Southern Actors Turned Politicians

Jayalalitha Jayaram: Tamil Nadu's best-known woman politician metamorphosed from a glamorous film star to a canny politician. Amma stepped into the shoes of another film- star-turned-politician revered as ‘God' by his supporters. Her relationship with MGR (31 years her senior) remains an enigma, even as Jayalalitha has claimed her place as MGR's political heir.

M. Karunanidhi: Amma's sworn political foe began his career as a screenwriter in the Tamil film industry. His suave oratory drew the crowds and saw an increasingly stifled MGR facing the brunt of his attack. Today, many would say M. Karunanidhi is the most influential among politicians in South India. The coming election could well be the last for the DMK patriarch, who has been battling failing health and old age for quite some time.

M.G. Ramachandran: The only chief minister of Tamil Nadu to be re-elected in subsequent terms, MGR ruled for 11 years. Feted and revered by his supporters as ‘God', MGR could evoke extreme reactions among his followers. They expected MGR the politician to essay his larger than life screen image in real life. This led to failed expectations and eventually many labeled him as the God who failed.

N. T. Rama Rao: Over 250 films and a career spanning 33 years, before NTR entered politics. So why would a deeply ingrained and successful actor enter politics? NTR followers would say it was to fight for the self-respect of the Telugu people. The clear enunciation and dialogue delivery honed in films made NTR a politician who would be cherished by the masses.

Chiranjeevi : The Andhra Pradesh megastar entered politics in 2008, a move which many said would change political equations in the state. But despite promising change, Chiranjeevi failed to emerge as a game-changer in state politics. This year, the Praja Rajyam has joined hands with the Congress. The move didn't go down too well with some of his followers, particularly the stand on the disputed Telegana region.

Child artist of the '80s, Khushboo made her move to lucrative films in the South with Telugu movie Kaliyuga Pandavulu. Hugely popular in the South, Khushboo is now one of the top campaigners for the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam). Known for her (mostly controversial) plain-speak, Khushboo the politician continues to be a big draw.

Jaya Prada: The feisty Lok Sabha member from Rampur was once described by Satyajit Ray as the prettiest woman in the world. Initiated into the Telugu Desam Party by her former costar NTR, Jaya Prada later joined Chandrababu Naidu. She served as a TDP member of Parliament before falling out with Chandrababu and joining the Samajwadi Party. Jaya Prada's traditional on screen image served her well when embroiled in unsavoury political controversies.

‘Captain' Vijayakanth: His 100th film, Captain Prabhakaran, earned Vijayakanth the nickname of 'Captain'. The DMDK's founder formally entered politics in 2005. He is now in alliance with Jayalalithaa's AIADMK.

R. Sarathkumar: The popular actor from Tamil Nadu initially joined forces with the DMK and was even made a Rajya Sabha member by the party. After a fallout with the DMK, the actor and his wife Radhika crossed sides to the AIADMK. Later Radhika was expelled by the AIADMK and the actor moved out to form his own party, the AISMK.