Madhoo’s look is not modelled on Jayalalithaa

When the first look of Agni Dev in which Roja girl

Madhoo

plays a crucial role was released recently, it revealed that she plays the antagonist. Confirming the same, John Paul Raj, who is directing the film along with Sham Surya, says, “Yes, Madhoo plays a negative character, that of a public works department minister. Even though she is the antagonist, the character has three shades actually. The plot revolves around the cat-and-mouse game between her and Bobby Simha’s character.”

The director says that he roped in Madhoo because he did not want this character to resemble any of the female antagonists we have seen previously, like Ramya Krishnan in Padayappa or Varalaxmi in her recent films. “Also, Madhoo has a different image here because of Roja and Gentleman. We actually designed her look on Photoshop to see if she would suit the role before approaching her. And when we met her, she told us that she had been waiting for negative roles to come her way for the past two years,” he reveals.

Madhoo’s look in the film has invited comments saying that her character is a veiled reference to Jayalalithaa, but the director refutes it. “Jayalalithaa ma’am is my favourite female political leader. Madhoo’s character is definitely not modelled on her. The character needed such a look because Madhoo still looks young in person, and this makeup made her look a little aged. Also, given that the film talks about topical issues, this look felt contemporary to us,” he explains.