An actor who swayed Telugu hearts

Rich tributes were paid to J Jayalalithaa by actors of Tollywood, where she acted in 30 films with top heroes like NT Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Except for three brief years until 1979, Jayalalithaa swayed Telugu hearts with her roles in movies like Gandikota Rahasyam and Gopaludu Bhupaludu with NTR; Bharyabiddalu, Adrushtavantudu and Astiparulu with ANR; Gudachari 116 with Krishna, and Dr Babu with Shobhan Babu.

Her first movie in Telugu was Manushulu Mamatalu. “The only movie in which we worked together was Sri Krishna Vijayam, but she remembered me so clearly that she invited me to Chennai and made me meet her contemporaries. She never forgot any actor or actress who had worked with her,” said senior actress Jamuna.

Senior actor and former BJP MP from Narsapur, Krishnam Raju, said that she rendered yeoman service to many actors. Telugu industry also recalled her special affection for Shobhan Babu, who had to wait for eight years to act with her. “It was during the shooting of Dr Babu that Jayalalithaa, who had just lost her mother, found solace in acting with Shobhan Babu,” a film critic said. 

“Shobhan Babu used to make her laugh when she had forgotten to smile after her mother’s demise,” he added. Though she gave up acting, she never gave up her connectivity with the Telugu industry, purchasing  11 acres in the Jeedimetla area where part of her movies were shot, and naming it JJ Gardens.