Mannargudi mastermind
From a video rental vendor to chief minister aspirant, the spectacular rise of this woman is no less than a Tamil potboiler
he spectacular rise of Vivekanandan Krishnaveni Sasikala, 61, better known as Sasikala Natarajan, is straight out of a Tamil blockbuster. Born into an ordinary family, she spent her early years in Mannargudi, a small town in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, South India. Like most people in her state, Sasikala’s fascination for cinema began quite early. She dreamt of meeting a film star one day and perhaps, if providence had it, live like one. But Madras (now Chennai) was more than 350km away by road and several light years away in imagination. Little did a gangly Sasikala know what fate had in store for her. More than four decades on, her fierce ambition, incisiveness and political savvy have brought her right into the limelight that she always craved. Her journey — from a sleepy Mannargudi to Poes Garden in Chennai — has not been without its crests and troughs, though.
Sasikala married M. Natarajan, a minor public relations officer in the state government, in the 1970s. The couple settled to a life of domesticity before misfortune struck. Natarajan lost his job during the 1975 Emergency. The distraught family started a video rental shop to support themselves. It was around this time that Sasikala read about J. Jayalalitha, a rising star and prima donna of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party. Jayalalitha was a top movie star who was dipping her toes in politics, following the death of her mentor M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), Tamil superstar and chief minister (1977-1987). The papers won’t stop gushing about her looks and aura.
Striking an instant rapport
She persuaded her husband, an ex-government officer, to request an acquaintance to secure an opportunity to shoot a video film of Jayalalitha. It was not going to be easy. Jayalalitha had a reputation for being intensely private. Surprisingly, Jayalalitha agreed to the shoot. And the two ladies got along very well. Although both came from different backgrounds, castes and world views, they struck an instant rapport. It turned out to be a pivotal moment in Sasikala’s life. The small-time video cassette shopkeeper went on to become a lifelong friend, confidant and ‘soul sister’ to one of the most powerful women in the subcontinent.
The friendship between Sasikala and Jayalalitha blossomed in the 1980s. By 1988, Sasikala had moved into Jayalalitha’s luxury home in Poes Garden, one of the poshest areas in Chennai, in- habited by the city’s fashionistas, film stars and the rich. This was the time when Jayalalitha was emotionally distraught, having lost her mentor MGR. Fighting supporters of MGR’s wife Janaki in a battle to carry forward his political legacy, had drained her. At this vulnerable juncture in Jayalalitha’s life, Sasikala became her anchor. Her influence continued to grow as Jayalalitha became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time in 1991. The close ties between the two were exploited by Sasikala’s family and extended clan. Critics accused Sasikala of misusing her proximity to the AIADMK leader.
The association between Sasikala and Jayalalitha continued to deepen. Jayalalitha adopted Sasikala’s nephew V.N. Sudhakaran as her “foster son”. His wedding to the grand-daughter of matinee legend Sivaji Ganesan in 1995 became the talk of the town. The event received wide coverage in national media with some billing it as the “mother of all weddings”. Jayalalitha’s critics lashed at her for using government resources for personal use. This reflected badly on the chief minister. Subsequently AIADMK lost the 1996 assembly elections. Sasikala had become a millstone round Jayalalitha’s neck.
Things came to a boil in 2011 when Jayalalitha learnt about conspiracies hatched against her by Sasikala’s family. In December 2011, Jayalalitha asked the Mannargudi clan to pack up. Sasikala too was expelled from the party. A few of her family members were jailed for corruption. Political commentators started writing Sasikala’s obituary.
But Sasikala refused to roll over. She approached Jayalalitha again, offering remorse on her family’s behalf and expressing her own innocence. Jayalalitha, always known to have a soft spot for Sasikala, took her back. By September 2016, the Tamil Nadu chief minister was in poor health and had to be hospitalised. Such was the secrecy around her medical condition that not even O. Panneerselvam (who had been handpicked by the chief minister as her stand-in) was allowed to see her. Only Sasikala maintained an unfettered access to Jayalalitha, right up to her death on December 5, 2016.
Calling the shots
During her funeral, Sasikala remained firmly by the leader’s body as thousands streamed past to pay their last respects. A few days later, she took the powerful post of general secretary of AIADMK. While technically not qualified for the post (it requires one to have completed five years as an active member of the party), Sasikala began to call the shots. Last week, Sasikala made the final move by staking her claim to be the chief minister, a decision that prompted Panneerselvam to tender his resignation. Panneerselvam subsequently revealed that he was forced to step down on Sasikala’s orders. The decision by AIADMK came under fire as many pointed out her lack of experience in politics and administration. Many are hitching their hopes on a Supreme Court verdict due next week in a corruption case against Sasikala. If convicted, she cannot become the chief minister. Her critics are clamouring for an inquiry into the secrecy surrounding Jayalalitha’s death. Right now, Sasikala has a majority of party legislators on her side, but she will need the endorsement of the people to gain power. The last act of this dramatic narrative is yet to be played out.