Trouble for biopic ‘Queen’ as Jaya’s nephew protests

Chennai: Filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon is busy with a biopic on the late Tamil Nadu chief minister, J. Jayalalithaa. The biopic was to be made into a web series featuring the life, struggle and achievements of the former CM. It was widely publicised and actress Ramya Krishnan was expected to play the lead.

But the trouble is brewing for Gautham Vasudev Menon as Jayalalithaa's nephew Deepak Jayakumar has raised objections to the biopic.

Mr Deepak Jayakumar said, “I came to know from few media sections that director Gautham Vasudev Menon is planning to make a web-series about a political icon titled ‘Queen’ and that Ramya Krishnan would be playing the lead role. Director Vijay is already making a biopic on my aunt titled ‘Thalaivi.’ He has availed permission from me and has taken a no-objection certificate to start the project. He assured that he would portray only the facts in the movie without defaming my aunt in any way.”

Gautham Vasudev Menon has announced his new web-series project about a political icon. I am not sure about the political icon who Mr Gautham Vasudev Menon is mentioning about, he added.

Mr Deepak said, “I wish to make it clear that, if any movie or web-series is being pictured about my aunt without the permission of our families, it will be dealt with very serious. Hope Gautham Vasudev Menon clears who is the ‘Queen’ he means.”

Interestingly, MX Original Series, the producers of the web series said, “Queen narrates the story of a political icon who ruled with benevolence as well as with an iron hand.” Ramya Krishnan, who portrayed the unflappable Sivagami in S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘Baahubali’ franchise, is set to play the role of a prominent politician in this drama.

The script is written by Reshma Ghatala. MX Player is eying the regional pie with the launch of this Tamil web series. It will also be released in Hindi, Telugu and Bengali. ‘Queen’ will stream for free on India's leading digital streaming platform MX Player, it said.