B. Jayashree

B. Jayashree Biography

Granddaughter of Gubbi Veeranna, B. Jayashree is a veteran theatre actor, director and singer. She also appears in Kannada movies and television serials. In 2013 she was awarded with the Padma Shri by Government of India. She also received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for acting in 1996. She is the creative director of Spandana Theatre, which she established in 1976. In 2010 she was nominated to Rajya sabha. She served as a member of Rajya Sabha during the period 2010-2016. She also received an honorary D. Litt degree from the Karnataka State Open University in the year 2009. She served as the Director of Regional Resources Centre, National School of Drama during the period 1996-1997.

B. Jayashree was born on June 9, 1950 in Bangalore. She is the granddaughter of doyen of Kannada Theater - Gubbi Veeranna. She followed the legacy of her grandfather and went on to become a leading artist of Kannada Theater. She is also associated with films and TV serials, though her first love is towards theatre. She is also a popular playback singer associated with Kannada film industry. Car Car from Nanna Preethiya Hudugi is one of her popular songs. A graduate from the prestigious NSD, New Delhi she has worked under great theater personalities like B V Karanth. She also served as the director of theatre repertory Rangayana in Mysore for a brief period.

She acted in films in the 1990s and 2000s, though a few. Nagamandala, Ee Preethi Yeke Bhoomi Melide, Deveeri and Care of Footpath are some of her popular film roles, as a character artist. After a long period, she is to play a pivot role in the upcoming movie – Ishtakamya, directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar. She is married to K. Ananda Raju and the couple has one daughter.

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Updated: April 16, 2016