Veteran actress Jayanthi dies

Veteran Kannada actress Jayanthi died in her sleep at her residence on Monday (July 26).

The actress, 76, was ill for a long time. Having worked in over 500 films in five languages, the actress was well known in the industry, especially in Kannada films.

Speaking to media, her son Krishna Kumar confirmed the news and said that she was recovering from illnesses, but eventually breathed her last during her sleep.

She's known by the moniker Abhinaya Sharadhe or the goddess of acting in Kannada industry. She has won six Karnataka State Film awards (four Best Actress and two Best Supporting Actress).

Jayanthi was born in Ballari in Karnataka and was a trained classical dancer. She went on to become an acting stalwart by performing in versatile roles.

In 2005-06, she won the Dr Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award. Jayanthi also tasted success in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema.

Kannada film director YR Puttaswamy gave Jayanthi her first chance in his film Jenugoodu. He also suggested she adopt the stage name Jayanthi.

In Kannada, she has worked with Dr Rajkumar and iconic filmmakers like Puttanna Kanagal and Dorai-Bhagwan in several cult-classic films. With Dr Rajkumar, she has acted in record 45 films.