Bollywood superstar Kangana Ranaut is all set to come up with yet another impactful performance in her upcoming movie Thalaivi. On the occasion of the actor’s 34th birthday, the makers of Thalaivi dropped the trailer of the much-anticipated movie. The movie will release on April 23.
The movie is directed by Vijay and screenplay is by Baahubali fame KV Vijayendra Prasad.
Offering a glimpse into the life of iconic J Jayalalithaa, the trailer of the movie sheds light on the events that shaped different stages of her legendary life—journey from her struggling days in the movie industry to becoming the face of the Tamil cinema, and finally her plunge into the politics to become Tamil Nadu’s beloved ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’.
The trailer shows Jayalalithaa’s relationship with MG Ramachandran(MGR) and how with his guidance, she decided to join politics and serve the people.
It also showcased how she had been insulted at every step of her political career, primarily on account of her gender. It gives an insight into how misogynistic society then was. Jayalalithaa broke the glass ceiling and paved the way for the greater participation of women in politics.
As a woman, Jayalalithaa had to face constant attacks and difficulties when she decided to enter politics. However, just like she had wowed the audience through her movie performances, she kept winning the hearts of the people in public life too.
The trailer also portrays Jaya’s maiden speech at the Rajya Sabha which was widely hailed for its clarity of diction and impressive prose. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was also impressed with her oratory skills, and so were other Rajya Sabha members.
The infamous incident when DMK members assaulted and tried to disrobe Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu assembly
After MGR’s death, when everybody had written Jayalalithaa off, she proved them wrong by leading her party to victory and winning people’s hearts with her work and dedication.
However, the biggest highlight of the trailer is the recreation of the infamous incident from Jaya’s life when she was physically assaulted and humiliated inside Tamil Nadu assembly. While there are multiple versions of the event, the dominant narrative is that an attempt was made by DMK members to disrobe Jaya.
In 1989, following the death of MGR, violence erupted between the members of the AIADMK and Karunanidhi’s DMK. Karunanidhi launched an aggressive verbal attack against Jaya after she had called him a criminal. What transpired in the aftermath was one of the most shameful episodes in the history of Tamil Nadu politics.
In the ensuing violence, Jayalalithaa was physically attacked, and just as she was leaving the assembly, DMK members attacked her and tried to humiliate her by disrobing her and pulling her hair. After this humiliation, she vowed to return to the assembly only after becoming the chief minister. Two years after the incident, Jayalalithaa defeated Karunanidhi and became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
The trailer shows the incident in a series of powerful scenes. Jayalalithaa in the movie compares the scene to Draupadi’s humiliation in the Hastinapur royal court as depicted in Mahabharata. She says that just like Draupadi’s humiliation caused the downfall of the Kuru clan, she will defeat her political opponents and claim victory because Mahabharata the epic has another name, “Jaya”.
