
Rashtriya Lok Dal politicians
Indian film actresses
20th-century Indian actresses
Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh
21st-century Indian actresses
Rajya Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh
United Progressive Alliance candidates in the 2014 Indian general election
Women members of the Lok Sabha
21st-century Indian women politicians
21st-century Indian politicians
Actresses in Bengali cinema
Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh
Actresses in Marathi cinema
Actresses from Rajahmundry
Telugu Desam Party politicians
Actresses in Tamil cinema
Women in Andhra Pradesh politics
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Santosham Film Awards winners
Women members of the Rajya Sabha
Telugu actresses