Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan 1 is out in theatres. Starring Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R Sarathkumar and Vikram Prabhu in significant roles, PS 1 has been in the making since 2019 and in a recent interview, Jayam Ravi revealed that both the parts of the film were shot in 150 days.
Ponniyin Selvan is based on the novel of the same name by Kalki Krishnamurthy, which was first published in 1955. Talking about adapting the book into a film, Mani Ratnam told Film Companion, “I think when you converted it (novel) into a script, you have to follow some spine and go with it. My writer told me the best line I heard before the film. He said, ‘Read the book once, throw it away and then you write.’”
Vikram, who plays the role of Aditha Karikalan, the crown prince and the commander of Northern troops in Sundara Chola’s reign, recently spoke to PTI about the ensemble cast and said, “It’s a very rare thing to feel comfortable and not feel threatened by your co-actors. It’s very rare that you want them to excel in what they’re doing and want to keep up with that.” Praising Karthi and Jayam Ravi, he said, “Karthi carries the whole film on his shoulder. The whole story goes through his character… It’s not straight at all, there are so many ups and downs. It’s a crazy trip for him. It’s a trippy character. And Ravi’s character is again something else, very different where he’s so composed and he’s so calm but there’s so much confusion and so many things going on in his head. At the same time, he has to be princely. And so these are roles that as actors you really want to get into.”
A Twitter user @kyapatabro wrote, "#PonniyanSelvan is a magnificent piece of Period CINEMA (Proper Cinema, not Movie) with an outstanding cast. For period cinema lovers, it doesn't get any better than this. Comparing it with Bahubali is just amateurishly silly."
A Twitter user @BrandAK4Eva wrote, "Done watching #PonniyanSelvan #ponniyinselvan1 #PS1. To be honest, I went for the movie with low expectations but ended up being fully satisfied and now eagerly waiting for Part 2. I like the realistic approach of the film. Engaging and all the actors has performed well."
The ace director had told The New Indian Express, "Fitting Ponniyin Selvan into a single film was the biggest challenge I had when thinking of adapting. Today, the audience has embraced the idea of duologies and trilogies, and this seemed like the perfect time for me to explore the format. If I had made the material as a single film, I would have been critical of myself for leaving out so many details."
Twitter user @Gowdamakash wrote, "I never read the novel.I watch the film.I went to witness the story of the Chola dynasty.I was so invested in the film and the film took me into its world.I was wondering how a film could be too good without any flaws & keep us engaged with our mouths open. A Stellar cast had been assembled, Every character was brilliant with their performances. I loved the comedy of Nambi and the show-stealer Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan."
A Twitter user @devrajmukesh wrote, " A Mani Ratnam Masterpiece. This is exactly how I wanted to see it in a big screen. Surely going to watch again this weekend.. What a pride moment."
A fan @okimmthinking tweeted, "Just watched Ponniyan Selvan #PS1 Karthi steals the show. Detailing could have been better for outside Tamil audience. Can't imagine another human being in Nandini role the Queen Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 👑."
A Twitter user @Devanayagam shared, "The true success of a film with such an ensemble cast lies in how every character is registered long after the film! #PS1 does it comfortably! Everyone delivered their best & that's the reason the film stands true to its novel! Thanks to MR for making no compromises whatsoever!💥."
Mani Ratnam's film is a 'largely faithful and brilliant adaptation and has no dull moments'. Indian Express critic gave the film four stars and wrote, "Mani Ratnam understands Kalki's novel is a mainstream page-turner, so he retains its flavour and neither intellectualises it, nor dumb it down."
READ THE FULL PS1 REVIEW HERE
@_VijayFan_ tweeted "Its my personal review....(4.5/5)😊â¤ï¸ #PS1 is just an Amazing Period Film 🥹 Mani sir take me to the Chola Dynasty with the Great VFX..! Don't miss the Theatre Experience guysðŸ‘ðŸ½."
Karthik Subbaraj tweeted, "#PS1 Spellbound.... Mindblowing..... Masterpiece!!!! Crown to Indian Cinema 👑👑👑 Big bow to King #Manirathnam sir & team.. ðŸ™ðŸ¼ðŸ™ðŸ¼ðŸ™ðŸ¼."
