Jayalalithaa plays great host to old friends

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Heaps of delectable nostalgia was served along with the most delicious food in silver dishes as the heroines of yesteryears gathered for lunch with former colleague and now chief minister, J. Jayalalithaa, at her Poes Garden bungalow here on Thursday.

Nightingale of south Indian cine music P. Susheela and character actors Sachu and Sukumari were also present.

Thuglak editor Cho S. Ramaswamy was the lone male in the group, invited perhaps because he is among the oldest friends and a trusted well-wisher of the chief minister, besides his movie past as a delightful comedian.

Sowcar Janaki, Anjali Devi, Jamuna, Rajashree and Saroja Devi completed the portrait of smiles provided to the newsrooms later in the day.

“Jayalalithaa’s so lovely, truly radiant. She was such a gracious host. It was the most unforgettable day in our lives”, gushed Saroja Devi, who flew in from Bengaluru where she lives for attending the Jaya TV anniversary celebration Wednesday evening and was thrilled at the big bonus—the Poes Garden lunch.

“We were all moved by the affection shown by the chief minister to each one of us. She was very friendly and recalled incidents involving us in films”, said Cho.

Asked about the spread on the table, he said he had not seen such a grand variety of delicious vegetarian food. “I am going to skip dinner, may be breakfast tomorrow too”.

Did he not feel intimidated being the lone male in the company of such women celebrities, that too led by the indomitable pretty CM? “Since I knew all of them quite well, I felt at home.

May be I got invited because I am her oldest friend. Perhaps I was the easiest choice to represent the old generation of male actors. There aren’t many left”, Cho replied.

The meeting of ‘old friends’ started at one p.m. and lasted about 90 minutes. Most of them promised to meet again “pretty soon”.