Kangana starrer Biopic of Jayalalithaa 'Thalaivi' in a legal soup

Chennai:The Madras High Court today issued noticesto two filmmakers on the making a biopic of former Chief MinisterJ Jayalalithaa.

When the petition filed by ms Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa seeking a stay on the movie on her aunt as it was being made without her consent came up for hearing, MrJusticeKalyanasudaram issued notices to filmmakers Vijay and Gautham Vasudev Menon, returnable by November 14.

Vijay is planning a movie titled 'Thalaivi' starring Kangana Ranaut as Jayalalithaa. Gautham Vasudev Menon has made a web series on the late leaderstarring Ramya Krishnan in the titular role.

Submitting that she was a legal heir of the late AIADMK chief, Deepa in a civil suit claimed that Vijay, producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Gautham did not have any legal right to produce the movie on the life and times of Jayalalithaa.

Contending that the filmmakers might portray the life of her aunt and that of her as well in their own version, Deepa said it might affect her privacy and that of her family.The filmmakers intended to release the film for their commercial and monetary benefits without her consent, she submitted. 

To safeguard the personality rights of the late Chief Minister, protect her own privacy and that of her family, it was necessary to restrain the makers of the biopic from going ahead, without getting her approval for the storyline and the script, Deepa said in her plea.

The trio should not be allowed to either produce or release the film without her consent and approval, she said.(UNI)