Meet actress who got Rs 10 for first film, worked in over 300 movies, became top paid superstar, then quit acting for…, got married to father of two kids, she is..

Jaya Prada made her Bollywood debut with Sargam (1979), a remake of the Telugu hit Siri Siri Muvva. The film was not only a blockbuster hit but also earned her a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress. However, her inability to speak Hindi properly at that time became a major disadvantage.

Successful actors in the film industry try their luck by working in films in regional languages ​​as well. But only a few are successful in every industry, not all. One such person is a senior Telugu actress who has acted with legendary stars like NTR and ANR. Later, she moved to Bollywood and was successful there as well, and also made her mark in politics. But now, she is missing from the glamour industry even though she has worked in over 300 films in 8 different languages. We are talking about none other than Jaya Prada. 

Jaya Prada, born Lalitha Rani Rao, is the daughter of a Telugu film financier. When she was young, Jaya Prada wanted to become a doctor, but when a director saw her dance performance at the school anniversary, he offered her a three-minute dance role in the Telugu film Bhoomi Kosam (1974). This is how Jaya Prada was introduced to the silver screen and then went on to become a superstar. Her remuneration for her first film was only Rs 10, but that small role changed Jaya Prada’s destiny. After catching the attention of famous directors and producers, she became a top heroine in Telugu films by 1976.

Jaya Prada made her Bollywood debut with Sargam (1979), a remake of the Telugu hit Siri Siri Muvva. The film was not only a blockbuster hit but also earned the beautiful actress a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress. However, her inability to speak Hindi properly at that time became a major disadvantage for her. Jaya Prada had a hard time cashing in on the success that came her way. However, she got the opportunity to work with legendary actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, and Rakesh Roshan. 

Jaya Prada gradually mastered Hindi. She reached the point where she dubbed her own character in the film Kaamchor (1982). From there, she never looked back. She impressed fans with her excellent performance in many hit films like Sanam Teri Kasam, Tohfa, and Sharabi, and cemented her place in Bollywood. Legendary director Satyajit Ray even praised her as ‘the most beautiful actress in Indian cinema’. 

Despite enjoying an immensely popular professional life, Jaya Prada’s personal life was full of difficulties. In 1985, when Jaya Prada was the highest-paid actress in the industry, the IT department (Income Tax Department) conducted raids. At that time, the producer and her close friend Srikanth Nahata stood by her. Their friendship gradually turned into love. But, Srikanth Nahata was already married and had two children.

This marriage, which took place in 1986, stirred a lot of controversy, especially since Srikanth Nahata did not divorce his wife and had a child with his first wife even after marrying Jaya Prada. The two eventually got separated, and Jaya Prada then remained single for her whole life. 

In 1994, following a tumultuous personal life crisis, Jaya Prada joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at the invitation of its founder N. T. Rama Rao. She was elected as the Telugu Mahila President during N Chandrababu Naidu’s tenure and also represented Andhra Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha.

Later, due to differences with Chandrababu Naidu, Jaya Prada resigned from TDP and joined the Samajwadi Party. She won as MP from Rampur in UP in 2004 and 2009. But her political journey was also fraught with conflicts. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of National General Secretary Bhupender Yadav in March 2019.

Jaya Prada is now popular in the political circles but has fairly distanced herself from films. She was last seen in the 2023 Malayalam film Ramachandra Boss & Co and the TV show Drama Juniors 4 Telugu as a judge. 

In March 2025, Jaya Prada got embroiled in another controversy as the Moradabad MP-MLA Court issued a non-bailable warrant against her in connection with a case involving senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. Still, to this date, Jaya Prada is regarded as one of the greatest actresses of Indian cinema. 

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