Jayshree T.

Sometimes, life gives you something but holds back that vital something else. Today though, Jayshree T has no grouses against her destiny. A swinging film career then, a family of her own now, work that continues to come in… So what, that she was never a Hindi film heroine!

The years have been kind to Jayshree T, in more ways than one. The joy she currently takes in her husband’s support and her young son’s presence, is both palpable and heartening. She has enjoyed her tryst under the sun, which makes her trip down memory lane all the more pleasant…

“I started my career when I was five,” she tees off, seated comfortably in her home. “The film was Goonj Uthi Shehnai and it was a big hit. My parents were Marathi stage artistes, but I was the first to join films My sister Meena and I learnt Kathak. Later, as I grew up and established myself, Gopi Kishenji, who spotted me dancing in a film, actually called me and said, ‘I want a student like you’. It was a great compliment!”

Sangeet Samrat Tansen, Zameen Ke Taare and Pyar Ki Pyaas , were the other films Jayshree did as a child artiste. “But being a very good student, I wanted to be a doctor!” she reveals. At that time, Amit Bose was on the lookout for a fresh youngster for a dance sequence in Abhilaasha. The choreographer Harmendar, who knew my father, suggested my name. My father actually picked me up from school and took me straight to Rooptara Studios!

“Incidentally, Nandaji was the heroine of that film. Little did I know then, that along with my professional life, my personal life too, would begin with her…”

Things really began to happen with her number in Chanda Aur Bijlee. “It didn’t look too promising for me at the start,” she recalls. “Director Atmaji had already warned me that since the film was complete, my name wouldn’t be flashed in the credits or on the publicity posters. But when the song was picturised, would you believe, the distributors demanded that it be included in separate publicity banners! From then on, there was no looking back!”

Of course she has had her fair share of downs. At times, I was asked to quit a film because the villain of the film apparently had his own favorite for the role. The producer was unable to put his foot down. At times, top dancers were not prepared to be featured alongside me, fearing that I would over­shadow them. Once I was established though, distributors would insist on me. I didn’t hold this against these dancers once I was successful. Perhaps this is what made them realize their folly and apologize to me.”

Jayshree recounts the one time she was signed on as heroine, with more than a touch of regret… “I remember the time Mohanji signed me on in the female lead for Saawan Bhandon. Later, he felt that I suited the modern girl’s role better and took Rekha on as the village belle. We were all newcomers then.” To think of it now, a reversal of roles could have made a drastic change in her destiny…

“Nevertheless, films poured in. Khilona, Kahani Kismat Ki, Jugnu , Jwar Bhata, Sharmili, my plate was full… comedy, vamp, modern, rural, Western dances, Indian folk… But I never got a break as a heroine. It was a dream that remained unfulfilled. Which girl wouldn’t want to play heroine? Yet, it makes me happy that while there are so many heroines whom people don’t remember, they are still aware of me!”

Jayshree believes she fared better than her sister Meena because, “If you present yourself glamorously in this world, you click fast. I was always known for my modern characters, while Meena played sober roles like Manoj Kumar’s sister in Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan and Jeetendra’s sister in Jeene Ki Raah. It was as simple as that.”

Roles that remain close to her heart today include, “the ones I played in Saawan Bhadon, Bayano Nave Sambhala and with Mehmood in Qaid. My dominating bhabhi role in Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani, also made a pleasant change.

“A definite high was the time Helen was asked by a journalist, Helenji, after you, who’? She answered, ‘Jayshree T’! What’s more, recently, after watching Govinda dance in a film, Johny Lever called him the male Jayshree T!”

Jayshree is surprisingly candid when she speaks of the late Sanjeev Kumar… “There was a big age gap between us. To me, he was a friend, philosopher and guide. I respected him a lot. Today I realize, it was more like puppy love from my side. We worked together in many films and he was, very nice to me. He was very fond of eating and would tell me to bring him home-cooked food. However, our association was blown out of proportion by the Press. A lot of stuff concerning us, was fabricated. We stopped reacting to it, after a point.”

Apparently, the entire issue was born when a journalist asked Jayshree whether she would marry Sanjeev, if he proposed to her. “I said, ‘Yes, why not, he’s such a nice person’. The next day, there was a huge hoarding which read, Jayshree T wants to marry Sanjeev’!”

