The year 1959 had three big hits for prajaa naTi Jamuna, in the form of Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu, Illarikam, and Maa Inti Mahalakshmi. I tried to catch up with the glamorous heroine of the time as these films complete 50 years of release, and present the excerpts of our chitchat for TeluguCinema.Com visitors:
Sri: Tell me about Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu.
Jamuna: Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu is my second film on Vijaya Productions banner in Telugu. The film was a bilingual, made in Tamil simultaneously as Kadan Vaangi Kalyanam (starring Gemini Ganesan and Savithri in the lead, and K. Sarangabani, K.A. Thangavelu, S.V. Rangarao, T.S. Balaiah, Jamuna, E.V. Saroja, T.P. Muthulakshmi, etc. among the main cast, and released on September 17, 1958). Actually, the Tamil version was released first and the Telugu version was released for Sankranthi of 1959. I did Missamma when I was too young. I was only 15 when I did Missamma in Telugu (1955) and Tamil (titled Missiamma); I later did the Hindi version (titled Miss Mary, starring Meenakumari in Savithri's role in Hindi). Missamma was a big hit in all languages. After that, I did Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu for the prestigious banner.
Sri: How much was your remuneration for Missamma (Telugu/Tamil versions)?
Jamuna: We all got cars as remuneration for the Telugu/Tamil versions of Missamma. Actually, the producers asked us if we want cars or money, and we all opted for cars. So Savithri akka, NTR gaaru, and Nageswara Rao gaaru got Plymouth cars and we got a Dodge car. For Hindi version, I was paid in cash. ...Remunerations were less amounts back then, but as you know, it was prestigious to work for the Vijaya banner! For Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu too, I got paid in cash. However, my father handled the cash transactions back then and I thus do not know all the details.
Sri: Though both films Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu and Illarikam released in the same year, you look so very different in both the films!
Jamuna: Well, the characters are entirely different too! Leela in Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu is a role of an innocent girl, who lives under the protection of her elder brother and is sacrifices to act as a dumb girl for a part of the film to win her right to live in her husband's house. Radha in Illarikam, on the other hand, is a proud girl who carries a lot self-respect and will not tolerate cheating or will not disclose her problems to others. ...Actually, Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu started much before Illarikam.
Sri: Tell us about Illarikam.
Jamuna: I was hardly 19 when Illarikam was released. Honestly, I was too young to do that role which showed all shades of a woman's character! Such roles are challenging for anyone and roles bring out the artistes' potential completely. I particularly liked the song nEDu Sreevaariki mEmanTE paraakaa...? from the film.
Sri: Did you ever try it on your husband (laughs)?
Jamuna: (Laughs) I never tried it... Not this one but there was another such song - I used to hum the song endukanO ninu chooDaganE kavvinchaalani unTundi... from the film C.I.D. (1965, starring NTR and Jamuna, and has music by Ghantasala).
Sri: Illarikam was a blockbuster at that time, running for 25 weeks in some areas! How come you were not chosen for the Hindi version of the film ( Sasuraal, 1961)?
Jamuna: Actually, I was supposed to do that film too. L.V. Prasad gaaru even announced the film with me and Rajendra Kumar. But, to our shock, the shooting started with B. Saroja Devi. I did not know what happened, and I went to visit L.V. Prasad gaaru, whom I affectionately called naanna gaaru, at his house just a couple of houses away from where I live. He informed that B. Saroja Devi had a problem with the film Nazraanaa (a remake of Pelli Kaanuka, starring Raj Kapoor, Vyjayanthimala, and Ushakiran) and that she was replaced with Ushakiran after the shooting was started. When she was very upset and came crying to L.V. Prasad about this issue, he gave my role in Sasuraal to her. I already had problems with NTR and ANR as they banned me in their movies. Thus, I asked him what I could do since I had my own share of problems too. He immediately finalized me for three films in Hindi, Beti Beti (remake of Santhaanam), Milan (remake of Mooga Manasulu), and Humrahi (1963). To my luck, all three movies went on to celebrate successful silver jubilee runs; I also got the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for my performance in Milan.
