From MGR to Jayalalithaa: South India stars who became chief ministers

Tamil matinee idol Thalapathy Vijay is reportedly headed for a landslide electoral victory in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. His major win signals a new chapter in the long-standing connection between cinema and politics in South India. Over the decades, several film personalities have moved from stardom to occupying the chief minister’s office. Here’s a look.

N. T. Rama Rao (NTR)  

N. T. Rama Rao made his acting debut with the 1949 Telugu film Mana Desam, directed by L. V. Prasad. He later appeared in Palletoori Pilla (1950) and Raju Peda (1954). In 1982, he founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the first regional party of Andhra Pradesh. He went on to serve four turbulent terms as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1983 and 1995.

M. G. Ramachandran (MGR)   

M. G. Ramachandran entered the Tamil film industry with Sathi Leelavathi in 1936. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he acted in over 135 films, most of them in Tamil. He joined the Indian National Congress in the late 1930s and later became part of the C. N. Annadurai-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1953, rising through its ranks on the strength of his cinematic popularity. In 1972, three years after Annadurai’s death, he left DMK to form the AIADMK. He became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977 and remained in office until his death in 1987, leading the party to multiple electoral victories.

J. Jayalalithaa 

Jayaram Jayalalithaa made her Tamil cinema debut as a lead actress in Vennira Aadai (1965), directed by C. V. Sridhar. She went on to star in several blockbusters between 1965 and 1973. She joined AIADMK in 1982 under M. G. Ramachandran and later emerged as his political successor after his death. She first became Chief Minister in 1991 and served six terms, remaining in office for over 14 years until her death in 2016.

Muthuvel Karunanidhi 

Though not an actor, Muthuvel Karunanidhi was closely associated with Tamil cinema as a screenwriter. His first film project was Rajakumari, produced by Coimbatore-based Jupiter Pictures and directed by A. S. A. Sami, starring M. G. Ramachandran in the lead role. He began his political journey in 1957 after being elected to the Madras state legislature. Karunanidhi became Chief Minister in 1969 and served five terms, playing a defining role in Tamil Nadu politics for nearly two decades.

Janaki Ramachandran 

Janaki Ramachandran, actress and wife of M. G. Ramachandran, briefly served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1988 for 24 days following his death, becoming the state’s first woman Chief Minister. 

Source: The Telegraph