P. Jayadevi

{{Short description|Indian film director and screenwriter (died 2023)}}

P. Jayadevi (died 4 October 2023) was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and actress who worked on Tamil films. Regarded as one of the first female directors in the Tamil film industry, Jayadevi was predominantly active in the 1980s and 1990s.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chennaionline.com/interviews/jayadevi.asp|title=Director Jayadevi's new film – 'Power of Women'|date=24 August 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040824010651/http://www.chennaionline.com/interviews/jayadevi.asp|archive-date=24 August 2004}}{{Cite web|url=https://cinema.dinamalar.com/tamil-news/9944/cinema/Kollywood/France-govt.,-honoured-director-jeyadevi.htm|title=பெண் இயக்குனர் ஜெயதேவிக்கு பிரான்ஸ் அரசு கவுரவம் | France govt., honoured director jeyadevi|date=17 December 2012|website=தினமலர் – சினிமா|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=15 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415010427/https://cinema.dinamalar.com/tamil-news/9944/cinema/Kollywood/France-govt.,-honoured-director-jeyadevi.htm|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/epgpdata/uploads/epgp_content/S000456WS/P000860/M019316/ET/1486105553Quadrant-1Mehraz_Women_Directors-_Parmar.pdf |title=Paper – 10, Module −19 Women Directors |website=epgp.inflibnet.ac.in |access-date=11 December 2020 |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415010429/http://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/epgpdata/uploads/epgp_content/S000456WS/P000860/M019316/ET/1486105553Quadrant-1Mehraz_Women_Directors-_Parmar.pdf |url-status=live }}

Career

Having begun her career as a theatre artist, Jayadevi began acting in films aged 20 and initially nursed ambitions of becoming a director. She appeared as an actress in over 40 films, before working as a producer and director, and introducing technicians such as P. C. Sreeram and Velu Prabhakaran through her ventures.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cinesouth.com/specials/interviews/jeyadevi.shtml|title=www.cinesouth.com – Tamil Cinema Interview with 'Puratchikkaran' Jeyadevi|date=19 July 2003|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030719180401/http://www.cinesouth.com/specials/interviews/jeyadevi.shtml|archive-date=19 July 2003}}

Jayadevi first worked as a director in Nalam Nalamariya Aaval (1984), and subsequently went on to make more films throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

In 2000, she worked as a writer on Puratchikkaaran, a script based on the teachings of Periyar and his book entitled Kadavul. The film's controversial theme prompted publicity prior to release, with Jayadevi's work on the film's dialogues being praised.{{Cite web|url=http://cinesouth.com/scopes/reviews/puratchi.shtml|title=www.cinesouth.com – Tamil Cinema Reviews Puratchikkaran|date=24 June 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010624181321/http://cinesouth.com/scopes/reviews/puratchi.shtml|archive-date=24 June 2001}} She started making Power of Women (2005) in 2001 but the film had a delayed release following production trouble.{{cite web |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/interviews/jayadevi.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040824010651/http://www.chennaionline.com/interviews/jayadevi.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 August 2004 |title=Director's Jayadevi's new film – Power of Women |publisher=Chennai Online |accessdate=30 October 2015 |df=dmy-all }} The film starred Hariharan and Khushbu in the lead roles, with a reviewer from the AllIndianSite labelling the film as "below average", noting that "Jayadevi's story is initially strong", but "the last few scenes are unpardonably slow and didactic" and that the "screenplay meanders through undulating terrain".{{cite web|url=http://kollywood.allindiansite.com/power_of_women.html|title=Power of Women - Tamil movie - It's All About movie - AllIndianSite.com|work=allindiansite.com|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104442/http://kollywood.allindiansite.com/power_of_women.html|url-status=dead}}

