Jamuna was a strong-willed woman. Beautiful. And Courageous. I recall a conversation I had with her.

When I went to her house at Banjara Hills – this was more than two decades ago – I could hear some commotion. I was at the gate, wondering whether I should enter or not, though she had asked me to come over for an interview. I stood at the gate for a couple of minutes. It was a hard decision to take. Was I there at the wrong time? I could hear shouts and shrieks. I chose to take a few steps back.

A well-known actress, Jamuna was not just known for her sterling performances in her films. To borrow Christopher Marlowe’s description of ‘Helen of Troy’, Jamuna’s face could launch a thousand ships. She had done films with the reigning heroes of her time – N T Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageshwara Rao. When she was 16 years old, Jamuna made her screen debut with the film ‘Puttillu’ in 1953. Wikipedia which mentions that she was active in acting in films till 1983.

Back to Jamuna’s house. I rang the doorbell. There was no response. I knew for a fact that she was very I much at home because I could hear her scream. After a little while, I rang the doorbell again. I was ushered in to the living room. And there I got to know the reason for the ruckus. Jamuna was laughing uncontrollably. Her daughter Sravanthi had pulled a prank on her! I looked at Sravanthi. The mother and daughter seemed to be having a whale of a time!

“She does that very often. She pulls pranks on me. And every time, it is a different prank, something that I least expect her to do,” Jamuna said as she asked me to make myself comfortable in a sofa. She narrated another prank that her daughter had played on her. “She called me on the phone and introduced herself as my fan and that she loves my films and acting a lot. I continued with the conversation little realising that my daughter had changed her voice and was talking to me,” Jamuna recalled once again bursting into laughter.

I thought the issue of pranks was settled. It indeed was. Jamuna, however, did not settle down for an interview. She sat in the sofa on the opposite side and started singing a song. She was watching television and one of her old films was being shown. She was singing watching herself sing the song in the film.

She was full of live. Full of enthusiasm. An interview did not mean just talking to the person. Watching Jamuna gave me a complete picture about how she was so satisfied with her work as an actress and how much she loved reliving those moments.

Sravanthi too an interest in getting into filmdom, she told me. She also said a certain producer had also shown inclination to casting her as a heroine and giving her a break on the big screen. She had followed it up with the producer a couple of times. “It is not right to push too hard,” she said explaining a bit of her philosophy. Sravanthi did get into television but I am not sure if she had done any films.

Jamuna’s attention got diverted again. This time, as she watched herself dance in the film she was watching, she was all excited. “I watch all my films whenever they are telecast,” she told me.

We spoke about the film industry, the way it functions and if she had any difficulties and if so how she overcame them.

It was to this question that Jamuna turned serious. “Yes, I had difficulties. It was too difficult to overcome them,” she told me. A certain film personality had imposed an unofficial  ban on her. He made it clear to producers that he would not act in a film if Jamuna was the heroine.

“Not only that, he even influenced certain other heroes not to agree to a film if I was being cast in it as a heroine,” Jamuna recalled.

I was curious to know what happened. She minced no words in explaining about it.

While shooting for a film, the hero in question had said something that Jamuna did not like. “It was objectionable,” she said recalling the incident. Jamuna had a choice – to ignore and forget the remarks or the person and take everything in her stride. Or fight it.

Jamuna stood her ground. What was objectionable was objectionable. And she made it abundantly clear. She lost on several films with two top heroes of the day. That is because she stood on her convictions. She was a hero in real life, standing strong against the current. She was a hero in real life, unshakeable despite the conspiracies against her. She was a hero in real life, taking on heroes who were, as she said, unreasonable and unprofessional in their behaviour.

“I bear no ill-will against them but I am satisfied that I have been shown myself to be a strong woman,” Jamuna said.

(Jamuna passed away today (January 27, 2023) at her residence in Hyderabad. She was 86. She acted in several films in Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. )

Remembering dining with Nizam V111, Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur

There was something about him. His Royal Humility. His Royal Simplicity. The only time Nawab Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur chose to go public was on one particular occasion in Hyderabad. I was more than happy to be part of his cavalcade when this happened.

There was something about his persona. It spoke more for him than the few words that he would utter.

