B. Jaya is a highly respected and veteran actress of the Indian film industry and worked essentially in South Indian films. This well-known actress was born in the year 1944. She has to her credit, almost 200 films and is believed to be working for almost four decades now. She is believed to have started her career when she was very young with her role in the movie Dashavathara which saw its release on the 26th of October 1960. This movie was directed by P.G Mohan and had Rajkumar and Udaykumar as the actors in the lead role.
Before doing this movie, she had made her appearance in movies already as she introduced herself in the industry as a child artist. She worked in the movie Bhartha Prahallada, which was a Kannada film, as a child actor. She has always been attached to the world of acting and pursued her passion for acting by working in theaters and stage shows. After one such stage show, she was noticed by the Mother of Kannada cinema,
Pandari Bai
. According to Jaya, the films these days largely lack the essence of true humor, and the content in comedy today has seen a huge downfall.
She has been blessed to have got an opportunity to work with several widely known and talented comedians of her time, Narasimharaju, Dwarakish, Balakrishnan, etc. She accepted that she is a fairly short height but that never let her deter from her passion. Jaya said that her height could not hide that she is an extremely talented actress and height isn’t the parameter that one should judge. She has several laurels to her name. She received the Best Supporting Actress award in 2004-2005 for Gowdru, a Kannada cinema. She is also honored with the award from the Nataka Academy for her immense contribution and talent as an actress in the Indian film industry.
Jaya, who started her career in 1958 with Bhakta Prahlada with Subbiah Naidu, was born to a stage artist, Basappa and Mahadevamma. Jaya has six siblings, and she is the fourth one. Before her film entry, Jaya performed in the stage dramas and followed her father’s legacy. Even though she started working in films, she never left the stage dramas and had played in theaters until 1992. She had also played in TV Serials.
Some of her movies are Dashavathara, Nagarjuna, Vidhi Vilasa, Chandra Kumaara, Kanyarathna, Sathi Shakthi, Valmiki, Veera Kesari, Chinnada Gombe, Prathigne, Shivagange Mahathme, Beratha Jeeva, Bettada Huli, Chandrahasa, Ide Mahasudina, Sathi Savithri, Mantralaya Mahatme, Premamayi, Emme Thammanna, Beedi Basavanna, Bellimoda, Gange Gowri, Bhagyada Bagilu, Gowri Ganda, Mannina Maga, Mysore Tanga, Makkale Manege Manikya, Namma Makkalu, Odahuttidavaru, Eradu Mukha, Arishina Kumkuma, Kallara Kalla, Sri Krishnadevaraya, Baala Bandhana, Bhale Adrushtavo Adrushta, Hennu Honnu Mannu, Hoo Bisilu, Kasidre Kailasa, Kulagaurava, Mukthi, Naguva Hoovu, Nyayave Devaru, Sri Krishna Rukmini Satyabhama, Thayi Devaru, Jaga Mecchida Maga, Kulla Agent 000, Sipayi Ramu, Bharathada Rathna, Devaru Kotta Thangi, Gandhada Gudi, Mooruvare Vajragalu, Swayamvara, Bangaarada Panjara, Sampathige Savaal, Sri Srinivasa Kalyana, Daari Tappida Maga, Devara Gudi, Mahadeshwara Pooja Phala, Shubhamangala, Bahaddur Gandu, Makkala Bhagya, Premada Kanike, Raja Nanna Raja, Babruvahana, Banashankari, Bhagyavantharu, Giri Kanye, Pavana Ganga, Kiladi Kittu, Vasantha Lakshmi, Vamsha Jyothi, Seetharamu, Rahasya Rathri, Gowdru,
Auto Shankar
, “
Milana
,” Hatrick Hodi Maga, Aithalakkadi and “Murari.”
In 2016, she shared the screen space with
Upendra Rao
in “
Kalpana 2
” and Cinema My Darling. In 2018, she played in “Amma I Love You,” and that’s her last movie. In 2021, she suffered from some age-related illness and had a stroke. She died on 3
rd June 2021 in Bangalore.