Rashmika Mandanna to Play MS Subbulakshmi in New Biopic Launched in Chennai

A biopic on the legendary Carnatic vocalist MS Subbulakshmi is officially underway, with Rashmika Mandanna set to play the lead role. The project was launched in Chennai on September 16, a date chosen to mark the singer's 110th birth anniversary. Veteran actor Kamal Haasan gave the ceremonial first clap at the event.

The film will be directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, with Anirudh Ravichander handling the music. Producers Allu Aravind, Bunny Vasu and Rockline Venkatesh are backing the project.

Mandanna shared the news on social media, calling the opportunity a significant honour. "Some legends live beyond time. Some melodies live beyond generations. And some stories wait for the right moment to be told. Today, that journey begins and what an absolute honour it is," she wrote.

The first look of Mandanna as Subbulakshmi, along with the film's official title, was scheduled to be unveiled at 5:15 pm.

Subbulakshmi, affectionately known as "MS Amma", remains one of India's most revered Carnatic musicians. In 1998, she became the first musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna. She was also the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, in 1974, and in 1968 became the first woman to be conferred the Sangeetha Kalanidhi title by the Madras Music Academy.

Her global footprint included a performance at the United Nations General Assembly in 1966, where she rendered Maithreem Bhajatha. She also appeared in cinema, most notably in the lead role of the bilingual film Meera (1945).

Her devotional recordings — among them the Venkateswara Suprabhatam, Vishnu Sahasranamam and Bhaja Govindam — became staples in households across India.