Jaya Prada Nahata (born Lalitha Rani Rao; 3 April 1962) is a politician and an Indian actress, known for her works in Telugu cinema and Hindi cinema as well as in Tamil films in late '70s, '80s and early '90s and 2000s. Jayaprada is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards South and has starred in many Telugu and Hindi films along with several Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi films. She left the film industry at the peak of her career, as she joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1994 and entered politics. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh from 2004 to 2014.
Some of her notable films include Anthuleni Katha (1976), Siri Siri Muvva (1976), Sita Kalyanam (1976), Adavi Ramudu (1977), Yamagola (1977), Sanaadi Appanna (1977), Huliya Haalina Mevu (1979), Sargam (1979), Ooriki Monagadu (1981), Kaamchor (1982), Kaviratna Kalidasa (1983), Sagara Sangamam (1983), Tohfa (1984), Sharaabi (1984), Maqsad (1984), Sanjog (1985), Aakhree Raasta (1986), Simhasanam (1986), Muddat (1986), Sindoor (1987), Samsaram (1988), Elaan-E-Jung (1989), Aaj Ka Arjun (1990), Thanedaar (1990), Maa (1991), Habba (1999), Shabdavedhi (2000), Devadoothan (2000), Pranayam (2011), Ee Bandhana (2007) and Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (2012). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance in Sagara Sangamam. She has also been awarded Filmfare Special Award for her performance in Siri Siri Muvva and Anthuleni Katha.
Prada has been considered by many as the most beautiful faces to have ever graced Indian cinema including Satyajit Ray who called her "the most beautiful face on the Indian screen".
Jayaprada was born Lalitha Rani Rao in a Telugu family in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. Her father, Krishna Rao, was a Telugu film financier. Her mother, Neelaveni, was a home-maker. Lalitha attended a Telugu medium school in Rajahmundry and was also enrolled in dance and music classes at an early age.
In 1979, K. Balachander repeated her in the Tamil film Ninaithale Inikkum opposite Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth in which she played a terminally-ill patient. She continued to act in more films in Telugu opposite actors such as NTR, ANR, Krishna, Krishnam Raju and Sobhan Babu throughout the 70s and 80s. She acted in highest number of films with Krishna like Sri Rajeshwari vilas coffee club (1976), Bhale Krishnudu (1980), Ooruki Monagadu (1981), Mundadugu (1983), Prajarajyam (1983) and Singhasan (1986). K. Viswanath remade Siri Siri Muvva (1976) in Hindi as Sargam, introducing Jayaprada to Bollywood in 1979. The film was successful and she became a star there as well. She earned her first Filmfare nomination as Best Actress but couldn't capitalise on her success since she couldn't speak Hindi.
In 1981, she starred in the critically acclaimed Tamil film 47 Natkal and simultaneously made Telugu film 47 Rojulu by filmmaker K. Balachander in which Chiranjeevi played her villainous, bigamist husband. After she took Hindi lessons, director K. Vishwanath relaunched her in Hindi films, with Kaamchor where she spoke Hindi fluently for the first time. Saagara Sangamam directed by K. Vishwanath, starring Kamal Haasan proved to be a milestone in her career, winning her many accolades including Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Telugu in 1983. She was now able to consistently work in Hindi films, and earned two more Filmfare nominations as Best Actress for playing Amitabh Bachchan's endearing girlfriend in Prakash Mehra's Sharaabi (1984) and for her challenging double role in K. Vishwanath's Sanjog (1985).
Jayaprada made a successful team not just with Amitabh Bachchan and Jeetendra, but also with her immediate screen rival Sridevi, with whom she has acted in about a dozen films. Their hit Telugu film Devatha (1982), where they played sisters who made huge sacrifices for each other, was remade into the hit Hindi film Tohfa (1984). These films endeared Jayaprada to the traditional conservative section of film goers and she amassed a huge female fan following as well. It was an image that would serve her well when she started a new career as a politician. In 1985, she acted in the Malayalam film Iniyum Kadha Thudarum directed by Joshiy starring Mammootty, Baby Shalini and Ambika.
Jayaprada continued to act as a heroine mainly opposite Amitabh and Jeetendra during the early 1990s. She also acted in some significant Kannada films as the heroine. From 1994 onwards, she cut back on film assignments and got more involved with a political career on call by her co-star NTR.
In 2000, she acted in the Malayalam film Devadoothan, starring Mohanlal, directed by Sibi Malayil. The film garnered immensely popular reviews from the critics but failed at the box office. But it met with great appreciation from the audience when released in Home Media and when aired on television. his movie had evergreen hit songs. She also starred for the last time, opposite Kannada super star Dr. Rajkumar in Shabdavedi. In 2002, she stepped into the Marathi film industry by being a guest in the movie Aadhaar. Thus far, she has acted in eight languages and has completed 300 films during a 30-year film career. In 2004, she acted in Ee Snehatheerathu, a Malayalam film as Kunchacko Boban's mother. She started playing mature roles.
She also owns the Jayaprada Theater in Chennai.
In 2011, she returned to Malayalam cinema with a strong role in Pranayam, alongside Mohanlal and Anupam Kher. She played "Grace" in this film, which won her critical acclaim and several awards. Her 2012 Kannada film Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna that saw her donning the historical role of courageous Kittur Chennamma, completed 100 days at the box office.
On 22 February 1986, she married producer Srikanth Nahata, who was already married to Chandra and had two children. This marriage stirred a lot of controversy, especially since Nahata did not divorce his wife and had a child with his first wife after marrying Jayaprada. In a 2026 interview, she said that she regretted her marriage and moved out.
Jayaprada joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1994 at the invitation of its founder N. T. Rama Rao, on the eve of the assembly elections, and rose quickly through the ranks. At that time there was speculation that she would run for election, but she preferred not to make her electoral debut, although she was offered a seat by Rao.