Over the years, with heroines more than eager to do exotic dance numbers and an overall increase in male-oriented films, Jayshree veered towards regional films. “I did a heroine-oriented film in Marathi, called Bayano Navree Sambhala, with my guru, Gopi Kishen. It was the first Marathi film to be released at Metro cinema!” she beams, with obvious pride.” I had another silver jubilee with Dada Kondke’s Hyach Navra Pahije. Then Vijay Bhattji offered me a Gujarati film, Panchino Manus, opposite Asrani, which was also a hit. In fact, all my regional films were hits!”

Incidentally, Jayshree has set a record of sorts, given the variety and the number of regional films she has acted in. “I’ve done films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marwari, Punjabi, Haryanvi, Sindhi, Bengali, Oriya, Assami, Garhwali, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri and English! That makes it roughly 500 Hindi films and 200 regional films.”

One pleasant fallout is that, “Thanks to my regional films, wherever I go, the people of that particular state think I belong there! In fact, my husband often teases me that our government should give me an award for national integration, considering the number of languages I’ve worked in!”

Now to get to the mysterious T factor in her life! Why did she never use the full form of her surname?

“Yes,” she smiles, “many have been amused by the T factor in my name. My actual name is Jayshree Talpade and since I’ve married, it’s Jayshree Karnataki. At the time I started out in films, there was already a Jayshree V. Shantaram here. Then there was Jayshree Gadkar. With so many Jayshrees around and also the fact that people found Talpade quite a tongue-twister, I chose to use just the ‘T’. It created curiosity and helped boost my popularity!”

Despite the heady glitz of showbiz, Jayshree remained a homebody at heart and her dream of having a family came true, when she wed Jayprakash. “Earlier, Meena and I had younger siblings and our parents to look after. I had to fulfill my responsibilities before I settled down. Since Jayprakashji and I belong to the same profession, people wrongly presume ours was a love marriage. Actually, being a director, he has worked more with my sister Meena. It was a common guru who suggested the marriage proposal. When Jayprakash spoke to his mother and Nandaji they readily agreed, as they knew me quite well. Would you believe, we got engaged the very same evening! My husband was very understanding and he gave us enough time for us to get to know each other, before we wed in ’89.”

Of course, there was always the image of a fast girl, that she had to often contend with. “I realized the full impact of my screen image,” she laughs, “shortly after my marriage, when I had accompanied my husband to Ahmedabad, on work. There, he introduced me to an old, far off relative. She took one look at me, took him aside and whispered, ‘You’ve married her! She will throw your mother out of your house!”

Jayshree reveled in motherhood after the birth of her son in ’91. “I realized I had to be and more importantly, wanted to be, totally by my child’s side. Acting took a back seat. Five years later, when my husband started his serial, he offered me a role in Ankhein and another in Dahektein Sholay.” Now, TV is her oyster, as she appears in a host of DD soaps, including Ardhangini, Waqt Ki Raftaar, Aparajita, Ahuti and the upcoming Aaya Hasaya.

This of course doesn’t mean her film career is over! “I’m doing Cheetah Films’ production, Abbas -Mustan’s project, a Kalpataru film, D. Rama Naidu’s film and also the Barjatyas’ Hum Saath Saath Hain.“Sooraj narrated the script to me and I liked it immensely. I also had the chance to work with choreographer Chinni Prakash, whose father I had earlier worked with! It was a wonderful experience.”

Jayshree winds up recounting, “an extremely amusing incident,” but one which we feel, amply proves the extent of her popularity… “We were shooting at a remote spot in Gwalior, for Kasam Bhavani Ki, in which Yogeeta Bali played the female lead. At the shooting site, I noticed a lot of police personnel. Some of the officers came up to me and said it was better I didn’t shoot and returned to Bombay. ‘But why’? I exclaimed. ‘Madame’, they replied, `we have received information that the dacoits in this region, are planning to kidnap you. They appear to be quite crazy about you’. I was shocked! Such pretty girls like Yogeeta and Nazneen around, and I was their target! Eventually, the song had to picturised in good old Film City!” (As told to Ranjeeta in 1999).

Indrani Mukherjee

She was one of the many eager onlookers at a gala film stars’ show organized in aid of a local institution.

As she watched, the old thoughts, which she had all along suppressed, came back once again: “I wish I was on that stage now. Oh, how I wish I, too, could act!”

