Biography

Jamuna (August 30, 1936 – January 27, 2023) was an Indian actress and politician who worked predominantly in Telugu cinema, alongside appearances in Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi films. Raised in Duggirala, Andhra Pradesh, she began stage acting as a child before making her feature screen debut in the drama *Puttillu* (1952). She achieved mainstream recognition in the mid-1950s with the romantic comedy *Missamma* (1955) and the drama *Donga Ramudu* (1955). Over the 1950s and 1960s, she established herself as a prominent leading actress, starring in the comedy *Gundamma Katha* (1962), the mythological film *Sri Krishna Tulabharam* (1966), and the drama *Mooga Manasulu* (1964). Jamuna also worked in Hindi cinema, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the romantic drama *Milan* (1967). In South Indian cinema, she headlined titles including the family drama *Pandanti Kapuram* (1972) and mythological features such as *Yashoda Krishna* (1975). In her later career, she transitioned into character roles in films such as *Eenadu* (1982) and *Thoongadhey Thambi Thoongadhey* (1983), before making a final screen appearance in the drama *Annapurnamma Gari Manavadu* (2021). Beyond film, she served as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha representing Rajahmundry.