It was February of 1986. As a freelancer, I was working on a cover story for Onlooker—Film Stars in Parliament: Misfits. That how box office appeal is used for ballot boxes, and do we really need film stars to ponder over the pressing problems of the nation? These star politicians were being subjected to constant scrutiny as they had been hogging all the limelight. So, how successful had been these parliamentarians in five sessions and 15 months? This star appeal was foremost experimented by M.G. Ramachandran in 1977. He set such a precedent that it became a phenomenon. Then he propped up his protégé J. Jayalalithaa and nominated her to the Rajya Sabha.
THE FIRST MEETING
Although I had got an audience with Amitabh Bachchan, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Sivaji Ganesan and Sunil Dutt, when it came to Jayalalithaa, it was a long-drawn chase with incessant calls till she relented. Ensconced in her exquisite suite at Tamil Nadu House in Chanakyapuri, right at the outset she set the agenda, pulling no punches: “I’m not going to answer any political questions. I’m making that clear. Now for one year and three months I’ve not given an interview to any publication and that includes every major publication in India and abroad. This is an exception because of your persistence.”
She was quite a charmer and knew that quite well, responding to all the queries with a smile:
NO PARALLELS DRAWN: There’s no real equation as such. Glamour doesn’t apply to politics. The only similarity is that both are in the public eye. There’s no connection between the two, but it appears so now, because a few film personalities in the past have come into prominence. Look back over the years and you will see that a lot of film people have tried to get into politics but they did not succeed.
EQUATION WITH PEOPLE: People of my state have totally forgotten that I’m an actress. That is my rapport. They look upon me as a mother figure although I’m so young; as an elder sister, as someone to whom they come with their problems, one who cares for them. I don’t deny that my film career was instrumental in introducing me to public life which served as a base. I didn’t remember that I had already left films when I joined politics in 1979. Today, it is the way I work that makes people look upon me as a member of their family. When stars are active in showbiz I was totally different in every way. I was interested in everything going around me. The basic difference between me and others was that I was never interested in a film career. It was more due to circumstances. I didn’t have a choice because I was too young when I was made to enter films. So, when the opportunity came my way I joined politics.
SENSITIVITY VS RUTHLESSNESS: Basically, everybody is sensitive, whether you are an artist or a politician. It depends on an individual. Even in films, no doubt, you have to be sensitive in order to be able to portray emotions on the screen successfully. But to withstand the pressures of that sort of a career you have to be hard-boiled. As far as politics is concerned, you have to be tough and ruthless. This is not with reference to the gossip in the press. But you have to be sensitive enough to understand the grievances of the people, which make your blood boil when you see injustice being perpetrated somewhere, to feel for others to the extent that you can stand up and fight for them. I don’t agree with cynical politicians. I’m not one of them. There has to be certain idealism. You have to be tough enough to take ruthless action when it is necessary and strong enough to face criticism. In fact, a combination of both, when under constant attack.
A famous saying goes, there’s a perception one has of oneself, and secondly, what perception others have of you and thirdly what you really are. So I can’t help it if different people have different perceptions of me. There has been plenty of muck and filth thrown at me but nothing has stuck because my actions have spoken for themselves. People have understood that I’m sincere, honest and that I mean well and work hard. My political record is clean and spotless. They can only attack me in my personal capacity, which is not done, but they have been doing it. It has boomeranged on my enemies because it has created more sympathy among the people. They have seen it for themselves that it is not true.
FAN CLUBS: I don’t want to discuss that now because it will lead to political answers. They can’t really be called fan clubs because I’m not a film star anymore. You can call them good deeds associations. Of course, there were these clubs when I was in films. It was something spontaneous, but I had nothing to do with them. I had not organised them and had no idea who was doing it. If you are a popular leader, people start doing things in your name, and it means you are sponsoring it. In fact, until such a hue and cry was made I was not aware that these organisations were so widespread.
A REWARDING EXPERIENCE: I have made up for my absence in the current session. I have practically raised every possible issue in the Rajya Sabha. Whatever necessary demands I made for the state have been met. I think of myself not as a Tamilian but an Indian. When I drew attention to the police apathy regarding an armed robbery on the Delhi-UP border, an English daily in Delhi commented editorially that strangely enough an MP from Tamil Nadu brought it to the notice of Parliament. As for my state, I wanted reservation of more articles for the handloom sector. That has been done. This was a demand made since the days of Rajaji and successfully reiterated by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. I raised the issue of implementation of the assurance given by Mrs Gandhi on sharing 50% of the power from the second unit of the Kalpakkam Thermal Power Station. Later on, there was some ambiguity and difference of opinion on that. However, that was sorted out. There was a stage when the Tuticorin Thermal Power Station in Tamil Nadu was not able to work to its full capacity because the indigenous coal supply was falling short. But when I took up the matter in Parliament it was settled within five days. One could go on and on. Then I had my say in the Consultative Parliamentary Committee on atomic energy, space, science and technology development, electronics, etc.
A NEW IMAGE: There was no need to get upset because none of the malicious propaganda harmed me in any way nor has it changed the public opinion about me. On the contrary, I must thank my enemies for that. People feel more protective towards me. I am genuine. I care for them. What has been created is a totally new image. After all, it was my performance and subsequent actions which made it possible. It wasn’t calculated or strategically worked out. I just did what I felt was right. I never tried to project myself consciously.
THE SECOND -MEETING
Shrewd and intelligent, Jayalalithaa was the propaganda secretary of AIADMK and deputy leader of the party in Rajya Sabha. But she was skating on thin ice, as at a point she was completely sidelined, and even barred from visiting the ailing godfather, MGR. But she fought every inch. And her arrogance, perhaps, emanated from the fact that she was intellectually far superior to the plebeian politicos.
Once again I witnessed how box office appeal was used for ballot boxes. Glamour and big money entered the electoral fray and one saw colourful bonanza at the hustings with larger than life cut-outs and blaring music, following her election campaign in 1989 right from Madras to Pondicherry with the crew of Newstrack, the video newsmagazine. An impressive orator in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English, this female lead of 115 films and an author of half dozen books had won many an award besides Kalaimamani.
Before flagging off her campaign, she had held a press conference, what seemed to be a monologue, as one saw that none of the journalists asked a single question to the deemed-to-be Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Since I had a nodding acquaintance with her, I did dare to pose these questions:
Q. What else are you banking on besides your obvious personal charisma?
A. We are banking on the support, trust and affection of the people.
Q. How is it that Congress is literally eating out of your palm? You have managed to bag all the promising seats. Your comments please.
A. This is a total misconception. This is an alliance based on mutual respect. So I don’t agree with your description of the alliance. This time there is no question of a losing seat as far as I’m concerned. I’m aiming for cent per cent victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Last time I said 200 for the alliance, this time I say more than 200.
Q. If you become the Chief Minister, would you remain as insulated from the press as you have done over the years?
A. Am I insulated now? Am I not meeting you from close quarters?
CONCLUSION
Smart and tough, she knew that after MGR if ever the AIADMK future was ever in question, she alone was qualified to answer. It was amply reflected in her aggressive campaign and scathing attack on her bête noire, M. Karunanidhi.