Kangana Ranaut to play Jayalalithaa in biopic 'Thalaivi'

Kangana Ranaut

It's befitting that on her birthday, there is an official announcement that Kangana is all set to portray Jayalalitha, a legendary actress turned politician, who is fondly referred to as 'Puratchi Thalaivi,' which means revolutionary leader.

Titled Thalaivi in Tamil and Jaya in Hindi, the film is a bilingual and will be Directed by Vijay, one of the leading filmmakers from South who has made landmark films like Madrasapattinam and Deiva Thirumagal. Speaking on a biopic on Jayalalithaa and having Kangana onboard, Director Vijay said, "Jayalalithaa madam was one of the most prominent leaders of our country. Making a film on her life is a big responsibility and we are going to do it with utmost care and honesty. Am proud and happy with our association with one of India's biggest star and the very talented Kangana Ranaut ji to portray the dynamic role of our very Dynamic leader."

"When producer Vishnu Induri approached me with an offer to direct this biopic, I felt a sense of responsibility more than excitement. This was a story of an achiever; a story of one woman who fought for her place in a male-dominated world. It was meant to be told with honesty. The stature of this tall leader and her courage inspired me to say yes as soon as I was offered this opportunity," Vijay told IANS.

The film has music by GV Prakash Kumar while Nirav Shah will crank the camera. "Bahubali" and "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" writer has been brought on board to supervise the writing process.

"It took us around nine months of research and over 20 drafts to finally lock the script. We are delighted to have Vijayendra Prasad sir helping us through the process of writing. His contribution will be of great value. This will be a very honest biopic of our beloved leader," he said.

Interestingly, another Jayalalithaa biopic titled "The Iron Lady" is currently in the offing. This project is gearing up for a 2020 release.

Nithya Menen plays Jayalalithaa in "The Iron Lady", being directed by A. Priyadarshini. The film will be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Vijay said "Thalaivi" will be the official biopic on the life of Jayalalithaa. He revealed that they have also taken permission from the late leader's nephew Deepak.

"I thank Deepak sir for granting us the official status. We are in the process of finalising the rest of the cast and crew. We start shooting from April," he added.

The film will be written by K.V. Vijayendra Prasad, who has also penned Baahubali and Manikarnika and will be produced by Vishnu Vardhan Induri & Shaailesh R Singh under the banners of Vibri & Karma Media and Entertainment. "This is my fifth collaboration with Kangana. Working with her is always an enriching experience and I'm glad that this film is based on an eminent personality", said Shaailesh.

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