Multilingual actor Jayanthi passed away in sleep at her residence in Banashankari in the wee hours of Monday. She was 76. Jayanthi is survived by her son Krishna Kumar.
The veteran actor was an asthma patient for the last three decades. In 2018, she was admitted to the Vikram Hospital due to acute respiratory problems. "It was a chronic issue. She was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)," Krishna Kumar told reporters on Monday.
"She was a born fighter. In the last three-four years, her condition got complicated but she kept on fighting. At one point, doctors felt she would require an oxygen supply permanently but within a month she was fine. Maybe all the fight in the last four years took a toll on her," he said.
Jayanthi's mortal remains were kept at the Ravindra Kalakshetra. People paid their final respect to the versatile performer between 12 noon and 4.00 pm. Her last rites were conducted at a crematorium in Banashankari.
Jayanthi, who acted in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, and Malayalam, was honoured with the President's Medal for Best Actress. "The film fraternity and her fans were her families. Cinema was everything to her. Despite chronic breathing issues, she would take some rest and complete shoots using inhalers," said Krishna Kumar.
Published 26 July 2021, 17:47 IST