15 Facts About Jayamala

Jayamala was born on 28 February 1959 and is an Indian actress and politician.

Jayamala served as the Minister for Women and Child Development and Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens in the Government of Karnataka, by virtue of being a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council.

Jayamala served as the female president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce between 2008 and 2010.

Jayamala has produced and acted in the award-winning Thaayi Saheba.

Jayamala was born to a Tulu speaking Billava family in Mangalore.

Jayamala's father G Omaiah was an agriculturist and mother Kamalamma, a homemaker.

Jayamala was first married to Kannada film actor Tiger Prabhakar and the couple had a daughter Soundarya, a popular actress in her own right.

Jayamala was the most glamorous heroine of Kannada cinema during the early 1980s.

Jayamala's pairing with Ambareesh, started with the cult classic Antha where she played the tragic role of a cabaret dancer who is his sister and then went on to become his heroine in several movies like Ajith, Prema Matsara and Khadeema Kallaru.

Jayamala's pairing with Shankar Nag in many movies proved successful, including the heroine-oriented Chandi Chamundi that made her a household name as an action heroine.

Jayamala received a special jury award for her performance in the film.

Jayamala created history of sorts when she became the only actress in the Indian film industry to be conferred a doctorate for writing a thesis.

Jayamala's thesis was on the rehabilitation of rural woman in Karnataka and required her to tour Karnataka and scrutinise several documents.

Jayamala was at the center of a controversy when she claimed that she touched the Lord Ayyappa idol in Sabarimala during the shooting of Tamil movie titled 'Nambinar Keduvathillai'.

Jayamala has said she regretted her action, but clarified that she was pushed into the shrine by a crowd of devotees.