This actress earned Rs 10 for debut film, worked with Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, was once highest paid actress, left Bollywood at peak of her career for…

This actress not only gave remarkable on-screen characters, but was also one of the highest-paid female stars in the industry in the '80s.

The 70s and 80s were an iconic era in our cinema, thanks to the rise of many talented actresses who starred alongside some of the biggest male stars of the time. Among these actresses, one name stands out – not just for her remarkable on-screen characters, but also for her status as one of the highest-paid female stars in the industry. Today, we will take a closer look at this actress, who made a significant mark in both regional and Hindi cinema, before leaving the industry at the peak of her career. She is Jaya Prada.

Jaya Prada’s Early Beginnings

Born as Lalitha Rani Rao, Jaya Prada made her film debut in 1974 with a brief but memorable three-minute dance number in the Telugu film Bhoomi Kosam. For her performance, she was paid just Rs 10, but this small beginning was a turning point in her career. Following her debut, she started receiving offers from some of the top filmmakers of that era, which launched her into stardom.

The actress quickly became one of the most famous actresses of her time. She appeared in a range of successful films, including Sargam, Lok Parlok, Main Awara Hoon, Sharabi, Awaaz and Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswati, among others. She soon went on to work with legends like Amitabh Bachchan and Jeetendra. In fact, during the 1980s and 1990s, she was one of the highest-paid actresses in both Hindi and Telugu films. From 1984 to 1991, she was consistently listed among Box Office India’s top actresses.

She Left Her Career At Its Peak

At the height of her career, Jaya Prada made a surprising decision to step away from the silver screen. In 1994, she chose to enter politics by joining the Telugu Desam Party. Her shift from acting to politics was a bold move, and it marked the end of her acting career in mainstream cinema. In 2019, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite leaving films, Jaya Prada made occasional returns to the screen, with her most recent appearance in a Malayalam film, Ramachandra Boss & Co, in 2023.