Thalaivii | Kangana Ranaut | Arvind Swami | Raj Arjun | Bhagyashree

Based on the life of late politician J Jayalalithaa, Kangana Ranaut-starrer Thalaivii is about how a naive Jaya transformed into someone more formidable — an Amma to millions. Staying true to the story he set out to tell, director AL Vijay tackles aspects of her life that Jaya's followers may have never got to see up close. Thalaivii takes you to the mid-60s when Jaya (Kangana) was pushed into acting to support her family, all but burying her dreams of becoming a lawyer. As a young, charming, beautiful heroine, she was paired opposite one of the most legendary actors of his generation, MG Ramachandran (played by Arvind Swami). Their love story goes through its shares of highs and lows until the political bug bites Jaya and their lives take a different turn. Kangana's performance as Jayalalithaa deserves applause. She taps into Jaya's rebellious spirit, her ferocity in challenging patriarchy, and her empathy when it comes to serving people. Arvind Swami is a treat to watch bearing an uncanny resemblance to the icon he's playing. In other pivotal roles, Raj Arjun (as RM Veerappan), Bhagyashree as Sandhya (Jaya's mother) and Madhoo as MGR's wife, (VN Janaki Ramachandran) are endearing.