Top 10 Facts About Ponniyin Selvan: I

Ponniyin Selvan translates into English as Son of Ponni. It is a historically based novel written by Kalki Krishnamurthy Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy, also known as Kalki Krish >> Read More... . The story was first published as a weekly series from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954. It was released in book form in the year 1955. The novel tells the story of the early days of Arulmozivarman.The legendary director Mani Ratnam Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker deeply rooted t >> Read More... has taken up the task of turning this novel into an epic period film. The first part of the film was scheduled to have a worldwide theatrical release on 30 September 2022. Here are the Top 10 Facts about Ponniyin Selvan to pique your interest.

1. Ponniyin Selvan – An Introduction

The novel Ponniyin Selvan is set in the tenth century, under the Chola rule. The novel revolves around Arulmozivarman, who later would be known as Rajaraja Cholan I, and the commander of the Chola army Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan. The story was set in parts of Sri Lanka, which was also a part of the Chola dynasty.

2. Kalki’s Writing Process

Kalki Krishnamurthy worked on this book for three and a half years. He also took three trips to Sri Lanka for his research. To make this novel a little more interesting, Kalki added a few made-up characters to the plot.

3. Original Adaptation

Before Mani Ratnam decided to adapt the novel into a historical film, the novel was adopted by MG Ramachandran. MG Ramachandran had bought the rights to produce a movie in 1958 for Rs. 10,000. He had also picked out a cast for the film. However, he was unable to make the film because of an accident.

4. The Story

The novel depicts the story of Arulmozhi Varman in his early days. He later came to be known as the great king Rajaraja Chola 1. The story was set in the Chola Dynasty during the 10th and 11th centuries. The main characters of this novel are Vandiyathevan, Aditya Karikalan, Arulmozi Varman, and Kundavai.

5. Rajaraja Chola Empire

After the Kandalur Salai, Arulmozhi Varman won the provinces of Venadu and Kollam. He conquered Eastern and Western Chalukyas. He also dominated a few parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Tanjore was the capital of the majestic Chola Kingdom. Rajaraja Chola 1 is said to have taken command over some parts of Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

6. Making Ponniyin Selvan Into A Film

In 1994, Mani Ratnam expressed his interest in turning the novel into a film. He worked along with actor Kamal Haasan Kamal Haasan is the most versatile actor that Indi >> Read More... to make his first draft. The first draft later got delayed. There was another attempt to make this novel into a film in the year 2010. Eventually, this attempt also got shelved due to specific reasons. In the year 2019, Mani Ratnam attempted to make this novel into a film, and this time his efforts were successful.

7. Production

The film adaptation of Ponniyin Selvan by Mani Ratnam, was first intended to be a stand-alone film. Later in the production phase, Mani Ratnam divided it into two parts. The film, was shot in different locations such as Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, and Thailand. The production of the film got delayed due to a pandemic.

8. Post-Production

Vikram, Trisha, and Aishwarya Lekshmi Aishwarya Lekshmi is an Indian actress who has wor >> Read More... have been dubbed for their respective roles in Tamil. PS 1 is ready for a worldwide theatrical release on 20 September. Lyca Productions is responsible for the distribution of this film in Tamil Nadu. The film was originally shot in Tamil. The film will have a dubbed release in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.

9. The Crew

Ponniyin Selvan's music and the soundtrack were composed by the legendary composer A Rahman. The production design department was handled by Thota Tharani In days of 1960’s and 1970’s set designs had playe >> Read More... . A Sreekar took care of the film's editing. Ravi Varman ISC was in charge of the cinematography. B Jeyamohan wrote the Tamil dialogues for this film.

10. The Director - Mani Ratnam

Mani Ratnam, the man behind the film adaptation of the novel Ponniyin Selvan is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer. Ponniyin Selvan has been his dream project for several years. Mani Ratnam has won six National Film Awards The National Film Awards gets presented every year >> Read More... , four Filmfare Awards, and six Filmfare Awards.