Thalaivii
Trailer, Teaser & Videos
Movie Details
| Based on | Book named Thalaivii by Ajayan Bala |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil, Hindi |
| Genres | Biography, Drama |
| Release date | 10 September 2021 |
| Running time | 2hr 33min |
| Certificate | U |
| Starring | Kangana Ranaut, Arvind Swamy, Nassar, Raj Arjun, Samuthirakani |
| Directed by | A. L. Vijay |
| Story by | Ajayan Bala |
| Screenplay by | V. Vijayendra Prasad |
| Produced by | Vishnu Vardhan Induri, Shailesh R Singh, Brinda Prasad |
| Cinematography by | Vishal Vittal |
| Edited by | Ballu Saluja |
| Music by | G. V. Prakash Kumar |
| Production Company | Zee Studios Vibri Motion Pictures Karma Media And Entertainment Gothic Entertainment Sprint Films |
| Distributor | Zee Studios |
Cast & Characters
- Kangana Ranaut as J. Jayalalithaa (Jaya) / Amma aka Ammu
- Arvind Swamy as M. J. Ramachandran aka M. J. R. (based on M. G. Ramachandran)
- Nassar as M. Karuna (based on M. Karunanidhi)
- Raj Arjun as R. N. Veerappan aka R. N. V. (based on R. M. Veerappan; Hindi version)
- Samuthirakani as R. N. Veerappan aka R. N. V. (based on R. M. Veerappan; Tamil version)
- Bharathi Kannan as C.N. Annadurai
- Bhagyashree as Jayaram Sandhya, Jaya’s mother
- Madhoo as V. N. Janaki Ramachandran, M. J. R.’s wife
- Radha Ravi as M. R. Radha
- Thambi Ramaiah as Madhavan
- Poorna as Sasikala (based on V. K. Sasikala)
- A. R. Manikandan as Moorthy, R. N. V.’s manager
- Bharath Reddy as AIADMK Party-worker
- Vidya Pradeep as an Actress
- Flora Jacob as Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India
- Rajiv Kumar as Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India
- Rajiv Kumar Aneja as L. K. Advani, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha
- Shanmugarajan as Valampuri John
- Virral Patel as Kannappan
- Jayakumar as Durai Murugan / Vaiko (played both as MLA & Rajya Sabha MP whereas both of them had been only one role respectively)
- Nitya Shetty as a Trainee Doctor
- Regina Cassandra as Saroja Devi (cameo appearance)
- Phanindra Gollapalli as Congress MP in Rajya Sabha
Storyline
The film chronicles the life of actor-turned-politician Jayalalithaa (Kangana Ranaut), her relationship with the legendary M. G. Ramachandran (Arvind Swami), and her tumultuous rise to power as the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
About Thalaivii Movie
Thalaivii is an Indian biographical drama film based on the life of Indian actress-politician J. Jayalalithaa. The film stars Kangana Ranaut as Jayalalithaa, Arvind Swamy as M. G. Ramachandran, Nassar as M. Karunanidhi, and Raj Arjun and Samuthirakani as R. M. Veerappan in the Hindi and Tamil versions, respectively. Shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi, it is directed by A. L. Vijay and written by Madhan Karky (Tamil) and Rajat Arora (Hindi).
The film is produced by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Shailesh R. Singh under Vibri Motion Pictures and Karma Media and Entertainment. It also features Bhagyashree, Madhoo, Thambi Ramaiah, Shamna Kasim, and Samuthirakani in supporting roles, with music composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar.
The film was officially launched on Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary on 24 February 2019. Initially titled Thalaivi in Tamil and Jaya in Hindi, the makers later decided to release it under the title Thalaivii across all languages.
Principal photography began in Mysore on 10 November 2019. A large set was erected in Chennai for a Bharatanatyam song sequence featuring Ranaut, which began filming on 1 February 2020. Production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying completion. Filming resumed in mid-November 2020, with the climax scene shot on a grand scale involving over 3,000 extras. The film wrapped production in December 2020.
The first look and teaser, released on 23 November 2019, received mixed reactions. While many praised Ranaut’s transformation, some criticized the prosthetics, sparking online debates.
Originally scheduled for theatrical release on 26 June 2020, the film was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The makers reaffirmed a theatrical release, setting new dates of 23 April 2021 and later 10 September 2021. Thalaivii was released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, with its OTT release following two weeks later on Netflix (Hindi) and four weeks later on Amazon Prime Video (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam). The Hindi version premiered on Zee Cinema on 25 December 2021.
The film faced legal challenges, with Jayalalithaa’s niece, Deepa Jayakumar, filing a complaint against the makers, asserting her legal right over Jayalalithaa’s life story. The Madras High Court allowed her to take legal action against the film’s director, producer, and Gautham Vasudev Menon, who had separately created the web series Queen based on Jayalalithaa’s life.
Budget & Box Office Collection
| Budget | ₹100 crore |
| Worldwide Collection | ₹4.98 crore |
