One more biopic planned on former CM Jayalalithaa

A veteran filmmaker has also expressed interest in making a film on her life

Jayalalithaa

Filmmakers seem to be queueing up to make biopics on the life of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. While one was announced on Wednesday, a second by A. Priyadarshini of Papertale Pictures was announced on Thursday. Both films will head for a likely release in 2019.

Industry sources said that a well-known veteran filmmaker also has expressed his wish to make a film on Jayalalithaa’s life, which, if fructifies, will be the third film on the iconic leader.

Filmmaker Vijay has been roped in to direct one of the biopics, produced by Vibri Media.

Speaking about the project, Mr. Vijay, who has directed period dramas such Madarasapattinam, said, “The film is entirely producer Vishnu's vision. When they approached me, I took it up because she was an inspirational figure.”

Asked if Jayalalithaa’s family and her party members have been approached for research purposes, Vijay said, “Currently, we are speaking to people who were close to her for research.”

Jayalalithaa was one of the most popular actors in Tamil cinema and leader of the AIADMK.

After setting up a research team, producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri of Vibri Media, decided that he wanted to tell the audience about the other side of the political leader. “We, as producers, have a vision on what the film needs to be. It will be about vulnerable woman” he said.

Admitting that women politicians such as Jayalalithaa and Indira Gandhi were inspirational figures while growing up, Ms. Priyadarshini, a producer and director who runs Papertale Pictures, said that she has around four scripts ready – each focusing on different aspects of Jayalalithaa’s life. “We are currently discussing which part of her life should be made into a film,” she said.

Stating that the while the film was is being made to inspire people and hence could be hagiographic in nature, she added, “But, it will be balanced. As a person, she had her share of positives and negatives.”

She said, “It is very difficult to make a film about her life without really going back in time to the first years of the Dravidian movement.” “One needs to understand Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, MGR and others to make sense of Jayalalithaa’s life,” she added.