M Rafi Ahmed
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Jayalalithaa, affectionately called by her cadre as ‘Amma’ belongs to the second category as she made a mark earning the sobriquet ‘Queen of Tamil Cinema’ and was an unparalleled politician to win the hearts of the people for her revolutionary schemes.
Much has been said and written about Puratchi Thalaivi as an actress and as a seasoned politician, who ruled Tamil Nadu for well over 14 years (six terms between 1991 and 2016) while not many are aware of the fact that she was a novelist and a columnist. Even when the jubilant AIADMK cadre are celebrating her 77th birth anniversary by garlanding her statue and portraits across the State today, Let’s take a quick look into her exemplary writing skills.
Jayalalithaa, who evinced keen interest in browsing books showed her prowess in penning four novels which includes her maiden 95 pages novel titled ‘Oruthikhey Sondham’ (Belong to One) –published in June 1980 by Kumudam’s monthly mag–Malai Mathi followed by ‘Nee indri Nanillai’ (I am not without you) published in Valampuri John’s Kavithabanu Publications.
Her collective version of 45 columns written as Enakku Pidithavai in Thai weekly mag under ‘Manadhai Thotta Malargal’ (Flowers that touch the mind) was much sought after by ardent readers during that time. Interestingly, she wrote about her favourites (Place, Flower, Animal, Song, Writer, Journalist, Philosophist, Teacher, Painter Leonardo da Vinci, Novel David Copperfield in the book.
Besides, she had been writing for Bommai, cinema magazine and Thuglak in the 70s while writing short stories for Kalki mag in the 80s. However, she had a desire to pen her autobiography which failed to materialise on one pretext or the other. However, her ‘Nenjile Oru Kanal’ (A fire in my heart) – written in Kumudam weekly magazine — is said to be partly her autobiography.
Uravin Kaithigal (Prisoners of a relationship) is the Tamil version of an English novel which she wrote for Eve’s Weekly, a woman’s magazine published from Mumbai. Kalki Rajendran had made a fervent appeal to Jayalalithaa to write the same in Tamil. Then it was published as a serial in Kalki in 1980 which attracted both bouquets and brickbats from the discerning readers then.
It may be noted that Jayalalithaa had been writing in Thuglak weekly mag under the title ‘Ennangal Sila’ (Some of the thoughts) without revealing her name whatsoever. The series went on for seven years which was received well among the Thuglak readers. Finally, the editor Cho Ramasamy disclosed her identity at the end of the series. Notably, her focus was on the harassment of women under police custody which happened in North India.
In ‘Thuglak’ magazine, she wrote about Tamil Nadu politics, national politics and global affairs besides showing more interest in writing about negligence of Indian doctors, Italian law for pregnant women and The possibility of astrology. In ‘Bommai’ magazine, she also wrote about beauty tips. Jayalalithaa’s soul-searching words-Makkalaal Naan, Makkalukkaga Naan made a great impact in the Tamil Nadu politics.