Dulquer Salmaan tweeted, "Hearing the most amazing things about #PonniyinSelvan1 #PS1 ! With so many friends like family in the film it feels like a personal victory ! Take a bow team ! @MadrasTalkies_ #ManiSir @arrahman."
Abhishek Bachchan took to Twitter to post, "The day is finally here! #PS1 in theatres today, congratulations to the team who've put in years of hard work & excellence in making this masterpiece. Best wishes on the release! #PonniyinSelvan1 #AishwariyaRaiBachchan #ManiRatnam."
Director Ponram tweeted, "Finally I watched #PonniyinSelvan1 in cinemas, epic cinema Wow super screenplay! Finally, Thanks to the Legend & Ace Director #maniratnam sir and the entire #PonniyinSelvan1 team for making this happen.💚💚💚 A.K, A.M.V and V.D these are all the main grips of the story."
Fans seem me be happy with this Mani Ratnam's magnum opus, PS 1.
Actor Jayam Ravi shared a photo from the PS 1 sets and wrote, "Once a student, always a student ðŸ™ðŸ¼ Thank you guru for believing in me 🤠#Ponniyinselvan in theatres from tomorrow God bless! #PS1 #Ponniyinselvan #Manirathnam sir."
Actor Arun Vijay tweeted, "Wishing our pride #Mani sir @arrahman sir, @chiyaan sir, @actor_jayamravi brother & @Karthi_Offl brother and all the other cast & crew a spellbinding success on creating and being part of our magnum-opus #PS1 🔥ðŸ‘🽠Let's watch it in theatres and celebrate!!â¤ï¸ @LycaProductions."
"#ps1 is epic!!! First day first show! And I’m going again.The kind of historical/ period film we crave… cinema and story telling at its bestest, Amazing performances, music, cinematography! my heart is racing!!!! Go watch it in every language #manisir is a true true genius," she tweeted.
'This grandeur has to be watched on the big screen only!," tweeted the makers.
@chakara_17 tweeted, "#PonniyinSelvan by #ManiRatnam is a cinematic masterpiece, a grand visual spectacle. It’s the perfect blend of mainstream cinema with purist elements, and stunning staging! Here is a 🧵 on why #PS1 is the best magnum opus from Tamil cinema."
Dr. Dhananjayan tweeted, "#PonniyinSelvan is a brilliant teamwork led by #ManiRatnam sir @arrahman @sreekar_prasad DoP #Ravivarman #ThottaTharani & others. Every Tamil will be proud of this Epic film from @MadrasTalkies_@LycaProductions. Narrated so well. Don't miss to experience in Theatres ðŸ‘ðŸ†ðŸ˜‡."
A fan @Nn84Naganatha shared, "#PonniyinSelvan blockbuster 💥💥Being a person who have not read d book or tried to kno wat d story was before watching and i Enjoyed it. Super work by #ManiRatnam. Tis is going to b d Next big thing frm Kollywood in terms of collections..💯."
A user @Darktoevsky shared on Twitter, "Period film with zero western influence soo rooted,original,mostly live locations. First of its kind in South Indian Cinema. #PonniyinSelvan."
A Twitter user @dp_karthik shared, "Just enjoy #PonniyinSelvan as a standalone film. If you start to compare with other films, Then you will miss this saga. Having a good first half is doesn’t enough. Even a slow paced second half will work but having an average climax will makes the entire look of the film down."
Actor Jayam Ravi shared a photo from the PS 1 sets and wrote, "Once a student, always a student ðŸ™ðŸ¼ Thank you guru for believing in me 🤠#Ponniyinselvan in theatres from tomorrow God bless! #PS1 #Ponniyinselvan #Manirathnam sir."
Production company Kavithalayaa tweeted, "Thanks to the entire #PonniyinSelvan1 team for making this happen!!👠May this be the historic success of Indian cinema ðŸ™."
