Jayalalithaa Jayaram was an enigma to most. A reluctant film star who was hurled into the industry as a teenager, Jayalalithaa went on to conquer it. Later, she struggled to find a foothold in the male-dominated politics of the state. But though the odds were stacked against her, she pushed on till she fulfilled her ambitions.
Veteran journalist V Jayanth, who has worked with The Hindu for several years and shared a friendship with the charismatic politician, recounts his memories of her. Even when the relationship between Jayalalithaa and The Hindu soured after she filed defamation cases against the publication, Jayanth says he continued to share a good rapport with the late CM – whom he recalls as a voracious reader and a woman of sharp wit.