I am overwhelmed by deep sadness today, because I knew Jayalalitha so well in our younger years, and memories are flooding my brain. We had sleepovers at one another's houses, I played table tennis with her brother Jayakumar along with my friend Uma Alladi. Ammu (as we called her) and I were dancing partners for the longest time at Sarasa teacher's school. In fact, Teacher choreographed Lalgudi's Mohana Kalyani Tillana for Ammu, Prema (Chaturvedi) Sadasivam and myself, and we performed it at the Raj Bhavan when Teacher received her Kalaimamani Award, way back when! On Vijaya Dasani days Ammu and I would call one another and land up at the same time at Teacher's house so we could dance together. Her mother Sandhya, a friend of my mother's, had brought 7 1/2-year-old Ammu to my Arangetram in 1956. That was the day Sandhya aunty decided to put her with Sarasa teacher.

A few years later, my mother took me to Ammu's Arangetram. She was both beautiful, and talented. When I was doing my 2nd year of B.A. at Stella Maris College (1964-65), Ammu joined in the Pre-University Course, having recently graduated at the top of her class from Church Park. We would meet at Assembly or in the corridors and catch up a little bit, but one day she told me that she was quitting, because she was acting as the heroine, in her very first movie, and the shooting schedules were interfering with her studies. She looked forlorn telling me this news, and I felt very sad for her, because she was quite brilliant and would have excelled academically too. After seeing "Vennira Aadai", I remember calling and congratulating her, and she sounded so happy.

Soon our paths diverged. She became a famous star, I continued with my dance career and academia (teaching English at SIET, Queen Mary's and North Madras Colleges) We lost complete touch when I left for the US, and my subsequent attempts to contact her during my India visits became futile, and I gave up. Sadly, at the young age of 68 she is no more, and I am reminded of Marlowe's couplet from "Faust" -
"Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight
And withered is Apollo's laurel bough".

May your soul rest in peace, Ammu! You were a bold non-conformist with the tremendous strength of your conviction, who never feared to speak your mind. You will be missed by millions that worshipped you.