I’ve Never Wept in Public: Jayalalithaa on Politics, Love & MGR

In a TV interview in 1999, J Jayalalitha also spoke about her childhood,and the ordeals she faced in politics.

Born as Komalavalli on 24 February 1948, Jayaram Jayalalithaa was one of the most popular woman politician the nation has seen. Fondly known as Amma, Jayalalithaa’s rise in Tamil Nadu’s politics is the perfect story of a woman living life on her own terms.

Amma was also seen as a distant, enigmatic figure. But in an interview with Simi Garewal in 1999, she spoke openly about her childhood, her father’s death, of how she spent a lot of her time pining for her mother. She also shed on light on her idea of love, how she got into films and the ordeals she had to face to sustain in politics.

Here are some quotes from the interview:

Also Read: Watch Jayalalithaa Sing, Speak of Life and MGR in This Interview

What Leadership Meant to Her

Also Read: Rise of Brand Amma: Chronicles of a Thespian and a Vibrant Leader

On Being In the Limelight

Her Idea of Love

On Her Fighting Spirit

Her Tryst With Politics

Also Read: Live: Crowd Turns Unruly to See Jaya, Cops Resort to Lathi-Charge

On MGR and Her Mother

Also Read: Humans of Chennai: Amma Edition