Jayalalithaa enthralled the audience with a scintillating Manipuri performance

KOCHI: When the entire nation is mourning the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, the old generation of Kochi cherishes some fond memories of her. In 1967, when she was the most promising face in South Indian tinsel town, Jaya, 19, visited Kochi, along with her mother, for a dance programme at FACT Laithakala Kendram, Eloor. She enthralled the audience with a Manipuri performance. Former employees of FACT still remember the scintillating dance. At that time, Jaya was slowly rising to prominence in the glamour industry with the release of Tamil movie Vennira Aadai in 1965. She was paid Rs 25,000 as remuneration for the performance, a high amount at that time.

“When MKK Nair was the CMD of FACT, ace artists and cultural leaders from across the country were invited to perform at the Kala Kendram, a brainchild of Nair which was started in 1966. The patronage offered by the FACT to the art and culture of the state was unique. Several popular film celebrities of that age like Sathyan, Sheela, Ummar, Manju Bhargavi and Jayalalithaa were some of the high-profile visitors,” said G. Mohan, a retired employee of FACT, who is a musician.

Renowned dancers like Padma Subramaniam, Chithra Visweswaran, Sonal Mansingh and musicians like M.S. Subbulakshmi, D. Balamurali Krishna, Madurai T.N. Seshan, Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan, T.N. Krishnan and M.L. Vasanthakumari are some of the other personalities who performed there. Thousands of people used to watch the regular cultural programmes organized at the Kendram.