'I'd love to act in more Kannada films'

Whether she is on the silverscreen or in the hallowed portals of Parliament, she is all grace and beauty personified. Above all, there is a certain timelessness to her in whatever role she essays, for Jayaprada never seems to age.

Contrary to the public persona of being a demure politician, Jayaprada confesses that she is a ziddi and an adamant person, who won’t rest until her task is done.

Between the politician and actress’ roles, where does the real Jayaprada live? “You have to lose something in order to gain something else. I do regret that I haven’t really had time for myself,” she told Metrolife. She was in the City as an ambassador for the  Jewels of India expo.

What’s it like for Jayaprada to stand tall and emerge victorious each time amidst the politics of hate and that too in a male-dominated scenario? “Yes, it’s a nightmare. You have to be confident, sincere and work toward your goal with a single-minded devotion. There will be so many people trying to pull you down but you must swim against the tide,” she remarks and adds, “I joined politics to do something for the poor in general and the women in particular. Of course, you may ask if I have cashed in on my Bollywood background to climb the political ladder. I would say that it’s only the people’s mandate that has brought me thus far and given me the confidence to shrug off snide remarks,” she explains.

She observes that politics is always about kissa kursi ka and about extracting the largest pound of flesh. Commenting on Jaswant Singh’s expulsion and Arun Shourie’s recent row with the BJP, Jayaprada says it is very unfortunate that senior and well-respected leaders in the BJP are being targeted. “Our intention has always been to finish the BJP. It is now coming apart,” she avers. Asked if her Samajawadi Party would offer Jaswant Singh a suitable post, she quips, “Why not? You never know what can happen in politics?”

She hopes that more woman would join politics and come forward to tackle the various challenges. “I want women to be independent and stand their ground. Have you ever wondered what happens to the girl child after class eight? She’s either sent for work or sits at home until she’s married off. Every woman should be educated,” she asserts.
While she dedicates a large portion of her time to politics, she loses no opportunity to grab a character in a script that appeals to her. She has appeared in small dance sequence in Raaj — The Showman where her charm stands out. “I would love to act in more Kannada films. I have acted with Rajkumar and today I am thrilled to have acted with his son,” she says.