Archana: Probably one of the few Telugu artists who have a professional acting training. Just when things started getting bigger, she quit her life!ġ9. Pratyusha: Born in Bhuvanagiri, this actress had made it to a promising place in the industry. Laya: An inherently talented young girl from Vijayawada, tried her luck as an actress and in her short span in the industry bagged the Nandi Award for two consecutive years.ġ8. Raasi has been a Telugu woman through and through and her movies and performances also reflect the same.ġ7. Raasi: She is known as Mantra in the Hindi industry. Known as the Glamour Queen of Telugu industry, with a string of industry hits, she was the most successive heroine in late 1980s.ġ6. Vijayashanthi: She was born in Chennai, while her family hailed from Ramagundem. Aamani: Born as Manjula to a Telugu family in Bangalore, she worked her way up to the top starting as a small-time actor to winning a National Award for Mister Pellam.ġ5. Rambha: Vijayalakshmi from Vijayawada, (I know that somehow sounds funny but NO!) Cute face and a steamy image, she probably kept a lot of men up at nights. Roja: Latha Nagaraja Reddy born in Tirupati, she did engage the South Indian audience and captivate them.ġ3. She was a natural actor and one of her finest hours was her performance in Swarna Kamalam.ġ2. Bhanu Priya: Her real name was Manga Bhama and she was born in Rangampeta village, near Rajamundry. Popularly and lovingly known as Sahajanati, after Savitri, she indeed made a mark in Telugu cinema.ġ1. Jaya Sudha: Sujatha Nidudavolu, born to a Telugu-speaking family, but in Chennai. Jaya Prada: Actually born as Lalita Rani in Rajahmundry, she reigned over the film industry of the time, Telugu and Indian alike.ġ0. Born in Peddapuram, East Godavari, she indeed exuded the serenity necessary to carry those characters.ĩ. Anjali Devi: She was the go-to Rukmini Devi and Seeta Devi of the mythological movies of the time. She did indeed embody the true Telugu Aada Pilla.Ĩ. Vani Sri: Her actual name is Ratna Kumari and she was born in Nellore. Fun fact: when Savitri was performing at Duggirala, she stayed at Jamuna’s home and later invited Jamuna to try her luck in movies.ħ. Jamuna: Born in Hampi, Karnataka, Jamuna grew up in Duggirala of Guntur District. Her fierceness, her discipline and her dauntless talent kept her on a pedestal, that even the big daddies of the industry were afraid to tread on.Ħ. Bhanumathi: An actress, director, music director, singer, producer, book writer and songs writer, Padma Bhushan Bhanumati, was born in Doddavaram of Prakasam District.
Savitri: Nissankara Savitri, the Crowned Goddess of Telugu cinema, still inspires millions of Telugu girls. PS: Though, few of the actresses mentioned here didn’t make it big in the league, they deserve a mention for them making it to the big screen from the LAND OF TELUGU!ġ. And ChaiBisket would love to acknowledge and appreciate our very own Telugu beauties of the tinsel town. However, the Telugu industry has over the generations nurtured some incredible talents from its homeland.
Of course, it has come as a welcome relief that most of the current actresses have taken to speaking Telugu, or are at least trying to learn.
It’s almost as if every heroine in the industry now, is of a different linguistic background. It has become a norm to expect heroines of the contemporary movies to not know Telugu.