First salary of actress Jaya Prada : From Rs. 10 to lakhs in two years

Actress Jaya Prada's real name is Lalitha Rani Rao. She was born in a Telugu-speaking family in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. Her father, Krishna Rao, was a Telugu film financier, and her mother, Neelavani, was a homemaker. She had a keen interest in dance and music from a young age and received training in both.

During her teenage years, Jaya Prada performed a dance at her school's annual day function. A film director, who was a special guest, was impressed by her performance and offered her a three-minute dance sequence in the Telugu film Bhoomi Kosam (1974). Initially hesitant, Jaya Prada agreed with her parents' encouragement. She was paid a mere Rs. 10 for her debut performance.

Subsequently, she received offers to act in major Telugu film productions. She made her Tamil debut with the film Manmadha Leelai, directed by K. Balachander. However, she primarily focused on Telugu films. In Tamil, she acted in only a few films, including Ninaithale Inikkum and 47 Naatkal, both starring Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

Jaya Prada made her Hindi film debut with Sargam. Although she initially faced difficulty getting roles in Hindi cinema, she eventually became a full-fledged Hindi film actress. Having worked with all the leading heroes of the 80s, Jaya Prada, now 62, continues to act in substantial roles. In the 2008 film Dasavathaaram, she starred opposite Kamal Haasan, and received applause for her performance.
 

Beyond acting, Jaya Prada served the people by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Telugu Desam Party. In 1986, she married producer Srikant Nahata, who was already married to Chandra and had two children. This marriage sparked controversy. Jaya Prada, a controversial figure in politics, now commands a hefty salary for character roles. From getting only Rs. 10 for her first film, she started earning lakhs after completing five films.