Trained actresses in films have always brought more limelight to dance in general. Be it Sitara Devi, Vyjayanthimala, Hema Malini or the Golden Girl of Tamil cinema Jayalalithaa all made classical dance glamorous and poured in more class into dance and at the same time inspired millions with their dancing skills.
Many don’t know that my mother Rani Naidu Soparkar is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer born to a Telugu father and a Konkani mother. We as kids would often visit our grandparents, grand uncles and aunts and were made to see classical dance performances and ofcourse south Indian films, our main attraction to visit their homes were a lot to do with their neighbours. Jayalalithaa or Ammu (as she was called at home or by her close relatives) was first cousin of one of the neighbours. We often got the opportunity to see her at close quarters whenever she attended functions, we as kids would wait to see the superbly gorgeous Jaya ma’am and wait for her to pat us or pull our cheeks.
I remember few things about Amma that my grandparents, uncles, aunts and even cousins told me and through all the memories I would like to pay my tribute to the golden lady of Tamil Cinema. She was not just a super hit actress and a loved Politician but a dancer par excellence who only believed in the penchant for perfection.
I remember my mother telling me that, hundreds of people at Naguvinahalli village in Karnataka were glued to their TV sets enthusiastically watching J Jayalalithaa sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.This would seem extremely strange, as Tamil Nadu politicians are generally disliked in Karnataka because of the century-old dispute over Cauvery River water. The whole of Mandya district, to which Naguvinahalli belongs, depends on Cauvery water for everything, but the reason for the celebration goes back nearly 50 years, when Jayalalithaa was a popular star in Tamil cinema.
I am told that the villagers had approached the 19-year-old stunning heroine for help in building a school, and she readily agreed.On March 19, 1967, Jayalalithaa performed a dance for charity at the historic Crawford Hall in Mysore University. The tickets were priced at Rs 10, 25 and 50. The show was a huge success and it raised enough money for a school building at the village.
Ramachandraiah, who organised the charity event, still remembers her generosity and the mesmerising dance performance. Ramachandraiah, who is now in his late 80’shad spoken to one of the news channel and had said , “How can I forget that incident? I still vividly remember her dance show. If we have a school in our village, it is only because of the late CM of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaaji. Whenever I see the school, I remember Jayalalithaaji with gratitude. We are eternally grateful to her,”
Karnataka Information Department director N Vishukumar, who is from Naguvinahalli, said elders at the village still talk about the event. “When it happened I was too small. I don’t remember anything. But, everybody in my village including my father Ramakrishnaiah remembers that charity show for our village school,” he said.
Jayalalithaa, who is originally a Kannadiga, was born in Mysore in 1948. Her mother Sandhya moved to Bengaluru after her father Jayaram died when she was only four years old. In the early 1960’s, her aunt Ambuja alias Vidhya, an airhostess and part-time actor, took Jaya and her mother to Madras (now Chennai). Jayalalithaa’s first dance performance at the age of 14 in Mysore was inaugurated by Tamil cinema legend Sivaji Ganesan.
In Chennai, Jayalalithaa trained in classical music, western classical piano, and various forms of classical dance, including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Manipuri and Kathak. She learnt Bharat-natyam and dance forms under K.J.Sarasa. She became an accomplished dancer and gave her debut dance performance at the Rasika Ranjani Sabha in Mylapore in May 1960. After seeing Jayalalithaa dance at the Arangetram legendary Shivaji Ganesan had expressed wish and had predicted that Jayalalithaa would become a film star in future.
During her childhood days, Jayalalithaa acted in the Kannada-language Sri Shaila Mahathme (1961), which had Rajkumar and Krishna Kumari in lead roles. She had been taken to the studio by her mother as she was shooting in the same premises for a different film. While Jayalalithaa was watching the shooting, a problem arose as the child actor playing the Goddess Parvathy in a school drama scene in the film had not turned up and the producer Neerlahalli Thalikerappa and director Aroor Pattabhi asked Sandhya if Jayalalithaa could be asked to act in the dance sequence. Sandhya agreed and Jayalalithaa was swiftly dressed up as Parvathy and the scene was shot.
She played Krishna in a three-minute dance sequence held on stage in the Hindi film Manmauji (1962) and danced with Kumari Naaz who played Radha. Y. G. Parthasarathy ran the drama troupe United Amateur Artistes (UAA), which staged English and Tamil plays. During her school days, Jayalalithaa began acting in some plays of Parthasarathy along with her mother and aunt. She acted in 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 small role in the English play Tea Houses of August Moon and was impressed. Shankar Giri approached her mother Sandhya and told that he wanted to cast her daughter in an English film called The Epistle. Sandhya reluctantly agreed with the condition that shooting should be held only during weekends or school holidays.
She also appeared in a dance sequence of a song named “Malligeya Hoovinantha” in the movie Amarashilpi Jakannachari (1964).Jayalalithaa made herdebut in Tamil cinema in a leading role in the movie Vennira Aadai (1965), directed by C. V. Sridhar. She made her debut in Telugu films as lead actress in Manushulu Mamathalu opposite Akkineni Nageshwara Rao. Her last Telugu release was also opposite Akkineni Nageswara Rao in the film Nayakudu Vinayakudu, which was released in 1980. She acted in one Hindi film called Izzat, with Dharmendra as her male co star in 1968.
Jayalalithaa was a woman who took men and fashion head on, she was the first heroine to appear in skirts in Tamil films. She was one legendary dancer, actress and a politician who had a golden heart and was always ready to help the needy to the best of her abilities.
I recollect my aunt telling me that, Jayalalithaa was neither keen on acting nor entering into politics but she was pushed toward these high profile professions by her mother Sandhya and mentor MGR respectively. “I don’t enjoy politics I am doing my duty to the party and to the people of Tamil Nadu, I was pushed into two high profile profession which I never enjoyed,” she had confessed.
Thought later when her political career took off on a high note dance and music took a back seat but an artist is an artist its said, being a dancer and a musician she loved art and as a political figure she always supported and encouraged all art related festival and events and often made appearances to inaugurate and light the auspicious lamp too.
When the news of Amma’s death broke out my family and me were shocked and disheartened, as we could not believe what we had heard and wished if a miracle could bring her back to life. Jayalalithaaji was the uncrowned queen who ruled in the southern film industry during the mid 60’s and 70’s and was considered as one of the most prolific and versatile actress, dancers and a style icon during her period had actually left us and gone. Today, the diva of dance is not with us any more but her memories and her work will always remain with us forever.
(Sandip Soparrkar is a well known Ballroom dancer and a Bollywood choreographer who has been honoured with National Achievement Award and National Excellence Award by the Govt of India. He can be contacted on sandipsoparrkar06@gmail.com )
SandipSoparrkar
Artscape
