CHENNAI: Hailed as the woman ‘Nadigar Thilagam’ by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Manorama got a fitting farewell as thousands took part in the funeral procession on Sunday evening. Such a staggering number was last seen only for Sivaji Ganesan’s funeral in 2001.
The procession, which began at 4-45 pm, moved from T Nagar to RK Salai, and had fellow actors like Vadivelu, Vivek, Kovai Sarala and Manobala standing beside Aachi’s body on a decorated tempo. Bystanders as well as motorists on nearby roads and flyovers gathered to watch the procession. Buses, cars and autos moved at a snail’s pace, but all was forgiven for her last journey.
Sarath Kumar, actor and president of Nadigar Sangam, director K S Ravikumar and actor Rajkiran were among the many stars who were present, along with hundreds of men and women, who had sacrificed their holiday or a day’s wage to pay their last respects. Indeed, as was the case with music director M S Viswanathan’s funeral earlier this year, the presence of the common man at the procession showed the actor’s connection with the masses.
Meanwhile, the Tamil film industry came to a standstill on Sunday as the Tamil Film Producers’ Council announced that no film work would be done for a day as a mark of respect to Aachi. In another separate message, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce too condoled Manorama’s passing.