A Twitter user @DeaDu_ shared, "#PonniyinSelvan - Well made period drama.. No wonder why many actors wanted to do Vanthiyethevan.. Loved every bit of it.. Was super thrilled to get to know about each nd every character as d story moves.. Even d final face reveal got me excited.. A Visual Grandeur.. EPIC!!! ðŸ˜ðŸ”¥."
Ramesh Bala tweeted, "#PS1 [4.5/5] : An Epic Screen Translation of #Kalki 's Great Novel..Story and screen play have enough twists and turns that are interesting and transport to Chola Great Dynasty..Only Dir #ManiRatnam could have done this.."
"#PonniyinSelvan1 FDFS Begun with a Housefull show in your Fans Fort RKP Cinemas 💥Audience Response Vera level ðŸ˜," read a post.
Actor Karthi took to Twitter to share, "A Never before cinematic experience. Absolutely stunning presentation by #ManiRatnam sir,
@arrahman sir, @dop_ravivarman sir, @sreekar_prasad sir, Tharani sir and the sound department. Honoured to be a part of this magnum opus @LycaProductions. Our pride #PonniyinSelvan. #PS1."
"Big strength and advantage of Ponniyin Selvan part 1 is second half is more engaging than first half ..That's why we are seeing full positive feedback from people. If 2nd half wins movie wins 🆠👠#Ps1 bo records🔥💯🥵," wrote a fan @Sureshmoorthy17.
A Twitter user @manikbasha2197 shared some advice, "One kind advice for people who are going to watch #PonniyinSelvan1 - don't expect it to be a Bahubali or KGF. The original novel's story isn't such too. It's at heart, a political drama set in the time of Cholas, with many players involved, along with action and grandeur."
A Twitter user @arunmozhi1996 wrote, "Ponniyin Selvan 1 is a masterpiece and I felt like reading the book…..Please do watch in theatres ….@_NewCinema you gave the impeccable cinematic experience as usual…"
Actor Prakash Raj tweeted, "Thank you #ManiRatnam sir… for #PonniyinSelvan1 ….thank you for inspiring .. relentlessly pushing boundaries …and making us proud."
Are you planning to watch the movie Ponniyin Selvan 1? This guide to the five-part Ponniyin Selvan novel series will be a great help. READ HERE
Actor Sivakarthikeyan shared via Twitter, "Waiting to watch The Great Kalki's #PonniyinSelvan1 in our legend #ManiRatnam Sir's magic 🙠Best wishes to the entire team 👠May this be the humongous hit of Indian cinema ðŸ‘💪."
Filmmaker and actor Nayanthara's husband Vignesh Shivan tweeted, "History created by legends with a big bunch of great talents! It’s inevitably a Mega blockbuster😇. Tamil audience around the globe should feel proud & experience this epic in theatres🥳 Standing ovation & take a bow to each & everyone involved in making this historical event🔥."
Alaikadal (Doobi Doobi) – a soulful composition by AR Rahman after a long time – is that song for singer Antara Nandy. Singing for Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan 1, a period drama based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s eponymous and emblematic Tamil novel, Nandy, in her debut, does justice to the abundant crests and troughs in this compelling composition. Read more
The five-part Ponniyin Selvan novel series spans about 2200 pages, and it’s a given you can’t read that before the film’s release date on September 30. But, we have you covered. Set in the 10th century, the novel is about the ascent of its titular character, Ponniyin Selvan, who is widely known as Rajaraja Chola I. He is one of the few kings, who is regarded as The Great. Read more
If you are still in doubt about booking your ticket for Mani Ratnam's epic drama Ponniyin Selvan 1, check out its trailer here.
