Jayaram Jayalalithaa in critical condition after being hospitalized two months ago with a fever, dehydration and a respiratory infection

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is bracing for unrest after its ailing chief minister, Jayalalithaa Jayaraman, suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening.

The 68-year-old, known to her supporters as “Amma” (mother), starred in more than 150 movies before becoming a titanic figure in the state’s politics and serving as chief minister four times.

She was taken to Apollo Hospitals in the state capital Chennai where a spokesman on Monday said she had had surgery and was improving, but remained in “grave” condition.

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Jayalalithaa was hospitalised two months ago with a fever, dehydration and a respiratory infection but was said to be recovering well.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party leader has an intense following in the state that is typical of a south Indian political culture, where politicians and film stars can develop a quasi-religious following.

Apollo Hospitals (@HospitalsApollo) Despite our best efforts, our beloved CM remains in a grave situation. #GodblessAmma

Thousands of Jayalalithaa’s supporters have surrounded the hospital where she is being treated and more than 1,000 security personnel have been deployed to the site, according to Indian media.

Her third stint in office in 2014 was cut short after a court found her guilty of corruption and sentenced her to four years’ prison. The decision triggered riots across the state that saw vehicles set alight and women shave their heads in mourning.

The conviction was set aside the following year and she returned to office in May 2015.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest All India Anna Dravida Mennetra Kazhagam party members pray for well being in front of a hospital where chief minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu Jayaram Jayalalitha was being treated. Photograph: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

Jayalalithaa was a popular actor for nearly two decades before being persuaded to enter politics by M G Ramachandran, another actor-turned-politician who served as chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

She governs in a highly personal and populist style, setting up “Amma canteens” and distributing water, salt, medicine and building materials that bear her visage.

Political figures across India have expressed concern and offered prayers for her health, including her great political rival, M Karunanidhi, and the Indian president Pranab Mukherjee.

