Rashmika Mandanna is set to take on one of the more unusual roles of her career. The actor has been officially announced to play legendary Carnatic vocalist and Bharat Ratna recipient M.S. Subbulakshmi in a new pan-India biopic, tentatively titled MS – A Legacy On Screen. Her casting puts an end to the speculation that had been going around about who would play the music icon.
The film was officially launched in Chennai at The Music Academy, on the occasion of M.S. Subbulakshmi’s 110th birth anniversary. Kamal Haasan attended the event as the chief guest. The project is being directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, with Anirudh Ravichander on board as the composer, while Allu Aravind, Bunny Vasu and Rockline Venkatesh are producing the film through Geetha Arts, Bunny Vas Works and Rockline Entertainment.
A Story About M.S. Subbulakshmi’s Extraordinary Life
Gowtam Tinnanuri, who previously directed Jersey and Malli Raava, will be taking on the task of bringing Subbulakshmi’s life to the big screen. Born in 1916, she went from being a young musical prodigy in Madurai to becoming one of the most widely recognised figures in Indian classical music.
There’s quite a lot to cover in her story. Subbulakshmi became the first musician to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1998 and was also the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, which she won in 1974. Her music also took her well beyond India, including her historic performance at the United Nations General Assembly in 1966 on UN Day.
Her connection with cinema is another part of her early career that the film is expected to explore. Before becoming known primarily for her music, Subbulakshmi appeared in a number of devotional films and famously played the title role in the 1945 Tamil film Meera. So there’s more to her story than just the concert stage, which gives the filmmakers quite a bit of material to work with.
Rashmika Takes on a Very Different Role
For Rashmika, the film is obviously a major change from the kind of roles audiences have mostly seen her in. Playing someone as closely associated with Carnatic music and Indian cultural history as Subbulakshmi comes with its own set of expectations, particularly when the character’s real-life performances and public image are so well known.
The film is expected to follow her journey from her early years in Madurai through her rise as a celebrated musician and cultural figure. Her discipline, spiritual side and relationship with music will form an important part of the story, although the makers have not revealed exactly how the narrative will be structured yet.
Anirudh Ravichander Comes On Board
Another interesting part of the project is the involvement of Anirudh Ravichander. The composer will be handling the music for a film centred on one of the most important Carnatic vocalists in Indian history, which means the soundtrack will have to find a balance between traditional compositions and a larger cinematic sound.
The film is being produced on a pan-India scale by Geetha Arts, Bunny Vas Works and Rockline Entertainment. Filming is expected to begin shortly, with the makers planning a theatrical release in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.
There’s still plenty about MS – A Legacy On Screen that hasn’t been revealed, including how much of Subbulakshmi’s long career the film will cover. But with Rashmika playing the central role and Tinnanuri directing, this is certainly a very different kind of project for both of them.