Jayabharathi (born 28 June 1954 as Lekshmi Bharathi) is an Indian actress and two-time recipient of the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress and National Film Award by Special Jury Award - Special Mention. Jayabharathi's first leading role was given by director P. Bhaskaran for his movie Kattukurangu in 1969. Later, she became one of the most successful Malayalam film actresses and performed with notable leading men such as

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 6 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the hist ...

Madhu Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/médʰu, ''*médʰu'', whenc ...

Vincent Vincent (Latin: ''Vincentius'') is a masculine given name originating from the Roman name ''Vincentius'', which itself comes from the Latin verb ''vincere'', meaning "to conquer." People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003) ...

Jayan Krishnan Madhavan Nair (25 July 1939 – 16 November 1980), better known by his stage name Jayan, born as the son of Madhavan Pillai (Kerala title), Pillai and Bharathiyamma in Kollam district, Kollam, was an Indian actor, Officer (armed forc ...

, M. G. Soman,

Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Considered as one of the most accomplished actors of Indian Cinema, Haas ...

and Rajinikanth. Jayabharathi-MG Soman was a popular on-screen pair of the 1970s and early 1980s. She won the

Kerala State Film Award The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a cinema of kerala, motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs (Kerala), Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and sin ...

s for her performances in various films in 1972 and ''Madhavikutty'' in 1973. One of her famous films was '' Rathinirvedam'', directed by

Bharathan Bharathan Parameshwara Menon Palissery (14 November 1946 – 30 July 1998) Known mononymously Bharathan was an Indian people, Indian film maker, artist, and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film ma ...

, which became one of the biggest box office hits in Kerala's history. It inspires similar productions all over South India, even decades after its release. After undergoing training since the age of five under Kalamandalam Natarajan, Rajaram (a student of Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai), and Vazhuvoor Samraj Pillai, Jayabharathi entered films as a teenager. Her life revolved around film studios, dance rehearsals, and stage performances. The actress is currently busy with her dance school, Aswathi Arts Academy, which she runs from home. She is also starting another one in

Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...

. In 2003, Jayabharathi performed in nine temples in and around

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

Personal life

She was born to

Malayali The Malayali people (; also spelt Malayalee and sometimes known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala and Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, occupying its south ...

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

parents as Lakshmi Bharathi, to Shivasankaran Pillai and Sharada. Her roots are from Kollam, Kerala and Malayalam actor

was her first cousin ( Jayabharathi's mother, Sharada Pillai, is the sister of Jayan's father, Madhavan Pillai ). She married actor Sathaar in 1979 and they have a son Krish J. Sathaar (Unnikrishnan), born in 1984.

Awards and honours

Filmography

Malayalam

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Tamil

Telugu

Hindi

Television career

*''Peythozhiyathe'' ( Surya TV) *''Kottaipurathu Veedu ''(DD Podhigai) *''Nimmathi Ungal Choice''

References

External links

* {{authority control Actresses from Tamil Nadu 20th-century Indian actresses Kerala State Film Award winners Filmfare Awards South winners Actresses in Tamil cinema Indian film actresses People from Erode district Actresses in Malayalam cinema 21st-century Indian actresses Living people Actresses in Telugu cinema Actresses in Hindi cinema Special Jury Award (feature film) National Film Award winners Kerala Film Critics Awards winners Actresses in Tamil television Actresses in Malayalam television Year of birth missing (living people)