Director TJ Gnanavel is only two films old - Kootathil Oruthan and Jai Bhim - but he has already created a niche for himself in the film industry. After Vettaiyan, which stars Rajinikanth in the lead role, the director will explore the murder case involving Dosa King P Rajagopal and Jeevajothi Santhakumar. 

TJ Gnanavel’s next film on Dosa King

Trade analyst Ramesh Bala confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter) writing, “Serving Masala Dosa and Murder - Director TJ Gnanavel is set to embark on his next Pan Indian film, DOSA KING, produced by #JungleePictures.”

He added, “Dosa King, written by TJ Gnanavel and Hemanth Rao, is inspired by the case that was followed worldwide, showcasing epic clash of Jeevajothi and P. Rajagopal, setting the stage for a battle of ambition, power, and justice.”

Hemanth is a Kannada director well-known for Sapta Saagaradaache Ello – Side A and B and for co-writing Andhadhun with Sriram Raghavan. Ramesh also wrote that the production house, Junglee Pictures, has acquired Jeevajothi’s life rights. The film’s cast and crew are yet to be announced.

Who is Dosa King?

But who is Dosa King P Rajagopal on whom Gnanavel’s next film is based? The founder of Saravana Bhavan, which had its first outlet in 1981, was from Punnaiyadi, Tamil Nadu and was once hailed as a visionary. Dressed in white, with sandalwood paste on his forehead, he was known as a pious man who dared to open a restaurant when eating out wasn’t the norm.

Saravana Bhavan later became a household name in India and abroad. The dosa, idly and vada he sold were affordable and tasted homemade. He was known for democratising restaurants and treating his staff well, even giving them employee benefits like health insurance. But all that would change on an astrologer’s advice.

Rajagopal, who had already been married twice, tried to take the daughter of one of his employees, Jeevajothi, as his third wife. AFP reports that he was “obsessed with her” and did not take no for an answer. She was already married to Prince Santhakumar. After months of harassment, Prince was found strangled on the businessman’s orders in 2001.

Rajagopal was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 2004 after his arrest in 2001. The Madras High Court upgraded his term to a life sentence in 2009. After being freed on bail for medical reasons, the Supreme Court of India upheld Rajagopal's murder conviction and life imprisonment in 2019.

He surrendered to the authorities on July 9, 2019, when his bail extension was rejected. Rajagopal died of a heart attack on July 18 of the same year without serving a single day in prison. He was 72.

Upcoming work

Vettaiyan stars Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan (in his Tamil debut), Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, Manju Warrier, Ritika Singh, Dushara Vijayan and Abhirami. The film is Rajinikanth's 170th and will be released in theatres on October 10. 

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