Thalaivii review: Kangana and Arvind Swami power this biopic

Dubai - The movie plays out more as a romance than a political drama

As a popular actress-turned-political leader, J Jayalalithaa has etched her name in the annals of India’s most powerful female figures. So when someone of the stature of award-winning Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut takes on the role of the larger-than-life character, it is but natural to expect a cinematic journey par excellence.

The multi-lingual Thalaivii (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu) , directed by Vijay doesn’t disappoint in the scale and scope of the subject matter. To Kangana’s credit she doesn’t try to mimic the iconic leader but rather delves into the spirit of a woman whose transition from Ammu (her pet name) to Amma (mother, as her people referred to her), a figure revered and reviled in equal measures by those who knew her, is the stuff of folklore.

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The movie is based on the book Thalavi by Ajayan Balan and traces the journey of a young girl who is forced to give up her studies and enter the lucrative Tamil film industry by a mother (Bhagyashree) who has fallen on bad times.

Thalaivii is predominantly centred around the reverential relationship Jaya shares with her co-star and mentor MGR (MG Ramachandran) who in her own words is akin to a father, mother and even God to her.

Arvind Swami plays the erstwhile actor-turned political leader considered a messiah by his followers with aplomb. His is the kind of acting that doesn’t depend on dialogues, but rather a gentle smile or a tightening of the lips is enough to convey his emotions.

To watch the talented actor completely erase himself to play the cult figure whose mere presence is enough to fill everyone around him with awe is a delight.

As played by Kangana a young Jaya is wilful, petulant and headstrong, all characteristics we have come to associate with the actor and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two.

In the latter part of the movie when she has to rely on prosthetics to showcase the changes in her body due to the overuse of steroids following a deadly car accident (no explanation is given for her corpulent frame though) Jayalalithaa might seem a bit plasticky.

But there is no taking away from the fact that here was a woman who was dragged into the limelight reluctantly and yet managed to hold her head high despite some extremely public humiliations and rise to the top position in a male-dominated political party.

Raj Arun who plays MGR’s man Friday and PA, Veerapan, turns in a formidable performance, as does Nassar as Karunanidhi, MGR’s one-time friend-turned political foe.

Thalaivii is a movie that plays out as a feminist parable of the rise of a strong single woman, who had to fight her way to cult status.

Rating: 3 out of 5