Thalaivii Movie Review: Kangana as Jayalalithaa will leave you with goose bumps; Arvind Swami is fabulous as MGR

In her 15 year long career, Kangana Ranaut has given us many terrific performances to remember-- may it be Shonali from Fashion , Rani from Queen or Tanu of Tanu Weds Manu. Recently, the actress revealed that in her opinion, ‘the best film of her career’ is her upcoming project Thalaivii . Well, after watching the film on silver screen today, we understand what Kangana meant and somewhat agree. Biopic of late actress and celebrated politician J. Jayalalithaa , Thalaivii features Kangana in the lead, breathing life into the character.

Directed by A. L. Vijay , the film begins in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly where Jayalalithaa was violently assaulted by a DMK minister. Before leaving the premises in a torn saree, she vowed to return only when she becomes the chief minister. Kangana will leave you with goose bumps right in the beginning. The film then takes us back to when the actress was just a teenager, who got a chance to share the screen with South superstar MGR. While initially Jaya did not care about who he was, she slowly understood what made him one of the most adored superstars of his time. As you see the story unfold, you will realize that the two shared a beautiful, pure bond.

The film is based on Jayalalithaa’s life, but it is also a tribute to the love and devotion shared by her and her mentor MGR. Actor Arvind Swami has done a wonderful job and his chemistry with Kangana will truly remind the audience of the magic created by Jaya and MGR in their super hit films. Sadly, as we all know, with time and politics came a rift between the two superstars. But as they say, love prevails all. Years later, MGR and Jaya joined forces as politicians. While MGR was the first actor to become a chief minister in India, Jayalalithaa joined his party AIADMK and in a few years was made the Propaganda Secretary.

Kangana and Arvind have outdone themselves, whereas Bhagyashree fits the role of a doting mother perfectly! Even in the two sequences where Jayalalithaa faced ridicule from the party members, Kangana’s expressions are on-point. Her acting chops hit you hard! We can confidently assure movie-lovers that they will not be disappointed with the spectacular performances. However, there are a few scenes and dialogues which seem like they have been overdramatized for the silver screen. Some sequences are also a little confusing and will leave fans scratching their heads-- the assassination attempt on MGR, for example. The scene could have been shot in a better way. Coming to the story! Jayalalithaa’s life as an actress and a politician was quite eventful and there was a lot to see. But the film turned out to be much longer than we expected. No, it was not a drag! In fact, it’s quite a delight to watch. Just really long.

Final thoughts: Thalaivii is a well made film which definitely deserves to be watched in theatres. So, go for it!