TALENT SHINES-JYOTHIRMAYI

20 TIME OUT The Gulf Today / Thursday, May 17, 2007
TALENT SHINES
THROUGH JYOTHIRMAYI HAS ACHIEVED THE IMPOSSIBLE IN THE SOUTH INDIAN FILM
INDUSTRY BY PLAYING HEROINE ROLES EVEN AFTER HER MARRIAGE, WRITES KK MOIDU
The Gulf Today / Thursday, May 17, 2007 TIME OUT 21
The South Indian film
industry has been very
unkind to married heroines.
Jyothirmayi is an
exception. Her career
took off after she tied the knot with
her former classmate Nishanth,
who is a software engineer.
Jyothirmayi has acted in about
20 Malayalam films, few Tamil
films, a Telugu film and she is making
her Bollywood debut with Ek
Phir Baar. In her first Malayalam
film, Pilots, she had a small role
with Suresh Gopi playing the lead.
After that, she did a small role as
Jyothi in Ishtam in which Navya
Nair played the lead heroine.
Jyothirmayi then was offered a
guest appearance in Nandanam and
she proved her talent in the super
hit Kalyanaraman.
Two years after her debut,
Jyothirmayi won the Special Jury
mention at the National Awards for
her portrayal of a college lecturer
Latha in Bhavam — her first role as
a heroine. In this film she proved
her talent as an intelligent actress.
Debutante Satish Menon’s Bhavam
earned her fame at the start of her
career.
Jyothirmayi came into the limelight
after the success of the hit
song Chingamaasam
Vannuchernnal from the blockbuster
Meesa Madhavan. This
Cochin girl became a favourite for
Malayalam cinema viewers after
her sizzling dance number in the
film.
In Ente Veedu Appoontem opposite
Jayaram, Jyothirmayi played
his wife and the mother of two children.
Jyothirmayi played front liner
Mohanlal’s lead in Hariharan Pilla
Happiyanu. In Anyar, directed by
Lenin Rajendran, she was the heroine
of Biju Menon. She also played
a smart and curious girl’s role in the
Mammootty starrer Pattalam
directed by Lal Jose. She played
lead roles in Kadhavaseshan, Alice
in Wonderland, Chacko Randaman,
Moonnamathoral and Bada Dosth.
Unfortunately, the movies she
played lead roles in Malayalam
failed at the box office.
Jyothirmayi tried her luck in
Telugu films and made her debut in
10 The Strangers, a low budget
film. The film, directed by Rajesh
Touchriver and produced by
Manyam Ramesh had Naga Babu
in the lead role and most of the
technical team were newcomers. 10
The Strangers bombed at the box
office even after she did a glamorous
role in the film. But lady luck
smiled on her — a song sequence
shot in the rain prompted Tamil
director Saran to try her out for an
item number in Idhaya Thirudan.
Although she became a victim
of sharp criticism from all sides for
doing the item number, it earned
her name and fame in Kollywood.
The film starring Jayam Ravi and
Kamna Jethmalani in the lead roles
was a commercial entertainer.
Saran made the film for the satisfaction
of the younger generation
and Jyothirmayi’s item number
became popular.
Director Saran discovered that
Jyothirmayi was married only after
the filming was complete. Since the
item number was accepted by the
audience, Jyothirmayi was offered
the lead role in Thalainagaram,
opposite Kushboo’s husband
Sundar C.
Director Sundar C’s maiden venture,
Thalainagaram, directed and
scripted by Suraj, tells the story of
the underworld, a gang of kindhearted
henchmen. When they
decide to reform, they face several
troubles.
After the success of
Thalainagaram, Jyothirmayi played
the heroine in Sabari opposite
senior actor Vijayakanth.
Vijayakanth played the title character
Dr Sabarivasan, chief cardiologist
in Chennai Government
Hospital. Jyothirmayi was his love
interest and she handled the typical
Tamil heroine role in the film perfectly.
The box office success of the
film pushed her career forward.
Jyothirmayi paired along with
the young hero Jeevan in Naan
Avanillai directed by Selvah. The
film was a remake of yesteryears
classic by the same title starring
Gemini Ganesan. The original,
directed by K Balachander, was a
blockbuster hit and noted by the
bold subject at that time, three
decades ago. In the modern version,
director Selvah gives the right twists
and turns to make the movie a hit.
Jyothirmayi played
Ammukkutty’s role in the film, a
girl cheated by the hero. After
believing that the hero belongs to
the Kerala chief minister’s family,
she marries him. He escapes with
her valuable jewels. There were four
other heroines in the film (Sneha,
Namitha, Keerthi Chawla and
Malavika). Jyothirmayi cherished
her fans and the film turned out to
be a huge success. In Naan
Avanillai, Jyothirmayi appeared in
glamorous roles and gave a good
performance. The movies phenomenal
success boosted her popularity.
Director Gnana Rajasekaran’s
Periyar — a period film opposite
Sathyaraj — put a stamp on
Jyothirmayi’s popularity in
Kollywood. She aptly played the
role of Periyar’s first wife
Nagamma about the life and times
of the rationalist leader EV
Ramaswamy Naicker aka Periyar,
father of the Dravidian movement.
Jyothirmayi’s upcoming projects
in Malayalam are Aakasham and
Bodhi. Harishree Asokan is playing
a hero’s role in Aakasham for the
first time. Asokan has shaved his
trademark beard for the offbeat film.
Bodhi is directed by veteran
drama director G Ajayan and is
based on the late Kumaranasan’s
Chandalabhikshuki. Bodhi, produced
by Oceanic Creative Group,
may become a milestone in
Jyothirmayi’s future career.
Jyothirmayi is making her debut
in the Bollywood film Ek Phir Baar
directed by Rajiv Nath. Veteran
Malayalam character actor
Nedumudi Venu has entered
Bollywood with a role as a dhaba
owner. Cinematographer
Azhagappan and art director Saloo
K. George will also mark their presence
in Bollywood.
Before her foray into films,
Jyothirmayi tasted success on the
mini screen as an anchor for Pepsi
Top 10, Your Choice, Valkannadi on
Asianet and Kalalayavarnangal on
Kairali TV. She proved her talent in
TV serials and won an award for
playing a Brahmin girl in Jude
Attipotty’s Avasthantharangal.
Another popular serial was
Indraneelam. She tried her luck in
tele-films, but it was not successful.
Jyothirmayi did not quit her acting
career after marriage like other
heroines. She decided her marriage
will not be a hindrance to her film
career. Jyothirmayi has achieved
the impossible by playing heroine
roles after marriage, where other
heroines vanished from the silver
screen.
As an actress, she always chooses
roles on the merit of the characters.
She never hesitates to accept
non-heroine roles. That may be one
of the reasons for her success in the
industry, even after marriage.
CINEMA