Thalaivi

Name: Thalaivi
Director: A. L. Vijay
Genre: Biography
Released: 2021-09-10
Rating: 3
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Arvind Swami, M Nassar, Raj Arjun

Directed by A. L. Vijay

TezScore60/100 Mixed Early coverage · 1 scored of 2 Indian-media reviews How TezScore works IMDb 5.9/10 Rotten Tomatoes 20%

153 min 10 Sep 2021

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Synopsis

Thalaivi

In 1989, Jayalalithaa (nicknamed Jaya), a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly representing the opposition AIADMK, questions Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi of the DMK over allegations of corruption, arrests, and surveillance against her party. She demands his resignation and praises former Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) as a leader who truly served the people. Members of the ruling party question her relationship with MGR, leading to a scuffle in which she is assaulted and humiliated. Comparing herself to Draupadi, Jaya vows to return to the assembly only after becoming Chief Minister. The incident attracts widespread media attention and public sympathy. The narrative then shifts to 1965, when MGR is at the peak of his film career. Producer R. M. Veerappan dismisses an actress to maintain MGR’s public image. Jaya, then 16, is encouraged by her mother Sandhya, a former actress, to enter films. She replaces Savitri in a film, initially displaying reluctance and arrogance. However, after witnessing MGR’s compassion on set and understanding her mother’s intentions, she becomes more committed. The film succeeds, and Jaya and MGR go on to star in several films together, developing a close bond. Veerappan attempts to distance Jaya from MGR, but she resists. Despite their closeness, Jaya feels sidelined due to MGR’s marriage to Janaki. Following an incident in which MGR is shot and hospitalised, Veerappan sidelines Jaya from future projects.

Director: A. L. Vijay
Release: 10 Sep 2021
Run time: 153 min
Language: Telugu

Reviews

Indian-media reviews, grouped by reception.

Critics' consensus

Mixed

Across 2 available source-linked Indian-media reviews for Thalaivi, reception is mixed. The scored review is 60/100.

IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes are reference ratings and are not counted as Indian-media reviews.

Best forViewers looking for biography and drama in Telugu cinema.

Reception Order

All 2 reviews shown

The Indian Express

★★★★★ ★★★★★ 3.0

Much more interesting in the way they show the style of the song-and-dances, the brassiness of the costumes, it turns into political jousting. The background music blares constantly as the film cherry picks events to add to the screen Jaya’s lustre. There are too many dialogues that sound like thunderous speeches, and far too many incidents where Jaya comes across as too noble, too courageous, a loving woman who is everyone’s beloved Amma. But looking for reality checks in desi biopics is like non-existing needles and haystacks: in a climactic flourish that makes up for all the uncritical adoration of its chief subject, though, there’s this – as Jaya tries out her chief minister’s chair for size, her partymen file in, and as they demur when she asks them to sit, she orders the chairs to be taken out.

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The Week

In real life, Jayalalithaa always wanted to be bigger than MGR and she came out of his shadows in her very first term as Chief Minister in the early 1990s. But Thalaivii gives a different perspective by portraying MGR- Jayalalithaa relationship as a love story filled with warmth, making the audience feel as if it was true love. Thalaivii again talks only about Jaya's transformation from Ammu to Amma. And if you expect more unknown stories of her life, then you would be disappointed. There is no Sasikala or there is no sign of how she ruled the state. Of course, all that could not be told in just three hours.

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