20 things you didn't know about Jayalalithaa
J Jayalalithaa was one of India's most well-loved and revered politicians. Here are some lesser-known details about her life:
1.
Jayalalithaa's mother worked as an actress in local drama companies and Tamil cinema. She followed in her mother's footsteps, first as a child actor. At the age of 15, she played a leading role in the Kannada film Chinnada Gombe, which became a runaway success.
2.
Jayalalithaa was professionally trained in classical music, western classical piano, and various forms of classical dance, including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Manipuri and Kathak.
3.
Jayalalithaa was be referred to as Puratchi Thalaivi (Revolutionary Leader) but she was called 'Ammu' by close family members and co-stars.
4.
The first time she starred alongside M G Ramachandran, one of Tamil Nadu's greatest movie stars and a former chief minister of the state, was in the Tamil film 'Aayirathil Oruvan.'
6.
The peak of Jayalalithaa's film career occurred between 1965 and 1980. During this period, she was one of India's highest-paid actresses, and acted in over 140 films, 120 of which were blockbusters.
7.
It is said that her male co-stars did not object when the film's story revolved around and was driven by the female character played by Jayalalithaa.
8.
During the 1960s and 1970s, she starred opposite M G Ramachandran in a number of successful films. This forged a bond between the two, which led MGR to introduce her to politics when he was chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa joined MGR's All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1982, and was appointed the party's propaganda secretary the following year.
9.
She represented the AIADMK in the Rajya Sabha between 1984 and 1989. She was elected after MGR wanted her in New Delhi for her fluency in English and knowledge of several languages.
10.
When MGR died in 1987, he left no clear political heir. AIADMK descended into chaos over his legacy. Jayalalithaa competed with his widow Janaki for control of the party, which eventually split into two major factions, one behind each woman.
11.
In 1989, Jayalalithaa was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. She became the first woman to be appointed Leader of the Opposition. In the same year, the two factions of AIADMK merged and unanimously accepted Jayalalithaa as their leader.
12.
During her term as Leader of the Opposition, DMK MLAs molested Jayalalithaa and nearly disrobed her while the house was in session. Media coverage of her emerging from the assembly in a torn saree, and her own comparison of the ordeal to Draupadi's cheerharan, won immense sympathy from the public.
13.
In 1991, Jayalalithaa became the first female(and the youngest) chief minister of Tamil Nadu to serve a full term.
14.
The obscenely lavish wedding of Jayalalithaa's 'foster son' Sudhagaran holds the record for being the largest wedding banquet (incurring taxpayers a massive Rs 10 crore bill), attended by over 1,50,000 guests.
15.
Unfortunately, the feat which won her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records proved to be her downfall in the 1996 elections.
16.
Jayalalithaa returned to power in 2001, but her second term as chief minister was cut short when the Supreme Court ruled that she could not hold office while criminal cases were pending against her. She had been convicted on corruption charges in the Pleasant Stay Hotel case, though she was later acquitted and was reinstated as CM in 2003.
17.
Jayalalithaa was sworn in as chief minister for the third time in 2011. But in 2014, she was sentenced to four years in jail in a disproportionate assets case. As a result, she became the first Indian chief minister to be disqualified from her post and the legislative assembly.
18.
In 2015, she was acquitted of all charges in the disproportionate assets case. Amma returned as chief minister following a landslide victory in the by-election.
19.
The AIADMK leader again contested the elections in 2016 and became the first chief minister in 32 years to be voted back to power.
20.
According to reports, Jayalalithaa drew a salary of just one rupee for her job as chief minister.
(Compiled by Devika Bhattacharya)
