'Ponniyin Selvan-I': Makers drop new stills of Karthi as Vanthiyathevan
Ahead of its release on September 30, the makers of the epic period drama film Ponniyin Selvan-I have dropped new stills of actor Karthi, who is playing Vanthiyathevan, the friend of the Cholas. Mani Ratnam's magnum opus has been bankrolled by Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions. Apart from Karthi, the film also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, "Chiyaan" Vikram, and Trisha Krishnan, among others.
Why does this story matter?
PS-I is based on a popular Tamil novel of the same name, written by Kalki Krishnamurthy in 1954. Previously, efforts were made to translate the novel onto the big screen but due to the complexities associated with a film of this scale, none could pan out. Planned as a two-part franchise, the first part will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.
Photos excited the fans, but 'lackluster' promotions worried them
On Sunday (September 18), Lyca Productions uploaded four photos of Karthi on its Twitter account. The images were accompanied by the caption, "The many shades of Vanthiyathevan," and featured different stills from the battlefield, amidst an intense performance, etc. Responding to the post, several fans expressed their excitement for the project, while some others advised the makers to "speed up" the promotions.
Take a look at all the photos here
Here's all you need to know about 'PS-I'
PS-I will chronicle the lives of Chola kings and queens, and how they overcame the vengeful plotting of a Pandiya queen to destroy the kingdom. Besides the aforementioned actors, the film also features an ensemble of actors like "Jayam" Ravi, Vikram Prabhu, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Rahman, Lal, Riyaz Khan, etc. Mani Ratnam's frequent collaborator AR Rahman has composed the melodies.
Meanwhile, the release date of 'PS-II' is already out
Recently, Ratnam shared a massive announcement regarding the second installment of the ambitious franchise. During a press conference, the Roja director revealed that he aspires to release the second part in the coming nine months! So, if everything goes as planned, Ponniyin Selvan-II can hit theaters in the summer of 2023, possibly in or around June. We are counting the dates!
