Actress and producer Kangana Ranaut has aced her craft on screen time and again. And I have to say that, Kangana knows how to win hearts through her films. Her latest outing on the big screen is Thalaivii and the actress is all set to blow your mind once again. The Jayalalithaa biopic, directed by A L Vijay, written by Rajat Arora, and jointly produced by Vibri Motion Pictures and Karma Media and Entertainment and is slated to release this Friday (10th September).
Thalaivii chronicles the life of the late J. Jayalalithaa, an actress turned politician who served as the Chief Minister for the state of Tamil Nadu six times. With such an interesting life being turned into a story, the film is truly a delight to watch. And before I tell you my thoughts about the film, check out the trailer here:
Here’s what I like about the film:
1. Kangana Ranaut as Thalaivii
Kangana has done a fabulous job at portraying the role of the late Jayalalithaa. The actress has perfected every nuance, expression, and body language of the actor-politician. Right from the beginning to the end, not for a moment will you feel that you are watching Kangana on the celluloid. With a brilliant dialogue delivery in all the scenes, Kangana has literally got under the skin of the character. In fact, there are moments in the film where you will want to get up from your seat and whistle. That’s the kind of spark she delivers on the screen. She will totally move you with her character’s hardships. This is one of Kangana’s best performances and she has done justice to it in every possible way.
2. Arvind Swami as M.G. Ramachandran
Jayalalithaa and MGR’s relationship has been spoken about so much, that it was essential for the makers to deal with it in a sensible manner considering they were making a biopic. And the director has done just that. What was the cherry on the cake, was Arvind Swami‘s performance as MGR. You can totally feel the vibes of MGR’s stardom when Arvind appears on the screen. Arvind Swami has reflected the various dilemmas of MGR’s character quite efficiently. The chemistry between Jayalalithaa and MGR, makes you understand why they said what they said, that’s the kind of finesse Arvind brings to the character.
3. A brilliant storyline
For somebody who has always been curious to know about the late Jayalalithaa, this is one of the best biopics out there which gives you a perfect glimpse of her life. It captures every element of her life aptly, right from the actress, a leader ascending to becoming the CM, the character transition is smoothly done and with the director, the credit also goes to Kangana. Every aspect has been captured so well. The dialogues of the film are impactful, some scenes are done brilliantly, so much that you will connect to them as an audience. The funeral scene of MGR is so well shot, that you can feel every sentiment in it and you feel for the central character.
I would like to give a special mention to actor Raj Arjun who essays the role of R. M. Veerappan. He has done a fantastic job at essaying his part. In fact, his character graph is so good that it adds to the narrative and takes the story forward. He will make you hate him, but his sternness is what stands out making him an integral part of the storyline.
Things that could have been better:
1. The length of the film.
Thalaivii is a really long film. The late actress-politician has been a prominent personality, and I’m sure that it would have been a challenge for the makers to do justice and showcase everything Amma went through and achieved. But if the length could have been managed somehow, the crisper version could have been even better.
2. Editing
The editing is a little unsatisfactory, especially in the first half. While there is a build-up, but by the time you sink your teeth in the scene, it gets over. Especially when you have such brilliant performances and impactful scenes, a little more attention to this aspect could have really made the viewing experience better.
3. The trailer gives out more than expected
A lot of good parts from the film have already been given out in the trailer. As an audience, seeing an impactful trailer like this one made me expect even more dhamaaka in the film. While it does tick most of the boxes, the climax is what leaves me craving for more. One of the reasons for it is that the climax is such an impactful scene, that the makers could have saved it for the film, instead of using it in the trailer.
In all, the film is a must-watch! Like I said before, it is one of the best biopics made and Kangana has done a fabulous job. She deserves every praise that will come her way after this one. You surely must watch this amazing life story unfold.
My verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5.