As she plays Jayalalithaa in web series, South star Ramya Krishnan unfazed about comparisons with Kangana Ranaut's Thalaivi
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; December 9, 2019)

While Kangana Ranaut is busy giving shape to Thalaivi — the biopic on the late J Jayalalithaa, South star Ramya Krishnan appears to have beaten her to the finish line. The senior actor, who played Sivagami in the Baahubali franchise, has slipped into the role of the former Tamil Nadu chief minister for Gautham Menon's multilingual web series. Coincidentally, the show is titled Queen — a moniker bestowed upon Ranaut after the success of her 2014 film by the same name.

Krishnan is unperturbed about the inevitable comparisons with Ranaut's multi-lingual film. "I know there will be comparisons, but our show will release first," she states of the show that is scheduled to drop online this weekend. Though the offering — inspired by Anita Sivakumaran's book, The Queen — claims to have fictitious characters, Krishnan's part of Shakthi Seshadri bears several similarities to Jayalalithaa, including her rise in filmdom and subsequent dominance in politics.

"My first reaction was, what else, but a yes! Jayalalithaa was such a strong woman. It is not easy for a woman to emerge powerful in a man's world. She went through hurdles and came up triumphs with grace. I have been her fan all my life, but unfortunately never met her."

Krishnan had given a shot at Bollywood in the late '90s. Ask her if a return to Hindi cinema is on the cards, and she says, "There is nothing that has excited me to return to the Hindi film scene."