Vijay to begin shooting for Jayalalithaa biopic, Thalaivi, from April

After films on the lives of legendary actors Savitri and Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, it is time for audiences to watch the story of actor-politician J. Jayalalithaa, former CM of Tamil Nadu, unfold on screen. Announced on the occasion of Jayalalithaa’s 71st birth anniversary, the biopic will be directed by AL Vijay and is titled Thalaivi.

The title poster was released on Sunday and it was confirmed that the project will start rolling from April. Talking to Times of India, Vijay said: “Actually, producer Vishnu Induri approached me last year with this story idea and asked me if I could direct the film. While I was excited with the idea, I was also reluctant because there’s a huge responsibility of making an honest biopic. She is an achiever who we’ve all grown up watching. But Vishnu was confident about this project. We spent the last eight months researching on her life.”

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The film has story and screenplay by Vijayendra Prasad, the writer of Baahubali franchise and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

“It’s a blessing to have Vijayendra Prasad sir with us; we worked on more than 20 drafts, and finalised this one last month. The film will focus on the journey of a woman who has been successful in a male-dominated world. The most beautiful thing about her is that she has a powerful mind and is very strong willed; she is an inspiration for many. There will be honesty in the biopic, not drama,” Vijay said.

The makers are yet to finalise who will play Jayalaithaa’s role in the film. The final draft has been locked and the team is busy finalising the cast and technicians. While GV Prakash has been roped in to compose music, Nirav Shah will crank the camera. The film will be simultaneously shot in Tamil- Hindi.

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First Published: Feb 26, 2019 14:19 IST