Jyothi Lakshmi who took the audience by storm with her sexy dance numbers, Jyothilakshmi cheera kattindi… and Gudi enaka naa sami… in the late 60s is making her comeback. She is shaking her leg in a couple of Telugu films Jaganmohini and Kuberulu.
When we met her on the sets of the film Kuberulu some time ago she said she felt young while doing dance numbers. “I was called for rehearsals for which I refused because I knew that I can manage,’’ she says.
Ask her as to how old is she? She shoots back by saying, ‘how does I look like? Say 45-year-old, ``Do I look like that old? she asks and says: “I am 27 years young at heart and 60-years-old actually.’’ She acted in about 1000 films as an actress, dancer and comedian in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films. It was the song Jyothilakshmi cheera kattindi… in the film Peddakkayya that established her as a dancer.“It’s my favourite song. Because until then I didn’t wear a sari. Even those who heard the song also wondered whether Jyothilakshmi can drape a sari,’’ she recollects.
She plays Namitha’s mother in Jaganmohini. “It would have been nice had I been offered Namitha’s role,’’ she says in a lighter vein.
When Jyothilakshmi took a break for the delivery of her first child, her younger sister Jayamalini entered the scene. “The main competition was between the two of us,’’ she points out.
She acted with veteran actors like MGR, Sivaji Ganeshan, Haranath, Jayashankar and Krishna. Jyothi Lakshmi acted in about 10 Telugu films, including Monagadostunnadu Jagrattha, Mosagallaku Mosagallu, Korada Rani and Pilla Piduga most of which are with Superstar Krishna.
She has been doing Tamil serials and acted in Telugu serials like Maa Inti Mahalakshmi. “I always keep myself happy, watch films, take limited food mostly non-vegetarian,’’ signs of the actress revealing the secret behind her good looks. Now, the older audience can get to watch the actress as she is looking forward to resume acting in Telugu films.
P Vasudeva Rao vasudevaraop@epmltd.com