Jayasudha Kapoor (born Sujatha Nidudavolu) is an Indian actress and politician known for her works predominantly in Telugu and Tamil cinema. She has also worked in few Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films. Known as natural actress, in a career spanning over 5 decades she received nine state Nandi Awards for her acting in works such as Jyothi (1976), Idi Katha Kaadu (1979), Premabhishekam (1981), Meghasandesam (1982), and Dharmaatmudu (1983).She has garnered five Filmfare Awards South, for her performances in Jyothi (1976), Aame Katha (1977), Gruha Pravesam (1982), Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi (2004), and Kotha Bangaru Lokam (2008). In 2008, she received the ANR National Award, and in 2010, she won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award - South for her contributions to Indian cinema. Jayasudha served as Member, Legislative Assembly, from Secunderabad constituency during 2009–2014 in the erstwhile combined Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Early and personal life

Jayasudha was born as Sujatha Nidudavolu in Madras, Tamil Nadu on 17 December 1958, to a Telugu-speaking family of Nidudavolu Rameshwara Rao, and actress Joga Bai known for films such as ''Balanandam'' (1954), and ''Kalahasti Mahatyam'' (1954). Telugu film actress and director Vijaya Nirmala is the first cousin of her father. Jayasudha's paternal grandfather is eminent scholar and literary historian, Nidudavolu Venkatarao. Her first marriage was to film producer Vadde Ramesh's brother-in-law, Kakarlapudi Rajendra Prasad. However, the marriage ended in divorce. She then married Nitin Kapoor, cousin to actor Jeetendra, in 1985 and they have two children, sons Nihar (born in 1986) and Shreayan (born in 1990). She then married 3rd time to a ForeignerShe was elected as MLA from the Secunderabad constituency in 2009 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections from Indian National Congress. She later joined the Telugu Desam Party in 2016. Later in 2019 she quit the Telugu Desam Party and joined YSR Congress Party.

Early life and career

Jayasudha was born as Sujatha in a Telugu family in Madras on 17 December 1958. Her aunt is the Telugu film actress and director Vijaya Nirmala. Jayasudha made her film debut when she was thirteen years old as Jamuna's daughter in the Telugu film Pandanti Kapuram (1972). Director K. Balachander gave her a small role in the Tamil film Arangetram, where she shared space with Kamal Haasan. She acted in a number of films in Telugu and Tamil, mostly under Balachander's direction; Sollathaan Ninaikkiren (1973), Naan Avanillai (1974) and Apoorva Raagangal and in Idi Katha Kaadu with Chiranjeevi. She also changed her name to Jayasudha, since there was already another actress named Sujatha. Her fame quickly spread, where Telugu film producers were offering her good film roles.
While her debut role as heroine in the Telugu film Lakshmana Rekha (1975) got her attention, it was really the title role in Jyothi (remake of the Hindi film Mili, starring Jaya Bhaduri) that made her a big star in Telugu films. She was now called a successor to the great Telugu actress Savitri and performed many strong roles and showed excellent range.
She is given the title "Sahaja Nati" which means "natural/realistic actress."
Her roles varied from the cute looking teeny-bopper who wore minis in Nomu (1974), to that of a tortured wife of a sadist husband in K. Balachander's film Idi Katha Kaadu (1979), to that of a comedian who discovers that her husband wants to murder her for her wealth in Money (1993). She performed showy roles in Telugu remakes of Hindi films, such as Yugandhar (1979) (the fighter role that Zeenat Aman originated in Don) and Illalu (1981 film) (Reena Roy's dark-shaded role from Apnapan (1977)).
In commercial cinema, she received a huge break when she starred in Adavi Ramudu (1977), which broke box office records. She also showed innovation and lack of vanity in original Telugu films like Premabhishekam (1981), where she played a supporting role as a deglamourised prostitute, while Sridevi played the female lead.She has acted in 325 films, and in one year, she had 24 film releases. She accomplished all this, despite her illiteracy in Telugu, by having people read lines to her and she would remember and deliver her lines. Noted filmmaker Dasari Narayana Rao repeatedly cast her in his films. In the film Idekkadi Nyayam (1977), he used her name in the song "Andalanni Neelone Dagunnayi...Jayasudha," that was picturised on her. By 1982, she became such a famous actress that Dasari titled a film that she starred in, Jayasudha (1982), after her. Her fame also allowed producers to cast her sister Subhashini in supporting roles in some of the films that she starred in, such as Sivaranjani (1978 film) (1978), Doctor Cine-actor and Meghasandesam (1983).

