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The Queen
A brilliant student from an impoverished family, Kalai Arasi is forced to take up acting in films. She attracts the attention of the reigning superstar, PKB, who becomes her lover and mentor before he leaves films to enter politics. Years later, when he coaxes Kalai to campaign for him, she meets with spectacular success. PKB wins a third term by a landslide but within days he dies. In the brutal battle for power that follows, Kalai prevails. She seizes the throne to become chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
Guarded, cautious and suspicious of both friend and foe, Kalai’s loneliness increases alongside her authoritarianism. She befriends Selvi, a woman who runs a video shop, but Selvi leads her into ever more pompous displays of wealth and power. With intensifying rumours of corruption, the walls begin to close in on Kalai. She is forced to confront the shattering question: Will the public turn against her?
The Queen follows the ascent of a sixteen-year-old girl to superstardom and her transformation thereafter into a formidable politician. It tells a scintillating story of power, its triumphs and its perversions and marks the debut of an audacious new voice.
Guarded, cautious and suspicious of both friend and foe, Kalai’s loneliness increases alongside her authoritarianism. She befriends Selvi, a woman who runs a video shop, but Selvi leads her into ever more pompous displays of wealth and power. With intensifying rumours of corruption, the walls begin to close in on Kalai. She is forced to confront the shattering question: Will the public turn against her?
The Queen follows the ascent of a sixteen-year-old girl to superstardom and her transformation thereafter into a formidable politician. It tells a scintillating story of power, its triumphs and its perversions and marks the debut of an audacious new voice.
280 pages, Paperback
Published April 28, 2017
22 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 5, 2024
Very inspiring
Saw the film which is very different. But I still enjoyed this. Thanks 😊 . Definitely recommend it for the plot and language 👌
Saw the film which is very different. But I still enjoyed this. Thanks 😊 . Definitely recommend it for the plot and language 👌
October 23, 2019
This book is a fictional take on the highly eventful life of the CM of Tamil Nadu - Jayalalitha. And boy was it boring!
The central character of Kalai is so underdeveloped, that Kalai just remains a pale shadow of what Jayalalitha was. Her world and various relationships remain sketchy.
The continual toggling between timelines was confusing and hampered the readability. I found myself just skipping pages in order to finish the book faster. The writing is strictly ok. It felt as if the author was holding back so as not to create any controversy with her story. Which makes me wonder why write this book at all!!
Completely avoidable read!
The central character of Kalai is so underdeveloped, that Kalai just remains a pale shadow of what Jayalalitha was. Her world and various relationships remain sketchy.
The continual toggling between timelines was confusing and hampered the readability. I found myself just skipping pages in order to finish the book faster. The writing is strictly ok. It felt as if the author was holding back so as not to create any controversy with her story. Which makes me wonder why write this book at all!!
Completely avoidable read!
August 30, 2018
Read #TheQueen by #AnitaSivakumaran on @juggernaut.in using my all-access pass. Loosely based on former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the late Jayalalithaa's life, it is written like a novel. Made for an entertaining read, so much so that I was awake until 2 a.m reading the book.
November 8, 2020
It is clear that this story is based on the life of the late Jayalalitha but events have been added and removed to probably stay on the safe side!
What struck me was the extremely unlikeable nature of the protagonist Kalai Arasi.
Sure, she is made to enter films for financial reasons by her mother at the cost of her academic dreams, but even then, at the age of 16, she comes across as really elitist for some strange reason. What's more, she capitulates pretty easily to the dubious charms of the aging superstar and aspiring politician PKB to enter the film world on a permanent basis.
Throughout, what I hated was the number of references to skin colour (Kalai looks at people and always thinks they are dark, no matter what else is apparent about them), body shape (everyone is thought of as fat, plump etc every time) and an unexplainable aversion to the local people Kalai rules over!
She is herself from the same state but she simply thinks she is above all. Not a nice person at all!
The differences introduced into the story made it a pale attempt at telling a famous story and the protagonist just made it worse! It was a quick read which is why I finished it.
What struck me was the extremely unlikeable nature of the protagonist Kalai Arasi.
Sure, she is made to enter films for financial reasons by her mother at the cost of her academic dreams, but even then, at the age of 16, she comes across as really elitist for some strange reason. What's more, she capitulates pretty easily to the dubious charms of the aging superstar and aspiring politician PKB to enter the film world on a permanent basis.
Throughout, what I hated was the number of references to skin colour (Kalai looks at people and always thinks they are dark, no matter what else is apparent about them), body shape (everyone is thought of as fat, plump etc every time) and an unexplainable aversion to the local people Kalai rules over!
She is herself from the same state but she simply thinks she is above all. Not a nice person at all!
The differences introduced into the story made it a pale attempt at telling a famous story and the protagonist just made it worse! It was a quick read which is why I finished it.
April 7, 2023
The lonely lioness on top of a food chain. Was there anyone else whom the word Thalaivi suited more? In Tamil, there are separate words for male and female leader. Is that why movie actors transitioned so smoothly into politics?
Someone shouted , "Make way for madam to get closer to the truck'. Then she was beside the truck . Kalai put a proprietary hand on the side of the truck... She imagined touching PKB's body . She wonder if the people saw that she was channeling his spirit into herself. She hope they did. It was, what? It was ... power. She strode like queen to lay her dead king to rest.
This book is inspired by the Jayalalitha who Indian politician and actress who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016.
It is a very fast paced story covering highlighted incidents of Jaya's early life as an actress then slowly her transition into politics. Some part of the book are fictitious just so that the author don't make it so obvious that it is 100% Jayalalitha's story. Very creative of the author to change the names of the persons example the main character Kalai Arasi is Jayalalita, PKB is MGR and Sasikala as Selvi. So much things was new to me as in MGR got shot by his fellow actor M.R.Radha, I googled about that incident. One thing from this story reminded me of the Hindu Epic Mahabaratha, was how she was assaulted in the assembly very similar to how Draupadi was assaulted.
Overall it is a good read. My expectation is pretty high cause I was hoping the author would cover more on Kalai's relationship with PKB, how she managed to grasp all the men into her political party and little more on her background growing up.
May 30, 2021
Actress📍Politician📍Chief Minister
16 year old, Kalai Arasi was made to enter the world of cinemas due to financial constraints by her mom and the story continues till she becomes a Chief Minister.
I didn’t enjoy the book. It was unexciting.
My personal opinion is that the famous story was NOT narrated completely. I kept finding the similarities of Kalai Arasi to the actual person. Somehow or rather, I also felt that certain things was not clearly state. Maybe, we shouldn’t expect the story to be of the former Chief Minister?
16 year old, Kalai Arasi was made to enter the world of cinemas due to financial constraints by her mom and the story continues till she becomes a Chief Minister.
I didn’t enjoy the book. It was unexciting.
My personal opinion is that the famous story was NOT narrated completely. I kept finding the similarities of Kalai Arasi to the actual person. Somehow or rather, I also felt that certain things was not clearly state. Maybe, we shouldn’t expect the story to be of the former Chief Minister?
December 27, 2022
A fast read. The story of how a young girl from a lower middle class family went on to become a star, superstar in Madras cinema and that led to her joining the politics becoming chief minister of the state.
Though names are changed the story is based on the actual person JL , even her best friend, mother and subsequent involvement in corruption all are events that happened.
Though names are changed the story is based on the actual person JL , even her best friend, mother and subsequent involvement in corruption all are events that happened.
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June 26, 2021good
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August 1, 2017Enjoyed thoroughly! Takes you into the world of a woman who comes across as a firebrand but her desires deep within are simple and homely.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews