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.
Lalit Pandit believes in recent times the only genuine male talent as a singer that… Read More
US-based Indian actor Sendhil Ramamurthy says his presence in Shirsha Thakurta Guha’s Do Aur Do… Read More
In spite of frail health , Amiabh Bachchan was present on April 24 to be the… Read More
As Vashu Bhagnani-Ali Abbas Zafar look at the biggest disaster , the one positive takeaway … Read More
Shatrughan Sinha has always been very very close to Salman Khan .When he heard about… Read More
Rating: **** ½ Set aside half a star extra for Vidya Balan’s sterling performance. That… Read More
Leave a Comment