After the humongous success of Nadodi Mannan (1958), MGR declared his next film will be the big screen adaptation of Ponniyin Selvan. In the year 1959, he also published an advertisement announcing the same in a December edition of the monthly film magazine Nadigan Kural. Despite MGR’s repeated attempts, he was unsuccessful in turning Ponniyin Selvan into a big-screen spectacle. Then, Kamal Haasan bought the rights to the novel from MGR. During the audio launch of director Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: 1, he recalled MGR’s advice to him: “He told me to make this film immediately. I didn’t understand why back then.” Read more
Some people compared Ponniyin Selvan 1 to the popular fantasy drama series Game of Thrones and called it ‘Tamil Game of Thrones.’ But Mani Ratnam holds a different view. While interacting with Film Companion, Ratnam refused to accept that Ponniyin Selvan – I is the Tamil version of GOT. Instead, he had a hilarious response to the comparisons. He said, “I think Game of Thrones is the English version of Ponniyin Selvan – I.” Read more
Mani Ratnam's magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan 1 has already amassed over $500k in the US market. Sarigama Cinemas, which has released the film in USA, shared on Twitter, "A Massive start for the Magnum Opus #PS1 in USA ud83dudd25 Premieres gross $548K from 282 locationsud83dudd25."
Trisha, known for Tamil and Telugu hits such as Varsham, Ghilli, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa and 96, said she had full faith in Mani Ratnam’s vision. “I know what I’ve done and I’ve seen the rushes during the dubbing. And I know the way Mani sir visualised Kundavai. With screen space and screen time, you never know the final output. Only Mani sir knows but I’m very confident that whatever I’ve done is very impactful,” she told PTI. Read more
Vamsi Kaka shared on Twitter, "#PS1 #PonniyinSelvan Telugu AMB Cinemas all shows advance Housefull Day 1."
What puts Vikram Vedha over Ponniyin Selvan 1 in the northern circuit is its lead actors, Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan, who have a larger mass appeal among the Hindi-speaking audience. Also the buzz around the film in the north is much lower. As per Girish Johar, Ponniyin Selvan 1 might open at around Rs 2 crore in the Hindi-speaking states. Read more
Filmmaker Vasan Bala shared on Twitter how his mother hasn't visited a cinema hall for decades but now she wants to watch Ponniyin Selvan 1. He tweeted, "My Mother in the last couple of decades has not really asked me to take her to watch any film...now she has, it's her childhood, the novel she has been talking about since I remember... forever #PS1."
The makers of Ponniyin Selvan paid their tribute to author Kalki Krishnamurthy, on whose novel the magnum opus is based on. A tweet by Lyca Productions read, "In honour of the man and brain behind the #PonniyinSelvan novel! Remembering #Kalki!"
SS Rajamouli couldn't believe it when actor Jayam Ravio told him that both the parts of the Mani Ratnam film were shot just 150 days. Ravi shared, “I told Rajamouli sir that we have finished two parts of Ponniyin Selvan in 150 days. So, Rajamouli sir got up from his chair and said Ravi don’t say this and scare me, please. It took five years for me to shoot both films (Baahubali). That’s the respect he has for Mani sir. He later sat down and asked, ‘How do you work?’ He is learning from the master.” Read more
In a press conference in New Delhi, Jayam Ravi recalled the time when he met Ratnam for the first time to talk about the role. “He (the king) is Ponniyin Selvan aka Raja Raja Chola and it’s an important role. I was feeling that pressure but Mani sir made sure he took it off me by sharing certain details about the character. He told me that ‘Ravi, this is very important for me. We both have to do it and I cannot do it alone. So, whatever concentration you have, put it on the table. Let’s do it together.’” Read more
Actor Trisha, who essays the role of Princess Kundavai in the upcoming magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1, posted a picture of herself with her co-actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on Twitter a few days ahead of the film's release. Aishwarya plays the role of Queen Nandini in the Mani Ratnam directorial.
The trade experts expects that PS:1’s opening day collection will be around Rs 25 crore in Tamil Nadu alone. The film’s global box office is expected to be around Rs 70 crore. If the predictions come true, the first-three day worldwide collection of this film will be upwards of Rs 150 crore. Rakesh Gowthaman, who manages Chennai’s popular twin-screen Vettri Theatres said, "People who have read the book, who have not gone to a theatre in a long time, would want to watch this film on the big screen. I know a 75-year-old person and the last film he watched in the theatre was Baahubali 2; now, he wants to come to cinemas to watch this film. The crowd we are going to see is going to have a lot of family audience and senior citizens. This is not the crowd we saw for Vikram or KGF 2. If the movie is a good watch, it might break the record of Vikram in Tamil Nadu."