FROM  `AMMU'  TO `AMMA'  – THE INSPIRING STORY

OF THE IRON LADY OF TAMIL NADU

With passing away of Miss J. Jayalalitha an Era has come to an end in Tamil Nadu and Indian Politics.   What she has not succeeded in her life time, she did in her death, in making all the leaders across all parties, including DMK leaders, gathering to pay rich tributes to her and DMK releasing a poster with her photo for the first time keeping aside for a minute their rivalry.  

People may have their own opinion about Jayalalitha, but there is no denying of the fact that she is one of the most popular mass leaders of Tamil Nadu/India and earned a permanent place in the hearts of poor specially female for whom she remains their `Amma’.  She  groomed herself as the most fearless Iron Lady, who never showed her back to adversaries, lived her life completely on her terms and un-apologetically ignored the general norms and conventions.   

The Early days:  Though her family was affluent her Father squandered their wealth and died leaving the family in deep financial mess when she was hardly two years old.   

Her mother has to shift to Madras to try her hand in Tamil films, leaving her to the care of aunt and grandparents.    She was convent educated and a brilliant student and topped at state level and won scholarship to pursue further studies and wanted to pursue law.

But the destiny and her Mother had different plans for her.   Her mother pushed her into film industry at a tender age of fifteen. 

The long and successful film journey:

Jalalitha did not start her film career with Tamil film.   She debuted in BR Pantulu’s Kannada movie `Chiannada Gombe’ in the year 1964, which was a runaway success.    Even while the shooting of this movie was on, she was dabbling with her studies and took that as a one off outing.  In 1965 she paired with her mentor MG Ramachandran (MGR) in `Aayirathil Oruvan’, a lavishly mounted action movie in colour dealing with the subject of pirates.   It was a major blockbuster and that was the beginning of the successful and enduring on screen pairing with MGR in 28 movies between1965-73, most of which were big time money spinners.   Apart from Tamil movies, she worked with top stars like NTR and ANR in Telugu and also Kannada movies.

She worked as leading lady in her only Bollywood movie Izzat with Dharmendra. 


She was a polyglot with ability speak in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and English.   In a career spanning over fifteen years she acted in 140 movies and was tipped as the highest paid actresses of her times.   As in every walk of life, she has been very bold in her movie career too.   She was the first heroin in Tamil movie who wore knee length skirts, sleeveless tops and banked heavily on glamour along with dancing and acting skills. 

MGR’s Mentoring : 

Jayalalitha was under the great influence of her mother as long as she was alive and after mother’s death, she found an able mentor in MGR who had an equal amount of influence over her like her mother.    Their on screen romance has spilled over to their personal lives but unlike in other much publicised romance between film personalities it was kept as a close guarded secret so that it does not damage the political public image of MGR .   Due to the frenzy fan following the south Indian stars command, South Indian journalists, unlike their North Indian counter parts could never dare to cross the line to peep into personal lives, so the personal angle between MGR and Jayalalitha remained to themselves to a great extent.    In public life they conducted themselves with great degree of dignity.

The Most enduring Political Career :

With Vanishri, Manjula, Jayaprada and Sridevi becoming popular stars Jayalalitha was reaching sunset in her film career.    By that time MGR has formed AIDMK and has taken the mettle of the state as Chief Minister.    To leverage Jayalalitha’s popularity and mass base, MGR inducted her into the party and appointed as Propaganda Secretary and then as Rajya Sabha member. For the second time in her life Jayalalita has been pushed into a high pressure career very reluctantly.   As MGR was an undisputed king of AIDMK no one in the rank and cadre shown any resentment toward the big push he gave Jayalalitha and her raise in the party.   Her sailing in politics was very smooth as long as MGR was alive, but when he died in 1987, Jayalalitha faced her biggest challenge in her political career and a `make or break situation’.   She faced the rude reality when she was not allowed to pay her last respects to MGR and physically thrown out of the carriage of MGR last journey.   Her claim to be the political heir was challenged by the MGR’s wife Janakai Ramachandran faction.  After the 1989 election debacle both of the faction of AIDMK was merged, Janaki Ramachandran took political sanyas and Jayalalita became the General Secretary of AIDMK and the undisputed leader.  She was elected as leader of opposition of the TN assembly.   

In 1991 Jayalalitha became Chief Minister of TN for the first time and was youngest Chief Minister of TN.   She served as Chief Minister five terms for fourteen years between 1991 and 2016.  These fourteen years have been a roller coaster ride for her in and out of power and in and out of jails.  More or less Karunanidhi and Jayalalita took turns to become Chief Minister almost every time the anti-incumbency factor working except in the last elections.  

