Chennai: The 7-1/2 ft bronze statue could have cost a lot in terms of money for the sponsors and the toil on the part of the sculptor, but the fans of 'Amma' Jayalalithaa are not happy with what they saw when the silks came down at the joyous unveiling ceremony inside the AIADMK headquarters here on Saturday.
“That's her? That's really Amma? I don't think it is”, said one long-time party loyalist, sharply nudging his friend in the milling crowd. The friend fiercely nodded his head in agreement and replied in worried tone: “There is some mistake”.
Social media was afire with comparisons. One post said the statue looked like the legendary actor K. B. Sundarambal, another said it resembled a former minister, yet another said it surely was modeled after a party senior's wife while many others were convinced it had close resemblance to a prominent freedom fighter from the south.
“Endha angleley vetchchi paathaalum, Amma mugathey kaanumada..” said one social group post accompanied by a picture of film comedian Vadivelu trying to look through his locked fingers like a movie director.
Reporters asked AIADMK senior D. Jayakumar for his comment to the criticism that the Amma statue did not resemble Amma. “True loyalists and party cadres are agreeing this is Jayalalithaa's statue. Only animals without conscience are criticising that it is not”, said the fisheries minister furious.
