Glamorous Jayanthi held her own against top stars

Jayanthi, who died on Monday, will be remembered for her vibrant screen presence, and her courage to essay unconventional roles.

With an illustrious body of work covering 500-plus films across six languages, Jayanthi earned the moniker of ‘Abhinaya Sharade’ (Goddess of Acting). She was one of the biggest stars in the history of the Kannada film industry.

Born as Kamala Kumari in Ballari, she got her screen name of Jayanthi from Y R Swamy, director of her debut Kannada film ‘Jenu Goodu’ (1963). The success of ‘Chandavalliya Thota’ (1964), her maiden film as the female lead, catapulted her to stardom. Jayanthi gave a stellar performance in a film that had such stars as Dr Rajkumar and Udaykumar.

Jayanthi revelled in complex roles. By choosing unusual scripts, she grew into a versatile performer. She was called a ‘bold’ actor as she appeared in films that spoke of female desire and questioned patriarchal conventions.

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In 'Miss Leelavathi' (1965) she played the role of a modern woman who places career over marriage. It was a brave call for the time to play a woman who had no inhibitions about pre-marital sex. In Puttanna's 'Edakallu Guddada Mele' (1973), Jayanthi played Madhavi, who is frustrated to find that her husband, an ex-army man, is impotent. She has a fling with a young boy.

Jayanthi never hesitated to experiment with fashion on the screen. She pulled off glamorous roles in T-shirts and skirts. She was the first Kannada heroine to wear a swimsuit on-screen (in ‘Miss Leelavathi’).

Acting bug

Jayanthi’s tryst with the performing arts began with classical dance. Her mother Santhanalakshmi sent her to Madras (now Chennai) with big dreams. After rigorous training, Jayanthi forayed into films with cameos in Tamil and Telugu. She was persuaded by her mother to continue in films.

Director’s actor

Jayanthi was hailed as an actor with a wide range. “She was blessed with the great ability to express varied emotions,” says K Puttaswamy, well-known Kannada film historian. “More importantly, she was a director’s actor. She would jump into tough roles and back the directors’ vision.”

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Sharing screen space with Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan, and Ambareesh -- the Sandalwood triumvirate of the era -- Jayanthi held her own with her electric screen presence.

Her cameo in Puttanna's 'Naagarahaavu' (1972) is a case in point. She immortalised Onake Obavva, the courageous woman who took on Hyder Ali’s army on behalf of the Madakari Nayaka kingdom of Chitradurga. Killing enemy soldiers with a pestle, Jayanthi emoted with ferocious eyes and delivered a memorable cameo that depicted the indomitable will of Obavva.

Troubled personal life

On the personal front, Jayanthi struggled with asthma. She had separated from Telugu filmmaker and actor Peketi Shivaram after a short marriage. She was in the top league of southern stars, but still faced financial problems.

The film fraternity admired her for facing adversity with dignity. Her passing is an irreparable loss to the Kannada film industry.