Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, and she is currently being treated at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai. The CM has been unwell since September 22.
As she battles for life, here's a look at some important life lessons Jayalalithaa taught us during the years she has been active in public life. One of her most popular English interviews was with Simi Garewal, where she opened up about her childhood and her life as an actress and politician. Here are a few important events from her life and career, which she described as "tempestuous" at the time.
Jayalalithaa on how she maintains her calm exterior: "When you are a leader you learn to control your emotions. You learn not to show them openly. I keep my emotions to myself. they are not for public display. I have never wept in public. I have a lot of willpower, a lot of self control."
On how politics has made her tougher: "When I started out I was very shy, terrified of meeting strangers. I am a person who hates the limelight. I have been propelled by fate to high-profile careers. But I am really a behind-the-scenes person."
On making acting a career: "I didn't like it. But once I decide to do something, whether I like it or not, I give it my all. I must excel in it. I must do it superlatively well.So, though I hated my career in films, but I was the number one star of my time. Though I shouldn't say it I don't really like politics but people say I am a successful politician and a good one."
Women in politics: "In politics men think a woman is dispensable. They try to destroy her existence. But today no one can wish me away politically."
Being deprived of my mother's love: "When I look back on my life, I seem to have spent so little time with my mother. I have never really been satiated with the kind of love I expected and wanted and needed from my mother because there simply wasn't enough time. I did come to Madras to live with her from 10 to 16 years. But my mother was so busy."
Proudest achievement: When Jayalalithaa completed schooling she was voted the best outstanding student by her teachers and headmistress, and she considers this her most proudest achievement.
On MGR: "He was a warm and caring kind of person.And when my mother died he replaced her in my life," Jayalalithaa said, adding that she has never found unconditional love. "No, I have not. I think it exists only in books, in poems and in films. Not in real life. Never," she said.
Check out the full interview below:
