Jaya Prada Nahata (born Lalitha Rani Rao; 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 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 films along with several Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi films. She left the film industry at the peak of her career, as she joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1994 and entered politics. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh from 2004 to 2014.
Some of her notable films include Anthuleni Katha (1976), Siri Siri Muvva (1976), Sita Kalyanam (1976), Adavi Ramudu (1977), Yamagola (1977), Sanaadi Appanna (1977), Huliya Haalina Mevu (1979), Sargam (1979), Ooriki Monagadu (1981), Kaamchor (1982), Kaviratna Kalidasa (1983), Sagara Sangamam (1983), Tohfa (1984), Sharaabi (1984), Maqsad (1984), Sanjog (1985), Aakhree Raasta (1986), Simhasanam (1986), Sindoor (1987), Samsaram (1988), Elaan-E-Jung (1989), Aaj Ka Arjun (1990), Thanedaar (1990), Maa (1991), Habba (1999), Shabdavedhi (2000), Devadoothan (2000), Pranayam (2011), Ee Bandhana (2007) and Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (2012). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance in Sagara Sangamam. She has also been awarded Filmfare Special Award 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 Lalitha Rani Rao in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh into a Telugu speaking 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
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 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 (1976) showcased her dramatic skills; K. Viswanath's colour film Siri Siri Muvva (1976) showed her playing a mute girl with excellent dancing skills; and her title role as Sita 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 cinema in his 1977 super-hit movie Sanaadi Appanna alongside Kannada matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar. The movie is also known to be the only movie to feature shehnai rendition by Ustad Bismillah Khan.
In 1979, K. Balachander repeated her in the Tamil 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, Krishnam Raju and Sobhan Babu throughout the 70s and 80s. She acted in highest number of films with Krishna like Sri Rajeshwari vilas coffee club (1976), Bhale Krishnudu (1980), Ooruki Monagadu (1981), Mundadugu (1983), Prajarajyam (1983) and Singhasan (1986),. K. Viswanath remade Siri Siri Muvva (1976) in Hindi as Sargam, introducing Jayaprada to Bollywood in 1979. The film was successful and she became a star there as well. She earned her first Filmfare nomination as Best Actress but couldn't capitalize on her success since she couldn't speak Hindi.