The compere’s clear voice cut into Indi­rani’s thoughts. He was announcing a beauty contest, urging the girls in the audience to try their luck.

Reluctantly, Indirani went up to the stage, wondering whether she was only making a fool of herself.

Beautiful Nutan was the judge, and as she took a good look at each of the fifteen girls who had lined-up on the stage, she asked some of them their names. She passed Indirani with­out asking her anything, much to her dismay.

Then, all too soon, the results were an­nounced. Indirani could hardly believe her ears –she had won the competition!

When the winner was introduced to Nutan and Shobhana Samarth, the latter asked her if she would like to act in films. But, aware of her disapproving brother-in-law, who was standing close by, Indirani said, “No.”

Soon afterwards, however, when one of the chief guests of the evening asked her the same question, she boldly said, “Yes”—this time her brother-in-law was out of earshot!

“Actually,” says the petite, dark-haired Indirani, “I had always wanted to act. Even as a mere child I used to arrange small shows with the help of my friends. I was producer, director, stage manager and script-writer, all rolled into one. My aunt, who was an invalid, used to encourage me, and often helped us, contributing bedsheets as curtains for our ‘stage’.

“I was inclined to be shy. But the moment I was on the stage I was no longer self-conscious. Somehow neither the footlights nor the audience made me nervous. I felt completely at home”.

This poise was perhaps due to the fact that her sister Maya was an artist of Bengali screen. She would often see Maya rushing off to the studio early in the morning to report for ‘shooting’ and sometimes, if she was good, she would be taken to that magic world.

Indirani was born and brought up in Allahabad. Her childhood was a happy one, filled with warmth and laughter, and she often went for outings with her father, who affectionately called her “Pip.” (“Father was very fond of Charles Dickens, and ‘Great Ex­pectations’ was his favorite novel,” explains Indirani.)

When Maya was working in Bengali films, Indirani stayed with her for a while in Calcutta. In her early teens she went to the Kulu Valley and blossomed into womanhood in those verdant surroundings. People took her to be a “Pahari” girl, for she has the gazelle eyes and the quick flashing grace of the mountain belle.

“1959 was a lucky year for me,” Indirani recalls, for I won that beauty competition. And then my mother wrote to Bimal Roy re­questing him to give me a screen test.”

Bimal Roy wrote back promptly, asking for her photograph. But there was no time to have a fresh photograph taken and Indirani sent him one from her collection—”Probably my worst!” she chuckles.

But, in spite of the old photograph, she was asked to come to Bombay for a screen test.

“How well I remember that day,” she says. “I was a bundle of nerves! When the routine tests were over, I was asked to enact a very emotional scene, with tears thrown in. I was in a panic!

“Of course, I could have resorted to glyce­rine, but something urged me not to do that. I must show that I can act, I thought, I must shed real tears… .”

The scene began. She read the dialogue, trying to imagine herself as the unfortunate heroine.

The words she uttered were only the ex­pression of her grief, and it was the emotion itself that was all important. Even as she read the dialogue she thought: Imagine how awful it would be not to pass the test. Think of going home, defeated. You’ll be laughed at and jeer­ed—”There’s the girl who wanted to be an actress and she couldn’t act !”

The thought assailed her with such inten­sity that, before she knew it, she was crying— naturally, spontaneously—as she spoke her lines.

The effect was electrifying. The director watched this slip of a girl crying her heart out, just as the role required her to do.

Indirani passed the test and was offered an important role in Bimal Roy’s film “Usne Kaha Tha.”

Her dream was beginning to come true. She was an actress–”not a star, and all that the term connotes,” she says.

“I am in films because I want to act,” she emphasizes. “I was never fascinated by the glitter and the glamour, the fan mail and the flattery. Perhaps Bimal Roy recognized this trait in me, for he once said to me: ‘I want you to be a good actress first and a star afterwards. One must work hard to achieve success’.”

Fame does not mean anything to her just now. Perhaps she will win it some day, but she hopes that it will not spcil her.

“I’d like to be myself,” she says, “and, somehow, I feel that others, too, would like me to stay that way.”

Shy and reserved on first meeting, Indirani has a great fund of humor, which seems to bubble in her ready smile. Quick at repartee, she also has a disarming manner.

The glittering “Filmfare” Nite organized to introduce newcomers was another big event in Indirani’s life.