Populist measures and mass base :

Despite huge negative publicity due to large number of corruption cases, serving of jail terms, aristocratic and arrogant life style, she succeeded in neutralising these negatives by developing huge mass base with the help of populist measures most of which were aimed towards welfare of the poor and downtrodden.  In this aspect she bettered her mentor MGR’s mid day meal scheme, by introducing number of welfare measures like Amma Canteens, Amma Salt, Amma Bottled Water, Amma Pharmaceis, Amma Baby Care, Amudam, Amma Cement, Amma Theaters and Amma Job Training.    Thousands of crores of tax payers’ money was spent on these schemes which was primarily aimed at wooing the poor voters and building the brand `Amma’ by putting her photograph on every bag, bottle, pack and advertisement. In additions to these, during election time, all conceivable things from sewing machines, laptops, colour TV, mixer and grinders, to golden chains were distributed which was unique to the state of Tamil Nadu.   It is beyond anyone’s comprehension how such open wooing and in a way purchasing of votes was not treated as violation of  model code of conduct by Election Commission.

The unconventional, unemotional female chauvinist

Jayalalitha remained an unconventional throughout her life. First though born in a traditional Brahmin family and remained deeply religious and superstitious, chose to join and head a Dravidian party which has always been anti-Brahmin.   She chose to have romantic liaison with a person who is older to her by more than 30 years and remained unmarried.   Never maintained close relations with brother and other family members but drew closer to and trusted friend Sashikala and her family members.

Normally politicians try very hard to project their clean image before the public and take every possible care to protect that image.  But Jayalalitha, did whatever she liked and wanted to do without bothering about the damage to her public image.   She built a palace and enjoyed lavish life style, indulged in a vulgar display of wealth and power in her foster son’s wedding, which apart from other things created couple of Gunnies World Records.   This misadventure has even costed her next elections but she was never repentant about it.

Jayalalitha has no love last for Media also.   She never bothered to stage pro-poor dramas like going on padyatras, visiting and eating in juggis for photo-op and such other things. Even top editors like Arnab, Rajdeep Sardesai were denied interviews and i remember once Barkha Dutt was given whole interview standing at vehicle door and Jayalalitha sitting in the front seat of the car.   In an interview with Karan Thapur, when he concluded by saying that `it was pleasure talking to you’ she retorted by saying `it was not pleasure for me talking to you’.   May be she was confident that the welfare measures unleashed by her at the cost of exchequer and the popularity gained among poor masses can do the trick for her and does not need to help of media and stay behind a tall wall of her Palace away from glare of media.

For some unfathomable reasons, in her political life she very unapologetically projected herself to be a female chauvinist.   She never had any qualms in the entire team of legislature members publically prostrate and fall at her feet and most of the time she hardly acknowledged it.   The film industry and politics have always been tough for females and exploitation is not uncommon and it was quite possible that they turned Jayalalitha what she has become.   One cannot really say how much of cynical pleasure she derived out of it, but surely it lowered the dignity and image of Tamilians before entire India/World. 

When she was insulted in the State Assembly by DMK cadre by almost enacting Draupadi Vastrabhaharanam episode, she gave it back very hard by getting Karunanidhi stripped off his Lungi at midnight and getting Maran physically lifted who came to his rescue and threw both of them in jail.  

As far as her party is concerned she handled it with Iron fists.    Appointments and removal of Ministers and Bureaucrats were  absolutely unpredictable and whimsical  and any trace of dissent was not tolerated.   There is only one unwritten law in the party either you are with her or you are not there.    

Though ultimately acquitted in many of the corruption cases, she was one of the very few Indian Chief Ministers who got arrested and got disqualified from holding the august office. The solitary confinement and inhuman behaviour meted to her, by her own admission, has made her tougher than ever before.   But to her credit she showed tremendous grit, tenacity and will power to bounce back and it is a poetic justice that she died while in office.

How Jayalalita will be remembered :

History will remember her as one of the most charismatic and mass leader, great administrator, orator, glamorous star and an Iron Lady with very strong will and grit.    Her name will always be taken in a same breath as Indira Gandhi to be the torch bearer for Feminist movement in India. 

In one of her interviews Jayalalitha said that Indian tradition is that a girl is born as a daughter, then becomes a wife and should die as a Mother, I could not achieve myself as a Wife, but I will definitely die as a Mother.    How true she was, she died as `AMMA’ for millions in Tamil Nadu and India specially the poor.   Here is a case where a person has equalled her Mentor if not bettered.   

Long live Amma

S. PRABHAKAR

7.12.1016