Sets of Kangana Ranaut's 'Thalaivi' could be destroyed
Actress Kangana Ranaut's ambitious biopic on former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was all set to arrive in theaters this June. However, the project is currently in limbo. But a delayed release is not the only cause of worry for the producers, who now fear that the elaborate sets of the movie in Hyderabad and Chennai might get destroyed too, courtesy the upcoming monsoons.
According to a report in Mid-Day, the makers of the movie had got two detailed sets constructed in Chennai and Hyderabad. They recreated the Parliament House at the Ramakrishna Cine Studios in Hyderabad and the Mount Road at AVM Studio in Chennai. However, with the imposition of lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic, the sets have been lying idle for six weeks, thereby causing losses.
A 45-day shooting schedule for Thalaivi kicked off in early March. However, as a pre-emptive measure, filming was halted. Producer Shailesh R Singh informed the publication that they need to wrap the shoot before monsoon, otherwise the sets will be ruined by rains. He added that reconstruction of sets would be an expensive affair. Almost 40% of the movie is yet to be filmed.
Quoting a source, the report added that due to maintenance costs and studio rent, the makers have already incurred a loss of Rs. 5 crore. However, Shailesh refrained from putting a number on the damages, saying that the team's safety remains their top priority.
Directed by AL Vijay, Thalaivi is based on the life of late actor-turned-politician Jayalalithaa. The AIADMK leader became Tamil Nadu's CM six times. The movie stars Arvind Swami as former Tamil Nadu CM MG Ramachandran (who was her mentor), Prakash Raj as late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, and Poorna as VK Sasikala, Jayalalithaa's aide. The movie will be released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
Similarly, due to mounting rents, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has reportedly ordered the demolition of Gangubai Kathiawadi's lavish sets in Mumbai's Film City. The movie features Alia Bhatt in the lead. They are now planning to recreate the sets. Furthermore, with a slew of major projects stalled due to the pandemic, Bollywood is reportedly looking at a revenue loss of over Rs. 1,300 crore.