Career

Jayasudha made her film debut when she was thirteen years old with the Telugu film ''Pandanti Kapuram'' (1972). Director K. Balachander gave her a small role in the Tamil film ''Arangetram'' where she shared space with Kamal Haasan. She acted in a number of films in Telugu and Tamil mostly under Balachander's direction—''Sollathaan Ninaikkiren'' (1973), ''Naan Avanillai'' (1974) and ''Apoorva Raagangal'' and in Idi Katha Kaadu with Chiranjeevi. She also changed her name to Jayasudha, since there was already another actress named Sujatha. Her fame quickly spread, where Telugu film producers were offering her good film roles.While her debut role as a heroine in the Telugu film ''Lakshmana Rekha'' (1975) got her attention, it was really the title role in ''Jyothi'' (remake of the Hindi film ''Mili'' starring Jaya Bhaduri) that made her a big star in Telugu films. She was now called a successor to the great Telugu actress Savitri and performed many strong roles and showed excellent range.Jayasudha made her film debut when she was thirteen years old with the Telugu film ''Pandanti Kapuram'' (1972). Director K. Balachander gave her a small role in the Tamil film ''Arangetram'' where she shared space with Kamal Haasan. She acted in a number of films in Telugu and Tamil mostly under Balachander's direction—''Sollathaan Ninaikkiren'' (1973), ''Naan Avanillai'' (1974) and ''Apoorva Raagangal'' and in Idi Katha Kaadu with Chiranjeevi. She also changed her name to Jayasudha, since there was already another actress named Sujatha. Her fame quickly spread, where Telugu film producers were offering her good film roles.While her debut role as a heroine in the Telugu film ''Lakshmana Rekha'' (1975) got her attention, it was really the title role in ''Jyothi'' (remake of the Hindi film ''Mili'' starring Jaya Bhaduri) that made her a big star in Telugu films. She was now called a successor to the great Telugu actress Savitri and performed many strong roles and showed excellent range.She is given the title "Sahaja Nati" which means "natural/realistic actress."Her roles varied from the cute-looking teeny-bopper who wore minis in ''Nomu'' (1974), to that of a tortured wife of a sadist husband in K. Balachander's film ''Idi Katha Kaadu'' (1979) to that of a comedian who discovers that her husband wants to murder her for her wealth in ''Money'' (1993). She performed showy roles in Telugu remakes of Hindi films, such as ''Yugandhar'' (1979) (the fighter role that Zeenat Aman originated in ''Don''), ''Illalu'' (Reena Roy's dark-shaded role from ''Apnapan'' (1977)).In commercial cinema, she received a huge break when she starred in ''Adavi Ramudu'' (1977), which broke box office records.She is given the title "Sahaja Nati" which means "natural/realistic actress."Her roles varied from the cute-looking teeny-bopper who wore minis in ''Nomu'' (1974), to that of a tortured wife of a sadist husband in K. Balachander's film ''Idi Katha Kaadu'' (1979) to that of a comedian who discovers that her husband wants to murder her for her wealth in ''Money'' (1993). She performed showy roles in Telugu remakes of Hindi films, such as ''Yugandhar'' (1979) (the fighter role that Zeenat Aman originated in ''Don''), ''Illalu'' (Reena Roy's dark-shaded role from ''Apnapan'' (1977)).In commercial cinema, she received a huge break when she starred in ''Adavi Ramudu'' (1977), which broke box office records.She is given the title "Sahaja Nati" which means "natural/realistic actress."Her roles varied from the cute-looking teeny-bopper who wore minis in ''Nomu'' (1974), to that of a tortured wife of a sadist husband in K. Balachander's film ''Idi Katha Kaadu'' (1979) to that of a comedian who discovers that her husband wants to murder her for her wealth in ''Money'' (1993). She performed showy roles in Telugu remakes of Hindi films, such as ''Yugandhar'' (1979) (the fighter role that Zeenat Aman originated in ''Don''), ''Illalu'' (Reena Roy's dark-shaded role from ''Apnapan'' (1977)).In commercial cinema, she received a huge break when she starred in ''Adavi Ramudu'' (1977), which broke box office records. She also showed innovativeness and lack of vanity in original Telugu films like ''Premabhishekam'' (1981) where she played a supporting role as a deglamorized prostitute, while Sridevi played the female lead.She has acted in 300-plus feature films in a variety of roles, and in one year, she had 24 film releases.She has made her unique space in the Telugu cinema industry amidst a huge competition between her contemporary actresses Sridevi and Jayaprada. She considers Jayaprada as her closest friend amongst her friends in the industry.

Personal life

Jayasudha is a granddaughter of eminent scholar and literary historian, Nidudavolu Venkatarao and Gidugu Krishna Murthy. She was initially married to famous cinema producer Vadde Ramesh's brother-in-law, Rajendra Prasad, in Vijayawada. However, the marriage ended in divorce. Subsequently, she married producer Nitin Kapoor, cousin to actor Jeetendra, in 1985 and had two children, sons Nihar and Shreayan.
She has friends in the industry, such as Raadhika and Jayaprada, with whom she had acted in a number of films such as Adavi Ramudu and Meghasandesam. She converted to Christianity in 2001 and was elected as MLA for Congress from the Secunderabad constituency in 2009 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections
but lost the election and was placed 3rd in the 2014 Telangana assembly elections.
Her husband Nitin Kapoor committed suicide by jumping from the top of a building on March 14, 2017. It was stated that he was under depression since many years, but the actual reason for his suicide is not known.