Several Indian actors have made a name for themselves in the political field over the years. Most of these actors are from South India who enjoyed a huge fan following and used this to build inroads in the political landscape. Let us explore the list of actors who became CM of a state in India.
Actors who went on to become CM of a State in India
Here is a list of actors who became CM of a state in India:
1. M.G. Ramachandran or MGR was the first actor to become a Chief Minister in India. He took oath as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977 while representing the AIADMK party. He founded the AIADMK party in 1972.
2. N.T.Rama Rao or NTR became the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1983. He was the first non-Congress Chief minister of the state. NTR enjoyed a legendary status in Telugu Cinema and was the founder of Telugu Desam Party or TDP in 1982.
3. Janaki Ramachandran was an actress and also the wife of MGR, she became the first female chief minister of Tamil Nadu in the year 1988, it was also the shortest tenure by any CM in the history of Tamil Nadu. Her tenure ended in mere 24 days.
4. J.Jayalalithaa was one of the most famous actresses of her time. She played lead roles in more than 140 films. She was popularly known as “Amma” and represented the AIADMK party. Her career as a CM spanned six terms.
5. Bhagwant Mann, the CM of Punjab was a popular actor and comedian in Punjabi before he became the CM. He was elected the CM following the landslide victory achieved by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the elections.
6. Chandrashekharan Joseph Vijay popularly known as Thalapathy by his fans became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu by achieving a staggering 108 seats in the recently concluded Assembly Elections. Vijay represented the party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and became the first CM in nearly six decades to be elected from a party other than DMK or AIADMK.
Below is a table representing the names of actors and the year of their first term along with the party names for quick reference:
| Name | State | Party | Year of First Term |
| M.G. Ramachandran | Tamil Nadu | AIADMK | 1977 |
| N.T. Rama Rao | Andhra Pradesh | TDP | 1983 |
| Janaki Ramachandran | Tamil Nadu | AIADMK | 1988 |
| J. Jayalalithaa | Tamil Nadu | AIADMK | 1991 |
| Bhagwant Mann | Punjab | AAP | 2022 |
| M. Karunanidhi | Tamil Nadu | DMK | 1969 |
| Vijay (Thalapathy) | Tamil Nadu | TVK | 2026 |
Notable Mention
M.Karunanidhi was not an actor per se, he was a screenwriter and playwright before becoming the CM of Tamil Nadu, he was a central figure in Tamil Nadu politics and served as the CM of the state for 5 terms between 1969 and 2011.
Interesting Facts on Actors who became CM of a State in India
1. MGR was the first actor in India to be appointed as a Chief Minister of a state.
2. NTR was hugely popular for his roles as Hindu deities Rama and Krishna and this helped him gain a seat of power in just 9 months of forming a new party (TDP).
3. Joseph Vijay at the age of 51 became the youngest actor who became the CM of a state.
Who was the first actor who became CM of a state in India?
M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) became the first actor to become the Chief Minister of any state in India. He was appointed the CM of Tamil Nadu in 1977.
Which state has had the most actor Chief Ministers?
Tamil Nadu has the highest number of actor turned CM (MGR, Janaki, Jayalalithaa, and Vijay).
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