Political stalwarts of Tamil Nadu who once ruled silver screen

Political stalwarts of Tamil Nadu who once ruled silver screen

Actors tend to have a lot of influence on people, and this influence may be used for the betterment of people.

This was quite evidently visible as several celebs have ventured into politics.Interestingly, this has been a trend in the southern film industry wherein many influential actors switched to politics and became role models for millions.

And with the recent buzz of megastar Rajinikanth joining politics, the link between cinema and politics have become afresh. 

Yes, there are reports that Thalaiva is planning to step into politics and might launch his own party.

However, he is still to make an official announcement in this regard.

Here's a look at the Tollywood stars who ventured into politics.

Political stalwarts of Tamil Nadu who once ruled silver screen

Karunanidhi - Karunanidhi has been a well known face in both the Southern film industry and politics. He was scriptwriter and his skills as a scriptwriter were honed, which extended to several films. Karunanidhi entered politics at the age of 14. has served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on five separate occasions. He is the head of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)

Political stalwarts of Tamil Nadu who once ruled silver screen

Jayalalithaa - Jayalalithaa was an Indian actress and politician who served five terms as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, for over fourteen years between 1991 and 2016. The lady had several successful releases in her name before she made her big in politics. Jayalalithaa had reportedly claimed that MGR, who had been chief minister for the state since 1977, was instrumental in introducing her to politics.  she joined the AIADMK, which was founded by MGR in 1982. 

Political stalwarts of Tamil Nadu who once ruled silver screen

M. G. Ramachandran - Popularly known as MGR, was an Indian actor and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for ten years between 1977 and 1987. MGR is a cultural icon in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where he is regarded as one of the most influential actors of the Tamil film industry. Known for his break dancing skills, Chiranjeevi was starred in 150 feature films in a variety of roles. In 2008, Chiranjeevi started Praja Rajyam, a political party in the state of Andhra Pradesh. At the launch, he stated that social justice was the main agenda of his party. On 6 February 2011, Chiranjeevi merged the 30-month-old Praja Rajyam Party with the Indian National Congress.

Political stalwarts of Tamil Nadu who once ruled silver screen

N. T. Rama Rao - Popularly known as NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over three terms. NTR has received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras,[1] and directing Varakatnam (1970). After his career in films, NTR entered politics. He founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982.

Political stalwarts of Tamil Nadu who once ruled silver screen

Chiranjeevi - Prior to politics, Chiranjeevi has attended the Madras Film Institute, and had worked primarily in Telugu cinema, in addition to Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He made his acting debut in 1978, with the film Punadhirallu.