The life and works of theatre director, actor, singer and former Rajya Sabha member B. Jayashree will soon be available in a memoir titled Kanna Mucche Kaade Goodey .
Known for her full-throated singing and acting, she was born and brought up in an atmosphere soaked in theatrical traditions. Granddaughter of theatre legend Gubbi Veeranna, Ms. Jayashree was already performing on stage at the age of four in Gubbi Channabasaveshwara Drama Company, simply referred to as Gubbi Company .
The memoir of Jayashree, to be published by Manohara Grantha Mala, Dharwad, is narrated by Preethi Nagaraj, who shares a close association with the actor since a decade and half.
Apart from anecdotes from her life, the book will serve as an important document to chronicle theatre starting from mid-1950s, which is about the time Ms. Jayashree started acting. Hers is perhaps the only generation that saw the pinnacle of both professional and amateur theatre.
Ms. Nagaraj says though the idea of the book was conceived many years ago, the actual work started only about five years ago. “At intermittent phases, the documenting had to be re-done so as to ensure her memories were not contradictory. It is a mammoth work, but at the end of the day, it is worth the effort since this documentation is needed in Kannada,” she says.
My mother Malathamma gave birth to me, but theatre gave me a second birth.
Theatre taught me everything I know today, to survive
and discover
myself despite all the challenges I
have seen.
— B. Jayashree
