Jamuna

Some Lesser Known Facts About Jamuna

• Jamuna (1936-2023) was an Indian actress and politician, who was known for acting predominantly in the Telugu film industry. She has also worked in the Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi film industries.

• When she was seven years old, her parents moved from Hampi, Karnataka to Duggirala, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh.

  

• While studying in Duggirala in the Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, she took part in school drama skits.

• Her mother was her music teacher, who trained her in singing and playing the harmonium.

• Kongara Jaggaiah, a veteran Indian actor, lyricist, and politician, was her school teacher in Duggirala.

• Savitri, an Indian actress, was once in Duggirala for her drama performance, where she stayed at Jamuna’s house. Later, she introduced Jamuna to the film industry and invite her to work in films. She used to call Savitri her Akka (elder sister). The two were very close to each other; Savitri even braided her hair to make the traditional hairstyle on Jamuna’s wedding day called ‘Pellikuthuru Jada.’ ^[6]The Times of India

  

• In 1952, when she was performing in the stage show ‘Maa Bhoomi,’ the director and member of the Indian People’s Theatre Association, Garikipati Raja Rao, watched her acting on stage and offered her a role in his Telugu film ‘Puttillu,’ which turned out to be her debut film.

• In her last interview, she talked about how she debuted as an actor and revealed that she was cast in the Telugu film ‘Puttillu’ as she used to look like veteran Indian actress Nargis. She said,
  

  I was only a teenager when Raja Rao came to Duggirala from Rajahmundry looking for me because he had heard I was a good actress. He saw me perform and asked a photographer to take pictures of me with no make-up on. I was signed for ‘Puttilu’ because they thought I looked like Nargis. I earned Rs 500 per month for the project. The film didn’t work because Raja Rao was much older than me, but I clicked.” ^[7]The Times of India

• She began acting in films at the age of 16.

• In 1954, she played the role of Rekha in the Telugu comedy film ‘Vaddante Dabbu.’ In the same year, she worked in another Telugu film titled ‘Iddaru Pellalu.’ In 1964, she played the role of Subhadra in the Telugu film ‘Bobbili Yuddham,’ which was based on the Battle of Bobbili.

  

• She worked in more than 80 Telugu language films.

• In 1955, she appeared as Sita in the Tamil romantic comedy film ‘Missiamma.’ In the same year, she played the role of Lakshmi in the Tamil drama film ‘Thiruttu Raman.’ She worked in the 1962 Tamil film ‘Nichaya Thamboolam’ in which she played the role of Seetha. In 1983, she played the role of Anu in the Tamil film ‘Thoongathey Thambi Thoongathey.’

  

• She worked in many Kannada films. After debuting in the Kannada film industry in 1955, she played the role of Mandodari in the 1956 Kannada film ‘Bhookailasa.’ In 1971, she was cast in a lead role as Uma in the Kannada film ‘Sakshatkara.’ She worked as a supporting character in the 1991 Kannada film ‘Police Matthu Dada.’

  

• In 1963, she appeared as Lakshmi in the Hindi film ‘Beti Bete.’ In 1990, she appeared in the Hindi action-adventure film ‘Lady Tarzan.’ She played the role of Rajmata in the 1984 multi-starrer Hindi film ‘Raaj Tilak.’

  

• Her native language was Telugu.

• She was the owner of a movie theatre located in the Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh.

• Jamuna and Savithri, an Indian actress, organised a display of dolls and figurines on the occasion of ‘Bommala Koluvu.’

  

• Reportedly, Jamuna’s parents published a matrimony advertisement in newspapers, when they were searching for an eligible partner for Jamuna, especially IAS, IPS, professors, and highly educated professionals.

• According to sources, Jamuna was prohibited from working with Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) and Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) for around 3 years due to some disputes related to equal pay and respect. Later, she worked in several films opposite Harnath as a lead actor. In an interview, she revealed the reason why she was boycotted from working with ANR and NTR and said,
  

  ANR was always playful and never took anything too seriously. But he once unofficially boycotted me for three years because I demanded the same respect and pay he and NTR got. It was a difference of opinion. I went on to act with younger heroes like Ramanamurthy and Sridhar. But my pairing with ANR was such a hit; Nagi Reddy, Chakrapani and KV Reddy brought me back into the fold for ‘Gundamma Katha.’” ^[8]The Times of India

  

• In an interview, she revealed that she never wanted to play the role of an elderly woman in films and when she began to receive offers for such roles, she stopped acting. She wanted to be remembered for her glamour as an andala tara (beautiful star). She said,
  

  My contemporaries today play ammama and nanamma roles; I never wanted to do that. I stopped acting when the kind of roles being offered to me began to change. I want to be remembered for my glamour as an andala tara (beautiful star). I have looked glamorous on-screen through the years, and apart from my acting, aa image, ala undipote bavuntundi.” ^[9]The Times of India