Ram Gopal Varma's new film Shashikala based on Jayalalithaa's aide VK Sasikala?

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has announced his next project titled Shashikala, and says it is the story of a "dearest closest friend of a politician". While the writer-director says the project is "fictional", the title and plot suggests the film has a lot to do with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's close aide V.K. Sasikala.

He announced the title of the film on Twitter on Thursday night. 

He tweeted: "Just registered my new film title 'Shashikala'. It's the story of a very dearest closest friend of a politician and completely fictional." 

Known for helming movies on real-life incidents like The Attacks of 26/11 (2013) and Veerapan (2016), Varma added: 'Shashikala' is going to be a very very sincere from the heart Tamilian love story and absolutely nothing to with fictional non-politics.

"Fictional non-politics of Shashikala have a fundamental contradiction with highly truthful but assumed non-truths of Jayalalithaa." 

The 54-year-old filmmaker said he has immense respect for Jayalalithaa, who died in Chennai on 5 December. Now members of AIADMK are requesting Sasikala, her close aide, to become the political party's General Secretary, but she is yet to give her consent.

"I immensely respect Jayalalithaa, but I honestly respect Shasikalaji a little bit much much much more. Jayalalithaaji respected Shasikalaji much more than she respected anybody else proves why I should call my film 'Shashikala'," he tweeted. 

"Jayalalithaa seen through the eyes of Sasikala is much more poetic and honest thought than seeing Jayalalithaa only through Jayalalitha," he explained.

Currently he is busy filming the third instalment of the popular crime thriller franchise Sarkar. The film stars megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Yami Gautam and Manoj Bajpayee in pivotal roles.