Jayanthi (born Kamala Kumari; 6 January 1945 – 26 July 2021) was an Indian actress best known for her work in Kannada and Telugu cinema. Active primarily from the 1960s through the early 1980s, she built a body of work that spanned a wide range of genres and languages.
Over the course of her career, Jayanthi appeared in more than 500 films, working in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi cinema. Her versatility across leading and character roles made her a familiar presence in South Indian films during the period.
She received several major honours for her acting. These included seven Karnataka State Film Awards — four for Best Actress and two for Best Supporting Actress — along with the President's Medal for Best Actress and two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress. The Kannada film industry conferred upon her the title "Abhinaya Sharadhe" (Goddess Sharada in acting), and she was widely described in the media as one of Kannada cinema's most prominent leading actresses of her generation.
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on Jayanthi (actress).