She became the first woman opposition leader in the state. In the same year, she was elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly for the first time. In 1989, the two factions reunited under Jayalalithaa's leadership and she was elected its General Secretary. Life became choppy after MGR died in December 1987, leaving Jayalalithaa to battle it out with his wife Janaki for the leadership of the AIADMK. When MGR fell ill and was under medical treatment in the US, Jayalalithaa led the AIADMK's alliance with the Congress in the 1984 general and assembly elections. But it was her grit and tenacity that helped Jayalalithaa, a Brahmin in the Dravidian movement, to move her way up. MGR appointed her the AIADMK's Propaganda Secretary in 1984. But in reality, she made her own choice.Īlso Read: #AmmaForever: Tributes pour in after Jayalalithaa's death, Tamil Nadu announce 7-day mouning and 3-day holiday It is widely believed that it was MGR who prompted Jayalalithaa to join politics. The two were an instant hit on the silver screen and they were said to be friends too in real life. The success of their film 'Aayirathil Oruvan' (1965) turned Jayalalithaa into a leading heroine in Tamil movies. Her acting career peaked after she was paired with the legendary M.G. Over the decades, she acted in 140 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and even one in Hindi 'Izzat' opposite Dharmendra. Her first Tamil movie was 'Vennira Aadai' (1965). She also acted on stage for years even as she continued to study.Īlthough she wanted to pursue higher studies, Jayalalithaa gradually veered towards acting.

Born in Karnataka on Februinto an Iyengar family and named Komavalli, Jayalalithaa moved to Chennai in the 1950s to live with her mother who worked as a stage and Tamil film actress.Ī bright student, Jayalalithaa studied at the Bishop Cotton Girl's High School in Bengaluru and the Church Park Presentation Convent in Chennai after her relocation.Īt 16, she acted in a Kannada movie which turned out to be a blockbuster.

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