Several famous heads turned to have a second look when Indirani stepped on the stage. She seemed so refreshingly different.

Among the guests were Mr. and Mrs. Sohrab Modi. Mehtab spotted Indirani and, after asking, “Who’s that girl?” promptly turned to her husband and said: “We must have her in our new film. Persuade her to act in it.”

Came an invitation to dinner at the Sohrab Modis’ lovely flat at Cuffe Parade. Indirani wondered what it was all about. She had always been a Modi fan and was thrilled to meet him.

Sohrab-Modi offered her a role in his film “Ek Roop Do Jeevan”, which she accepted with alacrity.

“I was very lucky to be signed up by the very film makers—Bimal Roy and Sohrab Modi—with whom I had always wanted to work,” remarks Indirani.

What kind of roles does she like to play ?

“Well, I am all for being versatile,” she says, “but I know I’d be useless in a frivolous role. To each according to his ability, I suppose. Give me an emotional role every time.”

Indirani used to take part in Hindi plays broadcast by AIR at Allahabad and feels that this experience will help her considerably in films.

Her hobbies are few and anything but the fashionable ones. Lover of a quiet life, she prefers staying at home, doing something useful in the house, to going out. Pearl Buck and Daphne Du Maurier are her staple reading—she is lost to the world once she has one of their books.

She can cook a gourmet’s fare, but she is not too fond of cooking. “I prefer eating,” she adds gleefully.

Her very first scene in “Usne Kaha Tha” was a hilarious one. Laughter came readily to her and set the tone for her acquaintance with her co-stars Sunil Dutt, Nanda and Durga Khote. “I felt very much at ease with them. They never made me conscious of being a new­comer,” she affirms.

In fact, Durga Khote noticed that Indirani was not happy about the hotel food and insist­ed on sending her food from her own home. “Her warm-hearted gesture was so touching, I will never forget it. How wonderful people can be,” says Indirani. Then switching to her career, she enthuses: “How wonderful it is to do something that you have always wanted to do.”

Not far off, the lights of fame shine and beckon all new artists—perhaps they shine brightest for a dainty actress called Indirani. (Filmfare, July 1960)

Sadhana

Can we start at the beginning, your entry into films?

I had always been interested in acting and did a lot of plays in school and college. I was doing a play as a first year student in a Sindhi college when a producer, Mr T.N.Bihari, approached me to act in his film. It was a Sindhi film and I was to play the heroine’s younger sister. The heroine was Sheila Ramani. At this time, Mr S.Mukherjee had just started his Filmalaya School and was on the lookout for new faces and new talent. He happened to see my photograph in Screen and made a few inquiries. Mr Mukherjee suggested I join the Filmalaya School to get some training. That took about a year after which Love in Simla was launched. As you know, everyone connected with the film was new. The film became memorable for me because that’s when I first met Mr Nayyar (her husband). I signed Parakh soon after beginning Love in Simla. We, my parents and I, thought it would be nice to do a modern role in one movie and that of a simple village girl in another. That’s how it all started.

Which stars did you admire?

Nutan.

How about Meena Kumari?

Yes, but Nutan more.

Do you think you were influenced by her?

If I was, it was completely subconscious. I don’t ever remember trying to imitate her, but a couple of people have remarked on similarities between us. Bimalda (Roy) once said that whenever he worked with me he was reminded of her, although he didn’t explain why,

Woh Kaun Thi was a major turning point in your career. While making the film did you think it would be so successful, that it would inspire film-makers for years?

Films were made differently in those days. We just did 3-4 films a year, so one wanted to do the best ones possible. One was very careful, very choosy. As far as Woh Kaun Thi is concerned, it was Raj Khosla who persuaded me. One day he came and said, “I have a fantastic subject. Let me tell you the story.” He took several hours to narrate it to me, and at first wouldn’t tell me the ending. I liked the story very much, but when I enquired about the producer etc., he asked me to forget everyone, forget who the hero will be. “I am directing the film, that’s all you need to know.” So I signed the film. I was very impressed with the story and I was comfortable with Mr Khosla as my director.

You did some good films with Raj Khosla. Was he considered a “woman’s director”?

I don’t know about that. Most movies made in those days had one hero and one heroine. We rarely had multi-starrers, and heroes did not dominate the stories as they do now. The heroines had as much to contribute to the film, she had an equally important role. So, I don’t know whether it was Mr Khosla or the trend of films at the time.

