The question that arises with every periodic film is, is it like Baahubali? Why should it be Baahubali, this is Ponniyin Selvan of Indian cinema. Makers have taken such a stand in the promotion activities. It is underlined by Mani Ratnam‘s contribution to Indian cinema.

Ponniyin Selvan: I ,Tamil epic period action film directed by Mani Ratnam, who co-wrote it with Elango Kumaravel and B. Jeyamohan. Produced by Ratnam and Subaskaran Allirajah under Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, it is the first of two cinematic parts based on Kalki Krishnamurthy‘s 1955 novel Ponniyin Selvan. The film tells the story of early days of Arulmozhivarman, who later became the great Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I (947 CE – 1014 CE).

The adaptation of the novel into a feature film was proposed by several filmmakers in Tamil cinema ever since the novel gained popularity, but did not materialize mostly due to financial constraints. After last attempted by M. G. Ramachandran in late-1950s, Mani Ratnam tried to adapt the novel in the mid-1990s and early-2010s, which became unsuccessful. Stating it as his “dream project”, Ratnam revived the adaptation in January 2019, with Lyca Productions being brought on board for funding the project. After several changes in the cast and crew, the film began production in mid-December and was completed by September 2021, despite production being halted twice during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was shot in various places across India, with few sequences being shot in Thailand.

Ponniyin Selvan was originally intended to be a stand-alone film but it was later split into two parts. The first part is scheduled to be have a worldwide theatrical release on 30 September 2022 in both standard and IMAX format.

The film stars an ensemble cast of Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman and R. Parthiban. Mani Ratnam has made the Himalayan task of bringing the top talents in a film possible like a breeze. This made possible the Himalayan hype for the film in Kollywood. Casting plays an important role in selling tickets like hot cake at the ticket window. How Mani Ratnam has utilized such a large canvas and cast, what the world of Indian cinema is looking forward to when Ponniyin selvan hits theaters tomorrow.

A great technical team is also an attractive factor for Ponniyin Selvan. Thota Dharani; India’s best art director, Ravi varman ; one of the best cinematographers in Indian cinema and AR Rahman‘s mesmerizing musical presence also adds to the anticipation of the film.

Only hours left to break that box of curiosity and hype. Let’s wait for the wonders that Ponniyin Selvan has in store for Indian cinema.