2020 Feb was the last movie I saw in a theatre unaware of the coming months what it holds for the world. Thalaivii (Female Leader) got released in theatres across India on 10 September coinciding to cash in on the Gowri Ganesha weekend in Hindi, Tamil & Telegu. With great enthusiasm & interest I went to watch alone in a fairly empty mall’s Multiplex which had thin crowd trickling in for a Sunday Morning Show for the Hindi version.COVID-19 protocols were being followed with meticulousness for sure.
The film is a Bio-pic of Tamil Nadu’s most prolific CM of this era : Jayaram Jayalalithaa her life as young actress who became a superstar & later reluctantly joins the murky world of politics. The movie was launched officially on Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary 24 February 2019.Shooting commenced on 10 November 2019 and completed in December 2020.Directed by A.L.Vijay with a budget of Rs.100 Crores & a running time of 153 minutes—the movie has its moments of triumph, anger, victory & romance.
We all love movies which have movies itself as theme to see a bygone era of behind the scenes shooting,costumes & dances from the 1960s era—and the movie doesn’t disappoint you in this.The effort to recreate a glorious sepia toned past painstakingly shot & is applaudable.
Coming to the plot of tracing the life of a character actress Sandhya’s (played by Bhagyashree) 16 year old daughter Jayalalithaa (Kangana Ranaut) being pushed into the world of cinema opposite heroes who are fit to play her father’s role is very interestingly handled. A young Jaya’s reluctance to bow to the dikat’s of ageing superstar MGR(Arvind Swami) & their initial awkward chemistry which blooms into a full fledged romance is painstakingly long but watchable. MGR’s wife Janaki (Madhoo Shah) in a supporting role adds the required screen presence of a credible supporting cast. Karunanidhi (played by Nassar) & RNV(played by Raj Arjun) add the perfect foil of witty & sarcastic one liners to Jaya & MGR.
But where the movie falters is the same jaded visuals which remind you of Dirty Picture(Vidya Balan 2010),a woman scorned who is out to get back to her detractors, a half-baked romance with a married actor going wrong & the insecurities of ageing actress are all visuals which have a sense of Déjà vu.What we need to however, celebrate is a Himachal Pradesh born actress has convincingly passed with flying colors, a role of a lifetime in Tamil Nadu’s iconic character Amma !
The first half celebrates the growth of actress superstar & her pairing with the iconic MGR which is so effortlessly played by Arvind Swami who has mastered the smallest nuances of the late actor.
The second half we get a glimpse of the loving Amma’s interest towards public life & her deep interest for the education of children which propels her to join politics & the odd circumstances (Indira Gandhi assassination 1984,her mentor MGR’s death 1987 followed by Rajiv Gandhi assassination 1991)which leads to Jaya being the face of the party inspite of the bitter in-house opposition within the AIADMK party is extremely well handled scenes & trying to dismiss of a woman & an actress as frivolous but emerges victorious in the elections.
What I am looking forward is the Part II of this movie which will trace Jaya’s journey from 40 to her untimely death at the age of 68 in 2016.This movie portrayed her in a very sanitized way,what we need to know is areas of grey of the legendary 6 times Tamil Nadu CM in a span of 14 years(1991-2016) & her equation with close aide Sasikala (played by Shamna Kasim) in a tiny role in this installment.
Go ahead,be brave,step out from your comfort zone & if you are double vaccinated enjoy the movie with your masks on at a theatre near you (before it gets aired on OTT !)
good review