Scoop: Aishwarya, Vikram, Karthi, Nayanthara, Shooting For Mani Ratnam In Thailand

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is  currently shooting in Thailand for Mani Ratnam’s  Tamil period-historical drama Ponniyin Selvan. This is  Aishwarya’s  fourth  collaboration with the  remarkable Ratnam, and  unarguably  the almost ambitious  collaboration.No other lead actress has collaborated  with Mani four times, though Aditi Rao Hydari, who is  also a part  of  Ponniyin Selvan,is getting close.This is her third  film with Mani Ratnam.

The  film adapted  from Kalki Krishnmaurthy’s period-historical  novel  of  the same title, has been in the pipeline  for 20 years. Mani Ratnam at one point wanted to make it with  a different  cast included Kamal Haasan and Mahesh Babu.It’s finally happening.

 But a Tamil period film in Thailand?

Explains  a source from Ratnam’s  unit, “That’s because the  film requires extensive shooting in temples .Mani Ratnam did not get permission to shoot in the temples  of Tamil Nadu.That’s why the project fell apart  the last time. This time, he has  moved with his cast to Thailand to shoot in the temples there.”

Besides Aishwarya who plays a negative role, Ponniyin Selvan stars  Vikram (with whom Mani Ratnam earlier  collaborated in Raavan), Nayanthara(for the  first time in a Mani Ratnam film) and  Jayam Ravi.

There  was  talk of Nayanthara  backing out and being replaced by Trisha  due  to  date issues.  But Nayanthara is very much in Ponniyin Selvan and shooting for  the film , said to be the be most expensive  film ever directed  by Mani Ratnam. The  budget is supposedly around Rs 150  crores.

A R Rahman collabrorates  with Mani Ratnam for  the  fifteenth  time  in Ponniyin Selvan, while Rahman’s  regular editor Sreekar Prasad and  action director Sham  Kaushal are  back on  board.