MGR

Amma is Not Well

V Shoba

A veil of mystery and panic descends over Tamil Nadu following speculation over Jayalalithaa’s health

The Lady Vanquishes

Rohini Mohan

Liberating Jayalalithaa from the image trap

She Who Must Not be Named

S Prasannarajan

When Jayalalithaa ceases to be a noun and becomes a political pronoun

Tamil Nadu: The Cult of Mother is Intact

V Shoba

For the first time, Tamil Nadu has voted back an incumbent party contesting without an ally

Jayalalithaa: The Mother of All Battles

V Shoba

A smug Jayalalithaa parachuting into constituencies, Stalin in damage control mode, smaller parties turning up the heat. V Shoba watches the great election circus in Tamil Nadu

The eccentricities of MGR devotees are many. Ask TR Kailasam, who has been playing his lookalike since 1996, black wraparound sunglasses and fur cap included. When he dresses like MGR, says Kailasam, he ‘sees’ him