Sri: You did mention the ban in a previous interview to TeluguCinema.Com . What's the actual reason for your ban by the two top heroes of that time?
Jamuna: Strictly speaking, the issue was not with both the heroes. Only one of them had a problem and he convinced the other one to ban me too. They had complaints on me saying that I was coming late and was not giving too much importance to them like others, but these allegations were not at all true. That one hero's actual intentions were different and I did want to loss my integrity as I have family values and was not ready to do according to his wishes.
Sri: Do you mind telling if it's NTR or ANR who was behind this issue? I think it is ANR...
Jamuna: (Laughs) Why do you want to dig it after 40 years? Let's leave it now! Chakrapani gaaru (of Vijaya Productions) later sorted it out when making Gundamma Katha. The very next day, Trivikrama Rao gaaru and Pundareekakshayya gaaru came to my house with an offer to do Gulebakavali Katha. You know that film is a big hit too...
Sri: I think the problem was partially because of the hair dresser Josephine, who was very busy at that time?
Jamuna: That's one of the reasons. She was really really busy at that time and she was the only one who used to work for all mythological movies. Sometimes, we used to go to her by 6:30 a.m. and wait for my turn until 8 a.m. or longer, thus getting late to the sets sometimes. One day during the shooting of Usha Parinayam, director Kadaru Nagabhushanam gaaru (husband of the legendary artiste Pasupuleti Kannamba) was very upset with me as I was coming late everyday. The next day, I went to the sets much earlier than others, but without the hair-dressing, and he then understood the real reason for my delay. Parthasarathy used to do my hairstyling for social movies at that time.
Sri: After being a popular heroine for so many years, you took a break and entered into politics and social service...
Jamuna: At that time, stage artistes were neglected by all, and nothing was done towards their betterment. Thus, I chose that sector and I made them get lands to construct their own houses. One can even see Jamuna Nagar near Kakinada, Rajahmundry, and some other places, where the beneficiaries even named their residential colony after me.
Sri: Yeah, I know! You also wanted to donate the amount you won in a recent TV show... (Jamuna gaaru won Rs.50,000/- in the TV program jaaNavulE.. nerajaaNavulE... anchored by Udayabhanu. She told Udayabhanu to donate that amount to charity but the organizers clarified that winners get that amount for shopping only.)
Jamuna: What'll I do with all that money! By God's grace, I have everything I need. I don't need more now, and I'm happy with what I have. I'd like to do something for others rather than doing something more for myself all the time.
ANR's version on Ban on Jamuna:
The issue started while doing the film Bhookailaas (released on March 20, 1958). Ramarao gaaru and I were sitting with complete makeup, waiting for Jamuna. She came two hours late and didn't even mention any reason or apologies, and simply went to the director straight, and I was thus upset with her. We were her seniors in the industry then her and I felt she needed to be taught a lesson and I told the same to Ramarao gaaru. We took a decision to not cast her in our films after that. As we already agreed to do some films at that time and did not want our producers to have problems with that, we completed those films without making it an issue. Chakrapani gaaru later made a compromise to work for Gundamma Katha and everything went fine after that.
Trivia:
* Ushakiran is mother of Tanvi Azmi who did a film called Pyaari Behnaa (remake of Bapu's Seethamma Pelli). Tanvi fell in love with cameraman Baba Azmi during the film's shoot and later married him. (Baba Azmi is the brother of popular actress Shabana Azmi and did many Telugu films for Bapu.)
* Pelli Kaanuka is a remake of the Tamil film Kalyana Parisu directed by C.V. Sridhar. ANR did a guest role in the Tamil version that had Gemini Ganesan as the main male lead. In the Hindi version Nazraanaa, Gemini Ganesan did the role that ANR played in Tamil.
* Jamuna's first Hindi film was Nayaa Aadmi (NTR's only direct Hindi film, later made in Telugu as Santosham) which was a super hit and then came Miss Mary, the Hindi version of Missamma. Jamuna did 22 films in Hindi and most of them went on to become super hits!
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