J. Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and former film actress who led the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for almost three decades. She was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016. Her followers called her “Amma” (mother) and “Puratchi Thalaivi” (revolutionary leader). She was known for her firm control of her party and for welfare schemes sold under the Amma name.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Jayaram Jayalalithaa |
| Born | 24 February 1948, Melukote, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India |
| Died | 5 December 2016, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (aged 68) |
| Party | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| Office | Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (1991–1996, 2001, 2002–2006, 2011–2014, 2015–2016) |
| Education | Bishop Cotton Girls’ School, Bangalore; Church Park Convent, Madras |
| Mother | Sandhya (actress) |
| Known as | Amma |
Early Life
Jayalalithaa was born into a Tamil Iyengar family at Melukote. Her father died when she was two, and her mother moved to Madras and acted in films under the name Sandhya. Jayalalithaa was a top student, winning a state scholarship after her school-leaving examination, and trained in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. She had hoped to study law but entered films at her mother’s wish.
Film Career
She made her debut as a heroine in the Tamil film Vennira Aadai (1965) and appeared in about 140 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi until 1980. She acted in 28 films opposite M. G. Ramachandran (MGR), the biggest star of Tamil cinema, beginning with Aayirathil Oruvan (1965).
Political Career
MGR, by then Chief Minister, brought her into the AIADMK in 1982 and made her propaganda secretary. She entered the Rajya Sabha in 1984. After MGR’s death in December 1987 the party split between her and his widow, Janaki; Jayalalithaa’s faction prevailed. In 1989 she was assaulted in the state assembly and vowed not to return until she was Chief Minister.
She won a landslide in 1991, becoming the state’s youngest Chief Minister. Her first term ended in defeat in 1996 amid corruption charges. She returned to power in 2001 and again in 2011 and 2016, the first leader in Tamil Nadu since MGR to win consecutive terms. Her governments ran subsidised Amma canteens, pharmacies and drinking water, gave free laptops, mixers and gold for marriages, set up all-women police stations and a “cradle baby” scheme to prevent female infanticide. Her main rival throughout was M. Karunanidhi of the DMK.
In September 2014 a Bengaluru court convicted her of holding assets beyond her known income, and she had to step down; the Karnataka High Court acquitted her in May 2015 and she returned to office. After her death the Supreme Court restored the conviction of her co-accused, including her aide V. K. Sasikala.
Death
Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Chennai on 22 September 2016 and died there after a cardiac arrest on 5 December 2016. She was buried beside MGR on Marina Beach. She never married.
Legacy
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was J. Jayalalithaa born?
J. Jayalalithaa was born on 24 February 1948 in Melukote, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India.
When did J. Jayalalithaa die?
Died: 5 December 2016, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (aged 68).
Featured image: J. Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, meets Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, New Delhi, 3 June 2014. Photo by Ministry of Finance of India, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
