Following the success of the historical fiction Ponniyin Selvan: 1, the team behind the period film, including Mani Ratnam, Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi and Parthiban met the members of the press at a thanksgiving meet in the city.
Speaking on the occasion, Jayam Ravi said he was particularly impressed with the way Ponniyin Selvan: 1 was written about in international publications and the reception it has been getting overseas. The actor also added that he wants to do something for Mani Ratnam. “K Balachander is unfortunately not with us. But we are still talking about his movies. Mani sir is with us today…we need to celebrate this legend when he is with us.”
Karthi, who essayed Vanthiyathevan in the film, said that the whole journey has been heartening and new for him. “I haven’t done that many multi-starrers in my career. This film gave us the opportunity to work together as a team. So much so that we would have Vikram sir doing the work of an assistant director, while Ravi and I would be riding horses together. Since this is a season for pan-India, we did the promotions together too. I see Ponniyin Selvan not just as a Tamil film, but a film about Tamil Nadu.”
Sporting a fresh look from his upcoming Thangalaan, Vikram felt fortunate that they were able to realise Mani Ratnam’s dream. “This is the first film for which I was going through all the feedback and reactions on social media. I felt so relieved when people accepted us in the eponymous characters. A lot of people told me that they have started to read the Ponniyin Selvan books after the release. All of us are blessed to have played our respective characters, since readers will be thinking about us while reading the book.”
Mani Ratnam, on the other hand, thanked the actors for not gaining weight during the pandemic and said that they all worked as one family. The team added that Mani Ratnam and Lyca Productions’ Subaskaran have donated a sum of ₹1 crore to Kalki Krishnamurthy Foundation.
Produced by Lyca Productions and Madras Talkies, Ponniyin Selvan: 1 released on September 30 and went to be one of the biggest blockbusters of this year. The critically acclaimed film, based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s famous work, stars an ensemble including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha Krishnan, Sarath Kumar, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Kishore among others. Ponniyin Selvan: 2 is expected to release in April next year.
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