(This story was first published on 24 February 2018. It has been reposted from The Quint’s archives to mark J Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary.)
J Jayalalithaa was one of Tamil Nadu’s most charismatic leaders, something she probably inherited from MGR, her mentor. At least, that is what her party members would have you, and the rest of Tamil Nadu believe.
Jayalalithaa’s successes as a student, and then as a movie star are phenomenal. As an actor, she was disinterested (as she herself confessed), and yet, a brilliant and prolific artiste. Her political strategy was flush with people-friendly schemes that were adopted by other states. However, her journey also saw big embarrassing scams and jail sentences.
Overall, Jayalalithaa was phenomenal in her successes, failures, virtues and faults.
Here’s a ballad set in a Tamil folk tune, on the woman whom Tamil Nadu calls Amma:
Let me tell a story about the original
Tamil Diva (Aha aha!)
You may call her Ammu or Amma or
J Jayalalithaa (wah wah wah wah!)
Like a golden star she shone in Kollywood
for 23 years (Appa Pa!)
And then she was Queen of Tamil Nadu
for more than 14 years (Amma Amma!)
In the spring of '48,
in what was then Mysore State
Komalavalli was born with a silver spoon
But then the, the family fell into debt
before fifty moons
Komalavalli became Jayalalitha
at the age of one
All through school up to her 10th
in everything she was Number One
But then...
Jaya's mother Vedavalli asked her
not to act so silly
And forget studies and her
dream of a family
So that they can, Pay off
mounting debts and stop
living in penury
And so...
Venniradai came out in the
summer of 65'
Ammu's debut film got the masses
to collectively sigh
Aayirathil Oruvan busted
all blocks in the same year
Where she acted beside
Revolutionary Leader, MGR!
For the next twenty years
she ruled the film industry
And between MGR and her,
there brewed real chemistry
And soon...
Ammu became Anni,
and everything looked so sunny
As she entered the political scene
And turned Karunanidhi into a meme
She handled propaganda
as ADMK's member
And promptly began to steal
older party member's thunder
She also tried to marry an
already married MGR
And was slowly cut off from
the Tamil superstar
Ayyayyo!!
RIP MGR! So begins the
never ending war
Amma becomes CM at just 41
Against misogyny and men
she seemed to have won
But then!
Her disproportionate greed,
she could not overcome
She tried to shut down the press
who refused to be mum
Ahahaha!
Four time CM da!
Aiming for PM da!
Done in by Sasikala...
that’s what they say (hush hush!)
In the end Jaya’s friendships
really didn’t pay
Her persona would make
historic princesses pale
Her life eventually turned
into a cautionary tale
She lived alone and died alone
now her party's come undone
TN now calls for a leader
when in truth there is none!
Thana thannaa naane naane thana thannaa naane naane..
Thana thannaa naane naane thana thannaa naane naane..
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