“I think it is right that a top star plays the role of an important politician”: Vijay on casting Kangana Ranaut in Jayalaithaa biopic

Ever since it was announced that Kangana Ranaut will play Jayalalithaa in her biopic, the film has been one of the most talked about ventures. From Kangana reportedly being paid 24 crores, which makes her the highest paid actress in India, to the actress learning Tamil and Bharatnatyam, the film has been making headlines. The bilingual which will be titled Thalaivi in Tamil and Jaya in Hindi, has been written by K.V. Vijayendra Prasad and produced by Vishnu Vardhan Induri & Shaailesh R Singh.

Recently, in an interaction, director Viiay was asked about his approach towards the film and working with Kangana, and he pointed out that a leader of Jayalalithaa’s stature cannot be limited to one region; it was a PAN India film, and Kangana Ranaut was apt for the role. He said “You can’t restrict Jayalalithaa to one region, she was a national leader. Even in Mumbai, people know who Amma is. Kangana (Ranaut) is one of the biggest stars in India today. I think it is right that a top star plays the role of an important politician. This way, the story will also reach audiences across India. We consider this a pan-Indian film, not a regional one. There was a lot of discussion before the decision was made to cast Kangana; we met several people as well. She is extremely excited about the project and wants to portray her with utmost honesty. She will learn Tamil for the film and also be part of a one-month workshop to get into the character. We are all trying to make an honest biopic. That’s all I can say at this point of time.”

Kangana Ranaut in currently in Kolkata, where she is shooting for Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Panga, post which she will start promotions of Mental Hai Kya and then dive straight into Jayalalthaa biopic. She had also announced recently that she has locked the script of the next Directorial venture and will make an announcement shortly.