Thayi's gift for kids
DEEPA GANESH
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Jayamala, who once set the audiences' heart aflutter, discovered her full potential in Thayi Saheba. The actor is now testing her skills as a film producer
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Filmdom is no different from our society; it is male-dominated JAYAMALA
UNFADING COLOURS Jayamala: `The greasepaint beckons you. That is the magic of cinema' Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.
It has been a long journey. She made her appearance in the landmark Kannada film Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu in the early Seventies in a teeny-weeny group shot. (Remember "Sobana Sobana" song sequence?). This small-town girl with strikingly sensuous looks, Jayamala, went on to become the heroine and was paired with almost every star of the time. She came to be fondly known as Giri Kanye, after the Rajkumar starrer of the "Thai Thai Thai Thai Bangari" fame.
After a long hiatus, Jayamala resurfaced as the middle-aged Narmada in Thayi Saheba. The transformation was unbelievable. This svelte girl from Karavali with an arresting face, who had set many heart aflutter, gave herself the much-needed second chance with the film, breaking away from the mould that the Kannada film industry had slotted her into. The industry,in all those 30-odd years of her career, had neither bestowed on her the "glam girl" image nor fully tapped her potential. She left audiences stunned with her amazing performance in Thayi Saheba.
Back in news
Jayamala, back in news with her children's film Tuttoori, philosophically declares that she has no regrets. Isn't it sad that one has to be part of an industry that pushes stereotypes? Pat comes the reply: "I wasn't lucky enough to find a Puttanna. But there have been several films in my career that have given me great happiness." She adds with poise: "The greasepaint beckons you. That is the magic of cinema. Even if I did at one point think that I was not too keen to act anymore, cinema is a powerful medium which forces a rethink on earlier decisions".
For someone who never set out to be an actor, Jayamala is very passionate about cinema. It was the necessities of a huge family with meagre resources that pushed the young girl into the industry. In fact, her first four films were in Tulu. "I didn't have a clue about what I was doing for a very long time. I was treating it just like another means of livelihood. All the experience I gained then makes sense to me only in retrospect. With a curtailed education and inadequate exposure, I wasn't as clued in as today's youngsters," avers Jayamala, who used to walk 12 km back and forth from school every day in her hometown near Udupi.
The shy girl eventually found herself as an actor, garnering several awards, including the National Award for Thayi Saheba. But isn't her venture into a children's film an unlikely choice? "It has been in my head for a while now. I think it all started with the growing up years of my daughter. She was forever hooked on to the film Jungle Book. If I took her to a film that I thought she would enjoy, she wouldn't like it one bit. But then she would enjoy all kinds of cartoons, which I thought were weird!"
Jayamala recalls how her daughter and friends would enjoy WWF and Power Puff girls. Unable to fathom the mystery of this strange choice, she spent an entire day watching television with her. And at the end of day, she had her answer. "They like it when good wins over bad and a moral order is restored."
"There is a strong sense of struggle in children. But it is sad that we don't have the time to notice it," explains Jayamala. Unlike many other mothers who balance several worlds and are bogged down by the guilt of not doing enough for the child, Jayamala had long ago made up her mind to make a film for children, something her daughter wanted. "We have our own notions and are constantly trying to impose it on kids," she observes, recalling the days when her daughter, much against her wishes, played with the watchman's grubby kid. "It used to terrify me. But he was her sole companion and she was so happy with him."It was around the time when she was toying with the idea of the film that someone told her P. Sheshadri had a lovely story. She was impressed by the Prahlad Agasanakatte story and decided to take the plunge. "Can you believe that of the 2,400 films made in Kannada so far, only 23 films have been made for children? It's dismal. Nobody even knows how to make a film for children!"
Responsible role
So it was not just with the commitment of a filmmaker that she set out to make Tuttoori, but also as a responsible citizen who feared the terrifying consequences of a society that ignores its children. "Several awards have come my way. But with each award, you only have more responsibility." After Thayi Saheba, Jayamala always wanted to make a better film. She had plans of making a historical film on Rani Abbakka, the queen of Karavali who valiantly fought the Portuguese. "But the film demands the involvement of experts and artistes, and in our industry's context, it seems difficult. So we shelved the idea... " And then she took on this dream project of making a children's film.
Even as one is impressed by her sincerity as a filmmaker, isn't it unfortunate that many of our talented artistes have to turn producers to perform that lifetime role? "Filmdom is no different from our society; it is male-dominated. They are busy typecasting. Aren't we constantly fed with `Basava Holakke Hoda' and `Kamala Adugeya Manege Hodalu' kind of images?" she asks. Jayamala feels that the problem is even more complex because in the rat race for money and popularity, actors also fail to discover themselves. "I certainly don't want to do this with a children's film. It has to be a personality building process for each of them," she adds forcefully.
From a non-role to stardom to finally a lifetime role, it has been a taxing journey for Jayamala. She is busy putting together a new present with a great deal of thought, even as she holds on to her past emotionally.
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