Jayanthi (actress)

Jayanthi (born Kamala Kumari around 1945) is an Indian actress. She has appeared in over 500 films, including films in the Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi languages. Kannada film industry honored her with the title "Abhinaya Sharadhe" meaning Goddess Sharada in acting.

Early life

Jayanthi was born in Bellary, in the erstwhile Madras Presidency of British India. Her maiden name before she came to films was Kamala Kumari. Her father Balasubramanyam worked as English professor at the St Joseph's College in Bangalore. Her mother was Santhanalakshmi. Jayanthi was the eldest of three siblings and had two younger brothers.

Jayanthi's childhood was never smooth. Her parents separated when she was young and her mother took the children and moved to Madras. Jayanthi's mother was keen on making her daughter a classical dancer and hence she joined a dance school run by Chandrakala. Her friend in dance school was the famous Tamil actress Manorama.

Career

Initial struggle