'Ponniyin Selvan I' heading to this OTT platform post-theatrical run?
Mani Ratnam's historical drama Ponniyin Selvan I hit the theaters on Friday and has been receiving tremendously positive responses from fans and critics alike. According to reports, PS-I will land on Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run which has bought its digital streaming rights for a whopping price. Its OTT premiere date hasn't been announced yet. Meanwhile, Sun TV bagged its satellite rights.
Why does this story matter?
Based on the popular Tamil novel of the same name—written by late author Kalki Krishnamurthy—the first part of Ponniyin Selvan stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, "Jayam" Ravi, Karthi, and "Chiyaan" Vikram in the lead roles. It comes after several attempts in the past to adapt it onto the big screen. Moreover, the details of PS-I's post-theatrical digital streaming are a much-awaited update for fans.
Prime Video paid hefty amount to bag digital streaming rights
Amazon Prime Video has paid a whopping Rs. 125cr for digital streaming rights of both parts of Ponniyin Selvan, per India Today. Similarly, Sun TV also paid a huge sum to bag the satellite rights. As for the box office collections, PS-I is reportedly estimated to have made Rs. 80cr (gross) worldwide on Day 1—the highest global opening for any Tamil film this year.
Meet the rest of the cast and crew
Besides the aforementioned actors, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Sarathkumar, and Parthiban appear in PS-I in key supporting roles. The script was penned by Ratnam, B Jeyamohan, and Elango Kumaravel, while Ravi Varman cranked the camera. AR Rahman has scored its background music and tracks. A Sreekar Prasad has done the edits. The film was bankrolled by Ratnam's Madras Talkies along with Lyca Productions.
When will second installment hit cinema halls?
The two-part Ponniyin Selvan franchise has reportedly been made on a mammoth budget of Rs. 500cr. It was announced in the film that the sequel will be released in 2023, though the date hasn't been revealed yet. Reportedly, the makers are planning to release the sequel in the summer of 2023. So, we might get to watch it in April or May next year.