There was more to him than just being Nizam, the V111. Being the titular successor to the last Nizam V11, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the grandson did little to either flaunt his title or his wealth.

The only time Nawab Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur chose to go public was on one particular occasion in Hyderabad. I was more than happy to be part of his cavalcade when this happened.

Mukarram Jah married the beauty queen of Turkey, Manolya Onur in 1989. The former Miss Turkey, Manolya Onur sat by her husband’s side in the car during a visit to Hyderabad.

Sadruddin Jhaveri and his wife Sherry Jhaveri were managing Mukarram Jah’s financial affairs and properties at that time. Sherry Jhaveri asked if I would like join the in the short journey that the royal couple would undertake. From Banjara Hills, they would proceed to Barkas where a dinner was planned.

It was during the Ramadan period and Mukarram Jah hosted ‘Iftar’ at Barkas for the local people there who had turned up in large numbers.

I sat in another car behind Mukarram Jah and his wife Manolya Onur. There were many other cars in the cavalcade. It was a royal cavalcade.

Mukarram Jah, from what I have seen of him, has a certain disposition. He is royal. He knows it. He knows people know it. Therefore, he has to do nothing to signify his importance or flaunt himself. Whatever he did or not do, and whatever he would say or not say, would do little to change the fact that he was Nizam, the V111.

Mukarram Jah was a man given a few words.  If he choose to live an ordinary life as a royal, it was supposed to be ordinary because he was like any other citizen. The title to his name as Nizam, the V111, was official as he was coronated so after the death of his grandfather, Nizam, the V11, Mir Osman Ali Khan. The Government of India too had recognised Mukarram Jah with his title.

As he drove from Banjara Hills, it was not supposed to be a grand affair. What was evident was that no public was mobilised was give the ‘Prince and Princess’ as I shall refer to the couple here, a grand welcome or cheer them. En route, people who noticed the royal couple waved to them or greeted them with respect.

Mukarram Jah, as I noticed, was not someone who would display his emotions. Whatever he felt was what was within himself. He would have a straight face all the time – not intentionally serious but that was how he was.  Manolya too was not overly expressive when she saw the adulation but the fact that she was mighty pleased was evident. Simplicity as Mukarram Jah’s hallmark. He would do nothing to call attention to himself as we saw in the years to come. During his visits to Hyderabad from Turkey, he would go to a mosque to offer prayers. Those who recognised him would greet him.

Coming back to our ride from Banjara Hills. It was a royal ride indeed to Barkas where there was a lot of activity. Several tables and chairs had been arranged in a line for the ‘Iftar’ that Mukarram Jah and his wife Manolya were hosting to the local people there. The crowd was thrilled. Their respect for Mukarram Jah showed in the way they greeted him. Needless to say, and natural as it was, many wanted to come closer to the Prince and greet him.  The crowd was regulated.

I sat to the right side of the couple, a few meters away, at another table. After the Iftar, we returned. The Prince and Princess left an indelible impression.

We were to meet the Prince on another occasion more than 30 years ago. This was at the Chiraan Palace inside the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy national park. He was to speak to the media about some allegations that trees in the national park was being cut. As we sat in the palace waiting for the Prince to arrive and speak, word came that the Prince would not speak. Instead, his staff gave a note on his behalf to say that no trees were being cut down. As one noticed, there was indeed no sign of any trees having been cut down. Perhaps, that was what the Prince wanted everyone to see for themselves instead of him saying it.

Mukarram Jah was a man of few words, from what I knew of him. He was also a sensitive man. He chose his lifestyle – away from all adulation and attention. He chose to be an enigma.

And an enigma he will remain.

(Nawab Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur H E H The eight Nizam of Hyderabad passed away in Istanbul, Turkey on January 14, 2023 at the age of 89. Monolya was his third wife. He married Jamila Bourlarous, a Moroccon beauty queen after his divorce with Manolya. His fifth marriage was with Ayesha Orchedi of Turkey. His first wife was Esra Birgin of Turkey and his second wife was Helen Simmons. The body of Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jahn Bahadur will be brought from Turkey to Hyderabad today, that is on January 17, 2023 for the funeral which will take place here.)