Jayalalitha

(1948 )

Birth NameJayalalithaa Jayaram
Date of birth Feb 24th, 1948
Birth Place Melukote
Occupation Heroine

"Jayalalitha's last film was the 1980 picture Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal."

Did You
know

Jayalalitha made her debut at the age of 15 in a Kannada movie named Chinnada Gombe. Then into Tamil with the movie Vennira Aadai and later on Telugu movie Manushulu Mamathalu.

Overview

The destination of a river can never be predicted or estimated. It starts with a small beginning, touching the mountain bed and valley rocks, travels like a waterfall, reaches the plains and eventually joining in the sea. In the same way some people’s lives are beyond estimation or predictability. They start off as something but lead towards an uncertain and unexplored future. This same analogy can be applied the life of veteran actress and politician Jayalalitha. She reminds us of the lines “Ye Daaretu Pothundo Evarini Adagaka” from a song in K.Vishwanath’s all time classic Siri Siri Muvva.

Jayalalitha was called fondly as Ammu during her childhood and was a brilliant student in academics. She secured state first rank in matriculation and earned a scholarship for her further studies as well. But her destiny had something else in store for her. As her father died when Ammu was an infant, she grew under the guidance of her mother. Ammu’s mother Sandhya is a popular actress who worked in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films. Sandhya wanted her daughter to get into films but Ammu wanted to continue studies. The little girl Ammu pleaded her mother to allow her to study further but situations did not help her out. In short, Sandhya got Ammu into films by force.

Popular Director Adurthi Subbarao was making Thene Manasulu after the tremendous success of Mooga Manasulu in the year 1964. He announced a casting call for young talents for this film and Sandhya took her daughter for the auditions. But unfortunately Ammu wasn’t selected for the film. However, Kannada Director cum Producer B.S.Ranga gave Jayalalitha a chance to showcase her dancing skills in a song for ANR-B.Saroja Devi’s Period film Amarasilpi Jakkanna. After that brief stint, Jayalalitha acted in a Kannada film Chinnada Kombe , a Tamil film Venniradai, and entered Telugu Film Industry with Manushulu Mamathalu. Right from then , Jayalalitha acted opposite all stalwarts of South Indian Cinema in roles involving glamour as well as performance. In Tamil she acted opposite Sivaji Ganesan, MGR, and in Telugu it was mostly with ANR, Sr.NTR, Sobhan Babu and Haranath in which almost every film was a hit.

Jayalalitha has been instrumental in transforming the film field as well as political arena of Tamil Nadu right from the time she entered the active acting career. She has been combating over her arch political rival Karunanidhi, who incidentally was a writer for many of her films earlier. It is indeed a breathtaking story of the transformation of little Ammu to Tamil Nadu’s Amma- who earned the love and admiration of many masses in the state.