In Mandya, Sumalatha lends star power to BJP's campaign

Once a heartthrob of Malayali men, Sumalatha Ambareesh spent the campaign trail raising the pitch with her fiery speeches as BJP's star activist in Mandya in Karnataka.

Though her 'Clara' (of 'Thoovanathumbikal') and 'Kochutti' (of 'Thazhvaram') continue to enthrall Malayali filmgoers, Sumalatha has metamorphosed into a seasoned political activist.

“It was raining the first time I wrote her a letter. It was raining when we first met. What’s her name … Clara!” These immortal lines, delivered by Mohanlal's character Mannarathodiyil Jayakrishnan in 'Thoovanathumbikal', remain an enigma for Malayali men.

It did not rain when we met in Mandya… Nor did it rain when Sumalatha took the mike. But words rained during her fiery speech.

“Weren't the previous victorious candidates from this constituency cheating you? Should you not hold them to account for that? You shouldn’t vote for me or the BJP, nor the BJP candidate S D Jayaram, but vote in your own interest…”

The crowd erupted into rapturous applause.

This is not Jayakrishnan's Clara nor Balan’s Kochutti but someone else…the change is so complete.

We first met Sumalatha in front of Green Park Hall on the Old Mysuru-Bengaluru road in Mandya. The hall had an atmosphere of a theatre. The organisers were bringing workers from the sugarcane fields in one bus after another. There was a queue just like that in front of a theatre. People were counted and admitted into the hall. It looked like viewers were being allowed into the theatre to see a Sumalatha film.

The leaders of Mahila Morcha noted down the precise number of people. This was to check whether the target number of audience promised to each leader had been met or not. Suddenly, garlands of crackers began bursting outside the auditorium. Sumalatha, wearing a black saree and thick-framed spectacles of matching colour, alighted from the car, as if making her entry on the silver screen.

Some women came forward, lit camphor on a plate that was plastered with sandalwood paste and did the arati ritual. They then placed the platter at Sumalatha’s feet and performed “Paadapuja” with flowers.

Sumalatha on the podium
“You made me victorious when I contested the Lok Sabha elections. I remained an Independent MP for four years. Now, I appeal to you to make the BJP candidate S D Jayaram victorious (at this, the candidate rose from his seat and greeted the crowd with folded hands). Karnataka needs a double-engine government. Are former MLAs not ashamed to stand in front of the microphone and claim that they have done everything possible for you? You know what you got. Are there enough schools, roads, and an uninterrupted supply of electricity?”

As soon as she got down from the stage, the audience mobbed her for selfies.

Sumalatha, who contested as an independent candidate in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019 from the Mandya constituency, defeated Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the son of the former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy. With the support of the BJP, she won by a margin of 1 lakh votes. Mandya's love for Ambareesh, her late husband, actor and Union Minister, proved to be her strength.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is aiming to win at least 20 of the 57 seats from the Dakshina Kannada region, deployed Sumalatha in the poll battle. She made a whirlwind campaign tour, covering hundreds of venues across the six constituencies.

It was a virtual re-enactment at the Saraswathi Auditorium in Vasahalli. The performance of arati, paadapuja, speech and taking of selfies followed one after another.

As she came out off the stage, camerapersons thronged her. Even after leaving the filmdom’s limelight, cameras surround Sumalatha.

She was ready to answer our questions:
How did Sumalatha, the wife of Ambareesh, who was associated with the Congress and JDS, and known to have secular credentials, reach the BJP camp?
It is the Narendra Modi government that is working for the development of the country now. The responsibility of a representative of the people is to support development. In my view, it is the BJP that is secular.

The BJP is trying to abolish the reservation for Muslims. How can you then say that the party is secular?
This is an effort at making reservations compliant with the Constitution. The issue is under the consideration of the court at present. We can talk about it later.

Do you still remember your life in the Malayalam film industry?
How can I forget it? The best films I did were all in Malayalam. Clara of 'Thoovanathumbikal' and Kochutti of 'Thazhvaram' are still in my psyche. I worked with some of the top directors and artists in Malayalam.

Are you still in touch with Malayalam artists?
We have a group that consists of the actors of the 1980s. I do join Lissy, Mohanlal, Rahman, and Suhasini occasionally for get-togethers. It’s so much fun.

Even now, even among the sugarcane valleys of Mandya, seeing Sumalatha you are reminded of Mannarathodi Jayakrishnan's enduring lines that he tells 'Clara'. “Between us, there is nothing more to remember… But certainly, there is something between us that we will not forget”.