Jayalalitha Biopic Row: Madras High Court Issues Notice to Filmmakers

After Jayalalithaa's niece approached the Madras High Court seeking a stay on the biopic, the court on Tuesday issued a notice to director Gowtham Vasudev Menon and others seeking their response over the matter.

Justice K.Kalyanasundaram sought the response of Menon and filmmakers Vishnu Vardhan Induri and A L Vijay when an application arising out of a suit filed by Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar came up for hearing. After he was informed that the three have already filed a caveat, the judge ordered that they be served the case papers by Deepa and posted the matter to November 12 for further hearing.

 Deepa, who submitted the plea claimed that she was a legal heir of the late AIADMK supremo, has sought to restrain the filmmakers from going ahead with their project without her consent. She contended that the filmmakers did not have any legal right to produce the movie on the life and times of Jayalalithaa and she is also worried if the script shows her in negative light.

 The biopic, titled "Thalaivi" (the leader) in Tamil and "Jaya" in Hindi, is set to be produced by them and Kangana Ranaut has been roped in with  aheft pay cheque to reprise the role of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister, who died in December 2016, she submitted.

 In her application, Deepa further claimed the three do not have any legal right, power or authority to make to publish, exhibit publicly or privately film or any tele or web serial in respect of Jayalalithaa's life or that of any direct descendants without her consent.

 Being a family member Jayalalithaa she was associated with important events in the late leader's life, Deepa apprehended that the filmmakers might portray the life of her aunt and that of her as well in their "own version", affecting her privacy.

The shoot for the film is reportedly all set to take off and the movie is expected to release next year. 

Not just the biopic, but Late CM’s niece, Deepa, has also filed a petition against the web series that is being made on the life of the politician.

Kangana Ranaut meanwhile is in Los Angeles, California where she is preparing for the film and undergoing various look tests. A series of pictures of Kangana Ranaut have gone viral on social media wherein the actress is seen covered in prosthetics for the look test. Also, Kangana is learning Tamil and a picture of the actress doing her homework on a sofa wth the film is doing the rounds. As per reports, the film is all set to go on floors post Diwali in Mysore, and Kangana’s look for the film will be revealed soon.