Director AL Vijay will soon helm a biopic on J Jayalalithaa, a spokesperson for the director announced earlier today. The film, which will trace the life of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, will go on floors on her birth anniversary – February 24 – next year. The first look poster too, will be released on that day.
While details of the cast and crew – and especially that of the actress who would essay the role of Jayalalithaa – are not out yet, it is expected that the film would comprise actors from both Bollywood and the south Indian film industry.
Brinda Prasad, who bankrolls the film for Vibri Media, called it “a tribute to Jayalalithaa’s achievements both in cinema and politics.”
According to the latest reports, director Bharathiraja too will be making a biopic of the late chief minister. It will be produced by Adithya Bharadwaj and the makers are in talks with Ilaiyaraaja to compose music for the film.
One more bio-pic on #Jayalalithaa! Now veteran director #Bharathirajaa to do a bio-pic on #Jayalalithaa. The movie is being produced by Adithya Bharadwaj and the makers are in talks with #Ilaiyaraaja to compose music for the film. pic.twitter.com/E0Aeipe6rX
— Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) August 18, 2018
Having entered the film industry as a child star for the Kannada film Sri Shaila Mahatme (1961), Jayalalithaa made her Tamil debut in CV Sridhar’s Vennira Aaadai (1965). She soon rose to prominence, and her films with MGR released to much acclaim. Jayalalithaa was seventeen years old when she starred with MGR in Aayirathil Oruvan, her first film with the actor who would later become her political mentor and whose party she would later lead. Jayalalithaa’s political career has been alternatively turbulent and victorious, and more often than not mired in controversy. As the leader of AIADMK, she took on the might of the DMK, led by Karunanidhi, and was the six-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
While it would be interesting to see who would play the mighty actress-politician in both these biopics, Trisha, in an earlier interview had revealed that she “would do anything to play Jayalalithaa – even if it meant putting on weight.” When questioned about the lead actress, Brinda Prasad, in a conversation with The Times Of India, said that while the names haven’t been finalised yet, the project would feature “prominent faces from Kollywood, Tollywood and Bollywood.”
Vibri Media is also bankrolling the biopic of NT Rama Rao and Ranveer Singh’s sports drama 83.
