Jayaram Jayalalitha was born on 24th February 1948 in Mysore, Karnataka. After learning classical music and dance since the age of 3, she later followed the footstep of her mother and became an actress. She was the first heroine to appear in skirts, knee-length dresses, sleeveless suits and gowns in Tamil films in the mid-'60s.
She became one of India's most successful actresses, appearing in more than 140 films in several languages.She also won multiple awards, and was the highest paid actress of her time.
She was introduced to politics by the actor-turned Chief Minister, MG Ramachandran (MGR), who was the love of her life and with whom she starred in many films.
In 1989, she took over All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Khazagham (AIADMK) party, becoming the first ever woman opposition leader. A year later she became the first female Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu!
When she was first elected as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, she refused to take a high salary and accepted just Rs1, as she already had abundant wealth. She championed the cause of the poor by introducing subsidies for food, education and families; stealing the heart of millions who celebrated her as 'Amma'.
She died from a heart attack on 5th December 2016 at the age of 68. Even though there was allegations of corruption, yet her passing was mourned by the tens of thousands who had adored her for who she is.
Credit: BBC India, Mrs. Rubini Murugan