Jayalalithaa's Birthday Special: Reminiscing Some of Her Notable Works in The Film Industry

J. Jayalalithaa is a name that doesn’t need any introduction. The actress-cum-politician has established a spectacular reign in both reel and real life.

Born on 24 February 1948, Jayalalithaa was just 16-year-old teenager who bravely stepped into Tamil Nadu, entering the cine field instead of college because of her family’s financial instability, vowing to become one the best-known actresses. Apart from stamping her name in Tamil industry, she spread her wings into Bollywood industry too.

Fondly called as Thalaivi, she have acted over 140 films in the 1960s and 1970s as child and lead actor in multiple languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. She is also known for rendering non-film devotional songs and a few numbers picturized on her in Tamil films.

Dedicating a special tribute to this humble lady on her birthday, we’ve curated a list of her works that is still ruling the Indian Cine Field.

Chandhrodhayam (1966)

The K. Shankar-directed film featured Jayalalithaa as a rich heiress who runs away from home to escape an engagement and is rescued by a scrupulous reporter played by M.G. Ramachandran (MGR). The film was inspired by the 1934 Hollywood classic It Happened One Night, which Hindi cinema audiences may recognize more easily as the inspiration for Aamir Khan-starrer Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi. The Tamil language film won Jayalalithaa the Tamil Nadu Cinema Fan Award for Best Actress.

https://youtu.be/W5DOQdtQfGQ

Yaar Nee? (1966)

The black-and-white Tamil psychological mystery thriller directed by Sathyam featured Jayalalithaa in a double role. This made her to won her the Madras Filmfans Association Award for Best Actress and was remade into Telugu as Aame Evaru?, featuring her in the lead role opposite Kongara Jaggaiah.

Izzat (1968)

Jayalalithaa’s only full-fledged lead role in a Hindi film featured her as a tribal belle opposite Dharmendra. The film that also starred Tanuja and was directed by T. Prakash Rao gave her ample opportunity to showcase her dancing skills.

Adimaippenn (1969)

The K. Shankar-directed Tamil film featured Jayalalithaa yet again opposite MGR in a double role, playing both peasant and king. The film was a major box office hit for its time, running for more than 100 days and won the female lead the Tamil Nadu Cinema Fan Award for Best Actress.

Sri Krishna Satya (1972)

The mythological Telugu film, directed by Kadiri Venkata Reddy, saw Jayalalithaa play a double role opposite N.T. Rama Rao. The movie, which had about 38 songs, won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Raman Thediya Seethai (1972)

The Tamil romantic drama directed by Pa.Neelakandhan, starred MGR in the lead role along with Jayalalithaa. It won her the Tamil Nadu Cinema Fan Award for Best Actress.

Suryagandhi (1973)

The Muktha Srinivasan-directed Tamil film featured Jayalalithaa as a middle-class housewife whose husband resents her professional success. The film that was digitized and re-released earlier this year won her the Madras Filmfans Association Award for Best Actress.

Vandhale Magaraasi (1973)

The black-and-white family comedy features Jayalalithaa in a double role, as a submissive school teacher and a feisty lookalike. The film, starring Jaishankar in the lead role opposite her, was directed by K.S. Gopalakrishnan and won her the Tamil Nadu Cinema Fan Award for Best Actress.

Thirumangalyam (1974)

The film, directed by A.Vincent, marked Jayalalithaa’s 100th outing as an actor and earned her the title Nadippuku Ilakkium Vahuthuvar. It also won her the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress.

Unnai Suttrum Ulagam (1977)

The G. Subramaniya Reddiar-directed film featured Jayalalithaa as an older sister who sacrifices her happiness for the sake of her siblings. The film, also starring A.V.M. Rajan, Vidhubala, Pramila, Savithri, Vijayakumar and Kamal Haasan (the last, in a cameo), won her the Tamil Nadu Cinema Fan Award for Best Actress.