Manju Warrier will play Aami

After a lot of speculations, director Kamal has finally confirmed the lead lady for his upcoming biopic on revolutionary writer Kamala Das aka Madhavikutty. The movie titled as Aami will have Manju Warrier in the lead role. Madhavikutty was fondly called Aami, which means I in Bengali language

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan was initially signed for the project. The movie was initially scheduled to start in September 2015 but got postponed repeatedly due to Vidya’s tight schedule. Finally the actress decided to opt out of the project owing to creative differences with the director.

Vidya Balan backed off from the project, after she was unhappy with the last minute changes in the script. It was reported that the actress opted out due to political reasons. Director Kamal, a left wing supporter made some controversial remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, her spokesperson made it clear that she walked out due to strictly professional reasons.

There were reports about veteran actress Tabu replacing Vidya, but Kamal dismissed all that. Later, Parvathy Menon’s name was also doing the rounds. However, the director has finally put an end to all the specualtions by roping in Manju Warrier.

In her comeback, the actress has mostly signed movies with strong female characters. For the past few months, she has been shooting for C/O Saira Banu directed by debutant Antony Sony. The movie also marks the comeback of veteran actress Amala Akkineni to Mollywood, after a gap of 25 long years.

Manju Warrier has also committed for two other projects, acclaimed cinematographer/filmmaker Venu’s next titled as Gabrielum Malakhamarum and Sajid Yahiya’s upcoming movie, Mohanlal. Manju will be seen as a die hard Mohanlal fan in the movie.

Aami will be a challenging role for Manju Warrier, as Kamala Das’ life was marred by several controversies. She revolutionized writings with her honest treatment of female sexuality and infused her writing with power and bold themes.

Prithviraj Sukumaran and Murali Gopy are also part of the cast. The movie will be produced by P T Rafel on a budget of 5 Crores. Thoufeeq Quershi is the music director while Oscar award winning sound designer Resul Pookkutty is also part of the technical team.