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Jayalalithaa, the beloved ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’ who passed away recently after a protracted battle with cardiac complications leaving millions of admirers and supporters wailing in grief, strode the big screen like a colossus. She was as magnanimous an actor as she was a politician. Sunday POST shifts the spotlight on a few of Amma’s numerous cinematic achievements…
She strode like a colossus both on the political arena as well as on the big screen. J Jayalalithaa’s first film was the English language film, ‘The Epistle’, which released in 1961 when she was only 13 years old. In 1964, while still in school, Amma played the lead in her first Kannada film, ‘Chinnada Gombe’ and later made her Hindi film debut in 1968 with ‘Izzat’ starring alongside Dharmendra and Tanuja. The queen of hearts worked in films in all the south Indian languages and with legendary actors such as M G Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, N T Rama Rao, Krishna and Gemini Ganeshan. Her career as an actor was short, but within a short span she emerged as, arguably, the top female star in the Tamil industry. Sunday POST chronicles Amma’s journey on the big screen.
Prelude
While still a schoolgirl, Jayalalithaa began acting in a few plays of Parthasarathy along with her mother and aunt. She played small roles in plays such as ‘Tea House of the August Moon’ and ‘Undersecretary’ between 1960 and 1964. Shankar Giri, the son of the former Indian President V V Giri, saw her act in the English play ‘Tea House of the August Moon’ and was impressed. Shankar Giri approached her mother, Sandhya, and told her he wanted to cast her daughter in an English film ‘The Epistle’. Sandhya reluctantly agreed with the rider that shooting should be held only during weekends or school holidays.
Bold & Beautiful
Jaya appeared in ‘Vennira Aadai’ in 1965. Shoba, her character in the film, is emotionally wrecked by the death of her husband just hours after their marriage. The role had immense acting scope and Jaya went into the skin of the character. The result was the film became the turning point in her career. She acted opposite MGR in ‘Ayirathil Oruvan’ and the film went on to become an all-time hit. It also marked the beginning of the most successful acting pair who worked together in as many as 27 films. At a time when heroines appeared demurely clad in saris, Jayalalithaa started the trend of wearing short-sleeved dresses, skirts and tight pants.
Pair Perfect
Jayalalithaa made her debut in Tamil cinema with ‘Vennira Aadai’ in which she played the role of a widow. She received rave reviews for her performance. Jayalalithaa was just 17 while MGR, at 48, was already a legend, with some 80 films to his credit. The two actors created magic on screen. They became a rage overnight. ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ is considered one of their best films. Directed and produced by the legendry B R Panthulu, the film is about pirates, slavery and the independence of labourers. Jayalalithaa’s charm and charisma as a beautiful actor complemented MGR’s serious demeanour in the film, making it more appealing.
Golden Years
Jayalalitha worked with Sivaji Ganesan in 17 films, of which 15 were golden jubilee hits. ‘Motor Sundaram Pillai’ (1966) was their first film together. Jayalalithaa played Ganesan’s daughter in the film. In ‘Galatta Kalyanam’, which released in 1968, she was cast opposite Sivaji. ‘Galatta Kalyanam’, a romantic comedy, was directed by C V Rajendran. Jayalalithaa entertained moviegoers with her flair for comedy. It was this film that created a fan following for Jayalalithaa and Sivaji Ganesan, and made them one of the most sought after pairs in Tamil cinema.
In Hindi Cinema
Jaya played Krishna in a three-minute dance sequence in the Hindi film ‘Manmauji’ (1962) and danced with Kumari Naaz who played Radha in the film. Jayalalithaa debuted in Hindi cinema as a lead actress in ‘Izzat’ that released in 1968. She played the role of a spunky tribal woman named Jhumki. She was paired opposite veteran actor Dharmendra. In the film, she falls in love with the lead actor who plays a double role. Not just was Jayalalithaa’s acting skill appreciated by Hindi movie buffs but her dancing talent also was praised by everyone. However, she was not seen in any other Hindi movie thereafter.
Super Vamp
‘Goodachari 116’, the first spy film in Telugu starring Jayalalitha and superstar Krishna, became such a smash hit that many sequels were made in later years. In this James Bond-style film, Jayalalithaa played a vamp. She was at the beginning of her career when ‘Goodachari 116’ brought her recognition.
Finally…
In 1992, when she was Tamil Nadu chief minister, Jayalalithaa made a brief appearance in ‘Neenga Nalla Irukkanum’ in which she was seen crusading for total prohibition in the state. The film clicked at the box office. However, ‘Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal’, which released in 1980, is considered her final film. This is the only Jayalalithaa film in which the music was scored by the maestro Ilayaraja.
