V. N. Janaki

Janaki was born in the town of Vaikom in Kottayam district of Travancore.{{cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/webworld/features/society/vn-janaki-mgr.html|title=The 'leading' lady|work=Vincent DSouza|date=10 January 1988|access-date=2 June 2018}} Her mother, Narayani Amma was a Malayali Nair from Travancore Kingdom. Her father, Rajagopal Iyer, was a Tamil Brahmin born and brought up in Palakkad, Kerala, brother of the musician and composer Papanasam Sivan.{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Thyagi-1947/article14517030.ece|title=Thyagi (1947)|work=The Hindu|date=30 July 2016|access-date=2 June 2018|last1=Guy|first1=Randor}}

In 1939, aged 17, Janaki married actor Ganapathy Bhat (1915–1972).{{cite video|title=ಮರೆಯಬಾರದ ಹಾಸ್ಯನಟ ಗಣಪತಿ ಭಟ್.. {{!}} Cinema Swarasyagalu Part 51 {{!}} Hariharapura Manjunath {{!}} Total Kannada|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpmo5fsoBy8|publisher=Total Kannada|access-date=26 November 2021|language=en|date=12 August 2021}} Janaki and Ganapati Bhat had a son named Surendran.{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/M-G-Ramachandran-autobiography-copyright-belongs-to-Janaki-son-rules-HC/articleshow/14661431.cms|title=M G Ramachandran autobiography copyright belongs to Janaki son, rules HC|work=The Times of India|first=A|last=Subramani|date=4 July 2012|access-date=21 September 2017}}

Janaki's early films were Manmatha Vijayam (1939) and Savithiri (1941). Chandralekha in 1948 brought her popularity.

Janaki acted with Ramachandran in films like Raja Mukthi (1948) and Mohini (1948). She continued acting, with films like Velaikaari and Marudhanaattu Ilavarasi until 1950. By her preference, Janaki opted to stop movie acting by 1953. Following the death of Ramachandran's second wife Sadananthavathi in 1962, she moved in with him. They legally married in 1962. Ramachandran, who was childless in his three marriages, is said to have taken an affectionate interest in the well-being of Surendran, her son from her first marriage.{{cite news|title=Janaki's son alone has copyright to MGR's autobiography: court|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/janakis-son-alone-has-copyright-to-mgrs-autobiography-court/article3600414.ece|access-date=6 December 2016|work=The Hindu|date=4 July 2012}}

Janaki was not politically active during Ramachandran's life with only a handful of public appearances in AIADMK's early days. Ramachandran groomed other young leaders of his party for political responsibility, including the actress J. Jayalalithaa, with whom he was said to share a great professional rapport.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

When Ramachandran suffered a paralytic stroke in 1984, she became the intermediary between him and the party.

Due to his death in 1987, Janaki was asked by party members to take his place.

In deference to their wishes, she became Chief minister in January 1988. Her government lasted only 24 days, the shortest in the history of Tamil Nadu.{{cite news |title=Jayalalithaa : A political career with sharp rises and steep falls |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Jayalalithaa-a-political-career-with-sharp-rises-and-steep-falls/article16760118.ece |access-date=6 December 2016 |newspaper=The Hindu |date=6 December 2016}}

Her ministry went for a sensitive vote of confidence of the Eighth Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in January 1988. This was because AIADMK coalition with 194 MLAs had split into 3 factions, with one group of 30 MLAs supporting her rival Jayalalithaa and another group of 101 MLAs supporting Janaki. The Congress party, under the directive of its national chief and then PM Rajiv Gandhi, had decided to vote neutral. The opposition demanded secret ballot in the assembly, on the day of vote. But the speaker, who supported Janaki, rejected this. He had already disqualified the 30 MLAs of Jayalalithaa faction and 15 MLAs of DMK the previous day. He had also decreed that the support of MLAs physically present in the assembly at the time of vote was sufficient. So instead of proving majority in 234 with just 101, Janaki had to prove majority in 198. When the speaker called for vote, DMK and AIADMK MLAs clashed in assembly and many were injured including the speaker. On speaker's request, the CM called police into the house. The speaker announced unilaterally that the cabinet had won motion of confidence.{{Citation |title=TAMIL NADU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (EIGHTH ASSEMBLY) REVIEW 1985–88 |url=http://www.assembly.tn.gov.in/archive/8th_1985/8threview_85-88.pdf |year=1988 |location=Chennai |publisher=Secratriat of Legislative Assembly Secretariat}}

The central government under Rajiv Gandhi used Article 356 of the Constitution of India to dismiss her government in February.The Election Commission of India froze the "Two Leaves" symbol on 17 December 1988 and given Janaki with Double Pigeon symbol name of AIADMK (JA) and Jayalalithaa with Cock symbol name of AIADMK (J).{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/fight-over-symbol-a-leaf-from-history/article17592002.ece|title=Fight over symbol: A 'leaf' from history|website=the hindu|date=23 March 2017|access-date=28 July 2022|archive-date=28 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728120447/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/fight-over-symbol-a-leaf-from-history/article17592002.ece|url-status=live}} Her party was subsequently defeated in the next elections that were held in 1989. She quit politics after the unification of the two factions of the AIADMK.{{Cite web |url=http://jayalalithachildhood.blogspot.com/2009/11/mgr-unbelievable-facts.html |title=Jayalalitha Childhood Photos: MGR : Unbelievable Facts PART1 |access-date=5 January 2020}} Janaki is one of the few chief ministers to have not won any legislative elections.

She died of a cardiac arrest on 19 May 1996 in Chennai. She was buried beside her residence at MGR Thottam in Raamapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

VN Janaki gifted her property in V.P. Raman Salai in honour of her husband to the AIADMK. It subsequently became the headquarters of the party in 1986.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mgrhome.org/memorial.html |title=MGR Memorial House |access-date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=16 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716124548/http://www.mgrhome.org/memorial.html |url-status=dead}} She was the founder chairman of The Satya Educational & Charitable Society managing many free educational institutions in Chennai. She gave property worth many million of dollars for the establishment of educational and charitable institutions in Tamil Nadu. She was also instrumental in setting up the Janaki Ramachandran Educational & Charitable Trust.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mgrhome.org/janaki.html |title=Janaki Donations |access-date=14 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926173307/http://www.mgrhome.org/janaki.html |archive-date=26 September 2009 |url-status=dead}}

This is a partial filmography. You can expand it.

File:MGR and VNJanaki.jpg in Mohini (1948)|alt=|233x233px]]

• Kollywood
• Dr. M.G.R. Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women
• Dr. MGR Home and Higher Secondary School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired

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{{Commons category|VN Janaki Ramachandran}}

• [http://www.mgrhome.org/ Dr.MGR Home & Higher Secondary School for the Speech & Hearing Impaired]

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{{All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}

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Category:1924 births

Category:1996 deaths

Category:20th-century Indian actresses

Category:20th-century Indian politicians

Category:20th-century Indian women politicians

Category:Actresses from Kottayam

Category:Actresses in Malayalam cinema

Category:Actresses in Tamil cinema

Category:Chief ministers from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Category:Chief ministers of Tamil Nadu

Category:Indian actor-politicians

Category:M. G. Ramachandran

Category:People from the Kingdom of Travancore

Category:People from Vaikom

Category:Politicians from Kottayam

Category:Women chief ministers of Indian states

Category:Women from the Kingdom of Travancore

Category:Women in Tamil Nadu politics