In 2010, Jayadevi began work on Aananda Leelai, a film about fake godmen and their women devotees. She approached Khushbu and Suhasini to play the key roles, but the project did not develop into production.{{Cite web|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/jul-10-02/kushboo-suhasini-07-07-10.html|title=Kushboo - Tamil Movie News - Will Kushboo and Suhasini accept? - Kushboo | Suhasini | Nalam Nalamariya Aaval | Vilangu Meen - Behindwoods.com|website=www.behindwoods.com|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=28 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228000317/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/jul-10-02/kushboo-suhasini-07-07-10.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Nityanandas-sexploits-on-big-screen-soon/articleshow/7232448.cms|title=Nityananda's sexploits on big screen soon |website=The Times of India|date=7 January 2011|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=19 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319124024/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Nityanandas-sexploits-on-big-screen-soon/articleshow/7232448.cms|url-status=live}} She announced her intentions of directing a film during 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://tamil.samayam.com/tamil-cinema/movie-news/after-a-long-time-woman-director-jayadevi-again-ready-to-direction/articleshow/62836772.cms|title=பல வருடங்கள் கழித்து மீண்டும் வருகிறார் பெண் இயக்குனர் ஜெயதேவி!|website=Samayam Tamil|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=15 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415010429/https://tamil.samayam.com/tamil-cinema/movie-news/after-a-long-time-woman-director-jayadevi-again-ready-to-direction/articleshow/62836772.cms|url-status=live}}

Personal life and death

Jayadevi was previously married to film director Velu Prabhakaran.{{Cite web|url=https://cinema.dinamalar.com/tamil-news/59823/cinema/Kollywood/Director-Velu-Prabakaran-married-30-years-actress-infront-of-Medai-people.htm|title=இயக்குனர் வேலு பிரபாகரன், தன்னை விட 30 வயது குறைவான நடிகையுடன் திடீர் திருமணம் | Director Velu Prabakaran married 30 years actress {{sic|in|front|hide=y}} of Medai people|date=3 June 2017|website=தினமலர் – சினிமா|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=19 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319122518/https://cinema.dinamalar.com/tamil-news/59823/cinema/Kollywood/Director-Velu-Prabakaran-married-30-years-actress-infront-of-Medai-people.htm|url-status=live}} She died on 4 October 2023.[https://www.maalaimalar.com/cinema/cinemanews/tamil-cinema-actress-jeya-devi-passes-away-670430 விலாங்குமீன் படத்தை இயக்கிய நடிகை ஜெயதேவி காலமானார்] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004190146/https://www.maalaimalar.com/cinema/cinemanews/tamil-cinema-actress-jeya-devi-passes-away-670430 |date=4 October 2023 }} {{in lang|ta}}

Partial filmography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" \|+ ! rowspan="2" \|Year ! rowspan="2" \|Film ! colspan="4" \|Credited for ! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable"\| Notes ! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable"\| {{Abbr\|Ref.\|References}}
Writer !Director !Actor !Producer
1976 \|Idhaya Malar \| \| \|{{yes}} \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1977 \|Sainthadamma Sainthadu \| \| \|{{yes}} \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1978 \|Ananda Bairavi \| \| \|{{yes}} \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1978 \|Vaazha Ninaithaal Vaazhalaam \| \| \|{{yes}} \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1980 \|Matravai Neril \| \| \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1982 \|Anu \| \| \|{{yes}} \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1981 \|Vaa Indha Pakkam \| \| \| \|{{yes}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1982 \|Nandri Meendum Varuga \| \| \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1983 \|Oru Pullaanguzhal Adupoothugirathu \| \| \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1984 \|Nalam Nalamariya Aaval \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| \|{{yes}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1985 \|Vilaangu Meen \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| \|{{yes}} \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1987 \|Vilangu \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| \|{{yes}} \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1987 \|Paasam Oru Vesham \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| \|{{yes}} \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1989 \|Sariyana Jodi \|{{yes}} \| \|{{yes}} \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
1997 \|Kadavul \|{{yes}} \| \| \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
2000 \|Puratchikkaaran \|{{yes}} \| \| \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
2005 \|Power of Women \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|
2007 \|Shivaji \| \| \|{{yes}} \| \| \| style="text-align:center;" \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"

! rowspan="2" |Year

! rowspan="2" |Film

! colspan="4" |Credited for

! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable"| Notes

! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

Writer

!Director

!Actor

!Producer

1976

|Idhaya Malar