Wow! Check out young Jayalalithaa

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Take a look at some of the rare photos of actress turned politician and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

01 / 20

Jayalalithaa was born on February 24, 1948 in Melukote, presently in the state of Karnataka, to Jayaram and Vedavalli.

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02 / 20

Jayalalithaa got her name from the houses of her grandparents where she lived - Jaya Vilas and Lalitha Vilas.

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03 / 20

Ever since she was catapulted to stardom at the age of 16, Jayalalithaa always stayed in the news.

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04 / 20

Fame, fortune and success came in quick succession, on her own admission, quite effortlessly.

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05 / 20

But there’s always an innate sadness in her that gave one the impression that she never found what she was looking for. However, Jayalalithaa lived her life queen-size. She had always been a loner and remained distrustful till the end. "In life there is one person you must rely on — yourself," she once said.

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06 / 20

Jayalalithaa lost her beloved mother Sandhya in 1971. (BCCL)

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07 / 20

Jayalalithaa came to Chennai then Madras in 1958 with her mother. She enrolled herself in one of the elite convent school, where she excelled in academics. She also participated in cultural activities and learnt Carnatic music along with Bharatanatyam and Kathak.

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08 / 20

Jayalalithaa made her debut in showbiz at the tender age of 16. She played the lead role in 'Chinnada Gombe' a Kannada movie in 1964.

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09 / 20

Jayalalithaa gave up on her dreams of becoming a lawyer, and worked full time in the film industry to support her debt-ridden family.

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10 / 20

In 1965, Jayalalithaa made her debut in Tamil movie ‘Venniraadai’, which turned out to be a blockbuster. In the same year, she starred opposite Tamil cinema's biggest star MG Ramachandran (MGR) for the first time in 'Aayirathil Oruvan'.

See more of : MGR, MG Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa