As her body lay in state in the historic Rajaji Hall, people lined up in despair and affection to pay their last respects to a political leader like no other. Talented in the arts – be it music or cinema or for that matter in linguistic ability, she ruled Tamil Nadu and her party the AIADMK with an iron fist, singly and solely. Yet she was adored by Party men and public alike. Here is a brief tribute to her and her legacy.
Dr J Jayalalithaa was born on February 24, 1948, in Mysore. She began schooling at the Bishop Cotton Girls High School in Bangalore and later attended the Presentation Convent at Church Park, Chennai, when her mother began a career as a Tamil film actress. The family moved to Chennai after J Jayalalithaa‘s father died when she was just two and the family fell into poverty. Worse days were to come when J Jayalalithaa‘s older brother Jayakumar died.
J Jayalalithaa was a good scholar and is said to have wanted to become a lawyer and be rich. Mother Celine, the principal at her school is the third person J Jayalalithaa has said played a big role in shaping her.
J Jayalalithaa wouldn’t be a lawyer, but she would be rich a successful film career lay ahead. Chinnada Gombe, her first film (in Kannada) was a major hit. She also acted in an English film titled Epistle that was released in 1961. The film was produced by Shankar Giri, son of former President of India Dr VV Giri. It was a James Bond-style film, Gudachari 116, which catapulted her to fame. Her first Telugu film was Manushulu Mamathalu while her Tamil debut was with the film Vennira Aadai. She was revolutionary in an industry where heroines had hitherto been sari-clad and demure. J Jayalalithaa is said to have been the first to wear skirts on screen.
She also acted in a few Bollywood films, the most remembered among them “Izzat” where she was the heroine of Dharmendra, who would later also join politics as a BJP MP.
In life and on celluloid she would really be Tamil Superstar MG Ramachandran’s heroine; they acted in 28 films together, including Kavalkaran, Adimai Pen, Engal Thangam, Kudiyiruntha Koil, Ragasiya Police 115 and Nam Naadu. Some of her popular movies are Vennira Aadai, Aayirathil Oruvan, Kavalkaran, Pudhiya Boomi, Iru Deivangal, Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal.
J Jayalalithaa‘s last film was Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal in 1980. In her tempestuous relationship with MGR, there were many crests and troughs. They fell out and then, in the early 1980s came together as the most important phase of Jayalalitha’s life began. In 1982, at the age of 34, she joined the AIADMK. There was no struggle or grind – she went straight to the top echelons of the party, became the propaganda secretary much to chagrin of many seasoned partymen and was soon nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
She learnt her politics from a man known to have been one of Tamil Nadu’s shrewdest politicos. But she rebelled too, obviously very much her own woman. J Jayalalithaa remained single, she never married.
MGR died in 1987, in harness as Chief Minister. The next year the AIADMK split with one faction supporting MGR‘s widow Janaki and the other supporting J Jayalalithaa, who laid claim to MGR‘s political legacy. She remained a Rajya Sabha MP till she was elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1989 and became Leader of Opposition. Around the same time, she charged a DMK leader, Durai Murugan, with assault. She said he had tried to pull her sari when she obstructed then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi while he was presenting the 1990 state budget.
In 1991, J Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister for the first time, heading a coalition government that included the Congress. She lost the 1996 Tamil Nadu elections and the DMK government that succeeded her filed cases of corruption against her that she is still battling in court. In 1997, when the DMK government confiscated all her jewelry during investigation into cases relating to owning disproportionate assets, J Jayalalithaa swore that she would not wear jewelry again.
For 14 years a woman known to have fondly owned a gold waist belt studded with diamonds, more than 10,000 saris and 750 pairs of shoes, among many other things, wore not a piece of jewelry. She only did last year after her massive electoral comeback. Then too because, she said, party workers asked her to, some even threatening to kill themselves if she didn’t acquiesce.
The Tamil Nadu CM was proficient in many languages – she spoke English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi fluently. MGR was said to have sent her to the Rajya Sabha as she spoke English so well. An accomplished dancer, J Jayalalithaa trained in classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam, Mohini Attam, Kathak and Manipuri and performed all over India. She also started learning Carnatic music at the age of 4 and sang several songs in her own films.
In 1972, she was honoured by the Tamil Nadu government with the award Kalaimamani. These awards are given by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram (literature, music and theatre) for excellence in the field of art and literature.
J Jayalalithaa was a voracious reader and read practically everything. Her favourite authors were Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and, among others, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel, Pearl S Buck and James Hadley Chase.
Even as an actress, she would always carry books with her to the studio, and would sit quietly by herself in a corner and read between shots. She had a large private library with a huge collection of books.
In the end, it was her connect with the poor and the masses of Tamil Nadu that is her legacy. The thousands of wailing crowds at Rajaji hall where her body lay in state is testimony to that. Amma may not be alive, but she lives on in the heart of the people.
See more:
*People pay their last respects to Jayalalithaa at Rajaji Hall
*Panneerselvam sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
