Kangana Ranaut shares new Thalaivi look on Jayalalithaa’s 72nd birth anniversary

To commemorate the 72th birth anniversary of J Jayalalithaa, Kangana Ranaut has shared her new look from Thalaivi. Directed by Vijay, the film is a biopic of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister. It traces her journey from a budding film star in the 1960s to her political victory in 1991. 

In the recent poster, Kangana is seen wearing a white saree with red and black borders. The look is of Jayalalithaa in her 30s when she was about to enter politics. The colours are representative of the AIADMK flag. 

"After Manikarnika, this is my second biopic, and I am honored to portray such a strong lady,” Kangana said. “Her personality was different from anything I have portrayed earlier. It's deeply gratifying to play someone who was so determined, persevered but had a silent strength which distinguished her from everyone else."

Vijay, who is helming the multi-lingual (Hindi, Tamil and Telugu), said, "The film depicts the early years and struggles she faced both as an actor and as a politician. Her life was a mix of glamour, love, heartbreak, struggle and success. Our focus is to make it as real as possible, without trying to glorify her, but show the human side of the person she was.

The director added that Kangana has brought a ‘fierce quality’ to the iconic part. "Kangana's dedication towards playing the character shows in the fact that she gained weight to stay true to the stage of her life that she is portraying. Her attention to detail, her make-up and costumes will make it a visual treat for the audience, they will feel like they are watching Jayalalithaa herself on screen,” he said. 

Thalaivi is produced by Vishnu Vardhan Iduri and Shaailesh R Singh. The film is scheduled for release on June 26.