JAYAPRADA ISN'T YET OUT OF FILMS, HERE SHE TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

ON HER DEBUT IN TELUGU FILMS
My mother loved art and got me enrolled in music and dance classes. I began learning traditional Indian dance forms when I was only seven. My dancing skills were noticed at the school’s annual function and I ended up bagging a three-minute role in the Telugu film Bhoomi Kosam. I was paid Rs 10 for the role.

ON THE REACTION OF HER FRIENDS
I suddenly became a star even for my close friends. The distance they were maintaining made me uncomfortable

ON HER ENTRY INTO BOLLYWOOD
My big break in Hindi films came in Sargam in which I portrayed the role of a mute dancer. The film was a remake of the Telugu film Siri Siri Muvva. I observed mute students closely in preparation for the role. The film opposite Rishi Kapoor was a resounding success.

ON HER INTIAL LANGUAGE PROBLEMS IN BOLLYWOOD
I kept a tutor who rehearsed my lines. I was keen to do my own dubbing. I would get up at 5 am, take my Hindi class and then leave for my shoot. I would again work on my diction at night.

ON HER FIRST BREAK WITH AMITABH BACHCHAN IN SHARABI
It was my first film opposite Amitji. I was very nervous on the sets. But he made me feel comfortable and corrected my lines. And the comfort level we shared was apparent on the screen. Amitji is a unique and sensitive artiste. Acting opposite him, one can learn a lot by carefully observing his skills.

ON HER NEW FILMS
I am playing a character similar to that of Jhansi ki Rani in a Kannada film. It is about a fiery queen who fought the British in 1800. In October, I will do a Bengali film directed by Ashok Vishwanath. It will be shot in 45 days in Kolkata. Then there is a Tamil film Dasavatharam with Kamal Haasan.

ON DEHA HER UPCOMING HINDI FILM
Mahesh Manjrekar plays my husband. Even though he cheats on his wife and distrusts her, the wife struggles to keep the marriage going.

ON WHAT KIND OF FILMS SHE LIKES
After a hard day's work, people want to watch entertaining movies. Thought-provoking films like Black are also being made. Of course, I don’t like classics like Mughal-e-Azam being remade. I cannot imagine anyone else playing the character of Dilip Kumar or Madhubala in that historic film.

ON HER REPORTED RIVALRY WITH SRIDEVI
There was no jealously. All our films were done in a professional manner.

Why is Chandrababu Naidu hell-bent on roping in Balakrishna into the Telugu Desam Party?

Everyone knows that Chandrababu Naidu is a master in the art of realpolitik. His detractors have even compared him with Chanakya, the Machievalli of Indian politics. And naturally. For he is known to use the right people at the right time and dump them like hot potatoes once he achieves his objective. Mohan Babu, Jayaprada, Renuka Choudary, Rammoorthy Naidu, Harikrishna, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao -- he had the knack of using all of them to rebel against NTR and usurp the chief ministership of the State in 1996. And what did he do after becoming the CM? One by one, he got rid of them.

And for more than eight years, he didn't even give them a second glance. Not even at private parties and functions. But, now, with the elections drawing near, and with the party's image plummeting in the eyes of the people, he's realised that he needs star power to pull the masses back to the party. Because the alienation of the people has been so severe that even the so-called misdeeds of the Congress party under Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, are unable to bring the TDP any closer to the people.

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Chandrababu Naidu realised that it is time to play the NTR card to the hilt. So the CEO of Indian politics thought of a brilliant plan to make it a realistic ideal -- rope in Nandamuri Balakrishna, who is presently blazing a trail in the Telugu film industry, to rev up the image of the party. But, with the NTR family being wary of his moves after the death of NTR, and later with the exit of Harikrishna from the party, earlier, he has come up with a marriage proposal. Of giving his son Lokesh in marriage with Balakrishna's daughter Brahmani.

This way, he not only has Balakrishna, who has kept away from politics all along, canvassing for his party, but can also hope to cash in on the glory of NTR. And everything seems to work according to his plans. For, initially, the NTR family, it is reliably learnt, was antithetical to the very proposal of giving Brahmani is marriag to Lokesh. But, Buvaneshwari stepped in to cut the ice.

Everything has worked well so far. How? Harikrishna was give his rightful due during the recently anniversary celebrations of the party in Tirupati. And two, he has dangled the carrot of Rajya Sabha seat to Balakrishna. What more, with Balakrishna busy shooting for his film Okka Mogadu near Rajahmundry, Chandrababu has reportedly told the partymen that the latter's birthday celebrations on June 10 in Rajahmundry, which Balakrishna is planning to celebrate with his fans, should be a party affair. And that no stone should be left unturned to make it a grand spectacle. Gorantla Buchaiah Choudary, a senior TDP leader from the place, has been personally supervising all the arrangements at Subrahmanya Grounds in Rajahmundry.

And there have been messages flying thick and fast from the top rung leaders in Hyderabad, a euphemism for Chandrababu's house, that no Telugu Desam flags or banners should be seen at the venue. Not even the colour yellow! Everything should look as if it is being done by Balakrishna's fans alone.

It is reliably learnt that Balakrishna is likely to make an important announcement concerning his entry into politics and his role in the Telugu Desam Party. While this has gladdened the heart of Chandrababu, it is also making him jittery, that Balakrishna might say something unusual that the party may not be unable to digest. But, is there anything that the diplomatic Chandrababu can't counter in his life?