I did the maximum number of films with Raj Khosla, four or five. Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Woh Kaun Thi, Anita (a film produced by Fali Mistry), Sajan Ki Galiyan (with Dev Anand, remained incomplete) and one other. He had become a sort of family friend, and he knew my strengths and weaknesses as an actress. I felt comfortable working with him. We vibed well together.

I remember an incident during the making of Woh Kaun Thi. We were shooting outdoors and in the evening, since I was doing nothing, I went over to his room. There the three of us—he, his wife, and I—just sat around reading whatever each of us was reading. There was complete silence in the room; just the noise of the fire crackling. It was a comfortable silence, you know the kind you only have with close friends. After about fifteen minutes of silence, Mr Khosla suddenly looked up and said, “Sadhana, what do you think of yourself? Do you think you are very pretty?” I said, “No, I don’t.”

He persisted, “Then how would you describe yourself?” “Raj ji” I replied “I’m not beautiful, but I’m very charming, utterly charming, and you can’t deny that.” He laughed and laughed at my straightforward answer.

A lot of people would disagree with you on that, you were regarded as quite beautiful.

I don’t think so. Think of Madhubala or Meena Kumari. They were beautiful, ravishingly beautiful. I was not “ravishing”, I was not a beauty as one’s concept of beauty goes, I just photographed well.

Maybe, the concept of beauty has changed.

Maybe, that’s what I’m trying to say. By the time I entered films it was no longer necessary for a woman to look beautiful. She could be charming. When you asked me who my favourite heroine was, I said Nutan. Nutan was never considered a beauty but to me she looked very beautiful.

Do you think you had any special on-screen chemistry with any particular co-star?

It’s not really a question of on-screen or off-screen chemistry. As in any profession, if you communicate well with your co-workers, if you feel comfortabe in the set-up in which you work, you’re more at ease and you work better. If there’s tension between you and your boss, for example, your work is bound to suffer. It’s the same in acting, at least it was for me. In films you also have intimate scenes, so this is even more important. I’d substitute `comfortable’ for ‘chemistry’. I felt very comfortable working with Rajendra Kumar, with Sunil Dutt. I can’t explain why. We worked in a relaxed atmosphere, tension-free, friendly. There were some co-stars with whom I didn’t get along so well. We had ego-clashes. But we managed to keep the tension from showing on screen

You seemed a bit off-colour in Dulha Dulhan. Did you have problems with Raj Kapoor?

No, I didn’t. But I was in awe of him. He was such a great actor, a great film-maker, a showman…you felt a little subdued. He was overpowering and I was too young and new at the time.

How about Shammi Kapoor? You made three films with him.

Oh, he was so full of energy, always jumping around, clowning around, constantly talking …you can’t help but be comfortable with him. I had a great time working with him. The first film we signed was Budtameez, but that got delayed, so we actually worked together for the first time in Raj Kumar.

Which film would you rate as your best?

If you ask me, I don’t think I was very good in any of my films. Sometimes one watches one’s old films on video and one thinks one was quite silly and stupid. Honestly.

Once you were established as an actress, did you feel confined by a certain image?

Basically, it was a matter of vibing with the director. If I felt confined by anything, it would be the set-up or how I worked with a director. When there was a good understanding, I would make suggestions and they might be accepted. Let me tell you about a director I definitely did not get along with. I’m not going to name him, and fortunately the film did not get completed. It was a romantic scene where a hand touches accidently, and the heroine was expected to react with a shy, tender expression. Now, the director tells me that I should look down for so many seconds, look up and tilt my head at a 45 degree angle, blink my eyes three times, and then look down again. Nothing I or the others on the set said could make him change his mind; if I failed to follow his precise instructions—including blinking thrice, not twice—he would get upset. One can’t give good performances under such circumstances. A good director works with the artiste, with an awareness of how to extract the best.

How would you like to be remembered?

That’s a very difficult question. (Thinks for a long time) I would like to be remembered as I was when I was working. I don’t want people to forget that part of my life. Everyone grows old, changes. I wouldn’t like to go back and play a sister’s role or a mother’s role. I think people will remember me for my performances, for the youthfulness of my image, for the few trends I started and the short period I worked….That’s how I would like to be remembered – Punita Bhatt