Nobody could match her intelligence: CV Rajendran

On a lighter note, in between shots I used to ask her, ‘Jaya why don’t you try writing Civil Services exams and become a collector as you are really good in General Knowledge?’ And she replied saying, ‘No Raju I want to become a great actor and keep exploring myself in this industry. I want to give more space and time for my acting’. Later, she went on to become people’s Chief Minister. 

However, one sad thing is that, I couldn’t direct her in any of my movies before she cut short her movie career in 1980. I wanted to cast her in a remake of a Hindi movie, opposite to Kamal Haasan, to which she readily agreed. MGR called me up saying that Jaya’s role in the movie is not prominent and asked me if I could cast another heroine. But I am happy that she was person who never forgets her past.

When she served her first tenure as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, she conferred me with the Kalaimamani Award and later honoured me with the Living Legend Award at the Centenary year celebrations. Moreover, she had a very close-knit circle of wellwishers and only expected them to call and wish her on her birthday. I was determined to call her every year till I perish. Unfortunately, that will not happen now.