Took over 20 drafts to lock script of Jayalalithaa biopic: Vijay

Filmmaker Vijay, who is all set to direct a biopic on the life of actor-politician J. Jayalalithaa titled "Thalaivi", says that it took him and his team over 20 drafts to lock the final version of the script.

On the 71st birth anniversary of Jayalalithaa on Sunday, the title of the project along with a poster was revealed.

To be produced by Vishnu Induri, "Thalaivi" will start rolling from April.

"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 G.V. Prakash Kumar while Nirav Shah will crank the camera. "Baahubali" and "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" writer Vijayendra Prasad 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. On Sunday, the makers of this project announced that they are targeting a February 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 Jayalalithaa's nephew Deepak.

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

--IANS

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