10,500 sarees, 1,250 kg silver, 28 kg gold…, she was the richest actress of the 70s, with a net worth of Rs 900 crore

Born on February 24, 1948, in Mandya, Karnataka, Jayalalithaa lost her father at a young age, forcing her mother, an actress herself, to shoulder the family’s responsibilities. She studied at Chennai’s Church Park School but was soon drawn into films, debuting in 1961 with the Tamil film Epistle. Her Bollywood entry came in 1968 with Izzat opposite Dharmendra, her only full-fledged Hindi role.

The reigning queen of South cinema

Over the next two decades, Jayalalithaa starred in more than 300 Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films. Known for her graceful dance and commanding screen presence, she worked alongside icons like M.G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, N.T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. At her peak in the 1970s, she was among the highest-paid actresses, commanding fees in lakhs per film.

The wealth and the infamous raid

By the late ’70s, she was counted among India’s richest actresses. In 1997, a dramatic income-tax raid at her Poes Garden residence revealed staggering possessions — 10,500 sarees, 750 pairs of shoes, 91 watches, 1,250 kg of silver, 28 kg of gold, multiple luxury cars, and other high-value items. Estimates pegged her wealth at over Rs 900 crore.

From actress to six-time Chief Minister

In 1980, Jayalalithaa retired from films and entered politics through M.G. Ramachandran’s AIADMK. Rising quickly, she became a Rajya Sabha MP and later the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, a post she held six times. Known as ‘Amma’ to her supporters, she launched several welfare schemes, solidifying her political stature despite controversies.

Jayalalithaa passed away in 2016, leaving behind a legacy as one of India’s most charismatic and polarising leaders — a woman who dominated both the silver screen and the political stage with equal force.

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