Film industry stages fast to support jailed Indian leader

Southern India's film industry launched an eight-hour fast Tuesday to rally support for political leader Jayalalithaa Jayaram, who was jailed for four years following a lengthy corruption case.

Some 3,000 directors, actors, producers and others were taking part in the hunger strike for the ex-film star turned politician, while the industry itself shut down for the day throughout Tamil Nadu state.

"We decided not to have any film shootings, editing, dubbing or movie screenings across Tamil Nadu from 9:00am to 5:00pm today," said Diamond Babu, a public relations officer in the Tamil-language film industry.

"This is a peaceful hunger strike without any protest to show our sympathy, love and affection to (former) chief minister," Babu told AFP.

Known as "Amma" (Mother) to her supporters, Jayalalithaa was jailed on Saturday in the southern city of Bangalore for illegally amassing wealth -- including gold, properties, hundreds of pairs of shoes and thousands of saris -- in a case that started 18 years ago.

The 66-year-old was forced to step down as Tamil Nadu chief minister upon her conviction which also saw her fined one billion rupees ($16 million).

Wailing women and other fans have already taken to the streets of the state capital Chennai to protest at her conviction.

On Tuesday members of the film industry gathered inside a tent erected outside a government guest house in Chennai for the short-lived fast.

"We still consider her as chief minister... the punishment we feel is harsh, it is vindictive," leading south Indian actor R. Sarathkumar told the NDTV network.

Jayalalithaa's AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) party emerged as the third biggest force in the national parliament after elections in May.

The powerful regional leader won over voters after handing out freebies including electric blenders, goats and small amounts of gold.

She was charged in 1997, when police seized assets including 28 kilos (62 pounds) of gold, 750 pairs of shoes and more than 10,000 saris in a raid on her home in Chennai.

Prosecutors said her assets, which reportedly included two 1,000-acre estates in the lush tropical state she ran, were vastly disproportionate to her earnings during her first term as chief minister.

The High Court in Bangalore on Tuesday adjourned until next Monday her appeal against conviction and an application for bail.