Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha passes away: From Vennira Aadai to Izzat, a look at Jaya’s best movies

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha passed away on Monday night after battling with health problems in Apollo Hospitals for the past 75 days. She was admitted into the critical care unit after her condition worsened when she suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday. Before turning to politics, Jayalalitha had a much celebrated film career that spanned over 30 years and 120 films, many of them receiving national awards. As the country mourns the passing of Amma, we take a look at some of her career-defining movies. (Express photo)

Vennira Aadai: Debuting in 1965, Jayalalitha first appeared in a story about a love triangle when she was only 17 years old. It went on to become a commercial success and propelled her into stardom. Jayalalitha was persuaded to become an actor by her mother Sandhay, who was also in the film industry. (YouTube)

Aayirathil Oruvan: Another 1965 film, Aayirathil Oruvan saw Jayalalitha opposite MGR (M. G. Ramachandran) – a pairing which would continue for over 20 other films. The film, which saw Jayalalitha as a a princess and MGR as a doctor, was screened in Chennai for 100 days. (YouTube)

Yaar Nee: This film was a Tamil remake of the 1964 thriller Woh Kaun Thi and went on to become a hit just like the original. In 1996's Yaar Nee, Jayalalitha and Jaishankar essayed the roles played by Sadhana and Manoj Kumar. (Express photo)

Kavalkaran: Another film that saw Jayalalitha and MGR in the lead roles, Kavalkaran was an Indian spy thriller. The film, released in 1967, went on to win the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for best film. During this time, Jayalalitha was the highest paid actress in Indian actress – a position she maintained from the mid1960s to1980. (Express photo)

Izzat: Jayalalitha's only Hindi film saw her star against Dharmendra. In this 1968 release, she was cast in the role of a spunky adivasi girl who falls in love with Dilip, played by Dharmendra. (YouTube)