Many film personalities including the legendary actor and politician MGR, Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam have attempted to present the epic tome of Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan, but none of them succeeded. Mani had even taken the project to the scripting stage after bringing on board south India’s biggest stars Vijay and Mahesh Babu as the lead protagonists. Reports suggested that the mammoth project was shelved due to budget constraints.
It appears the New Year, which has started on a very good note for the prolific filmmaker Mani Ratnam, might change everything. Having bounced back with a blockbuster in the multi-starrer Chekka Chivantha Vaanam last year, the director will soon be reviving his magnum opus of a dream project with renewed vigour. An ensemble cast from various languages will be part of the project to bring alive the immortal words of Kalki.
Sources confirm that Aishwarya Rai and Chiyaan Vikram have already been finalised to be part of the project. The duo had earlier worked as a pair in Raavanan directed by Mani. Also, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, in a comeback mode, had finalised one of Mani’s scripts, a fact she revealed during the 2017 Cannes Festival. This will be Ash’s fourth collaboration with Mani and past ones include her debut film Iruvar where she essayed a dual role.
We hear talks are on with Vijay once again to play the central character of Vandhiyathevan. It is being said that Amitabh Bachchan would also be roped in. Others who have been approached are Simbu, Jayam Ravi, Vijay Sethupathi, Nivin Pauly and Sudheep. Ponniyan Selvan is to be made at a staggering budget of '300 crores.
Insiders say that none other than Mani’s close buddy AR Rahman is expected to helm the music for the film considered more a piece of art, considering the epic value of the book in literature. The film will be made in five languages - Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.
