New Delhi: As Mani Ratnam gears up for the release of the second part of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ next week, he spoke about why he did not attempt to make the ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ franchise as a web series with multiple seasons. The acclaimed filmmaker said that instead of making the five volumes of the novel into a two-part movie, he made a feature-film because how was he supposed to get the dates of the actors who have worked in it.
In a media interaction, when Mani Ratnam was asked why he didn’t consider making ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ into a web series, he said, “Even if I wanted to, who would’ve given me the dates? Will you get the dates of these actors?”
Speaking about adapting the novel, Mani Ratnam shared that ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ film will be a faithful representation as well as interpretation of Kalki’s novel. “I’m also a fan of the book and it has deeply impacted me. This is my interpretation and presentation of the story in the way it has impacted me,” he said.
For those unaware, Mani Ratnam had tried to adapt the novel into a film in 1994 and again in 2011. In fact, he had been working on it for quite a long time before it became a film. Besides Ratnam, many known filmmakers have in the past tried to adapt the iconic book on celluloid.
Last year, at the pre-release event of ‘PS-1’, he said, “The long wait has been some sort of liberation. Ponniyin Selvan is a five-part book and it’s impossible to compress it in a single film. Not sure if we could’ve done justice had we done the film back then. Today, audiences are open to the idea of watching a film in parts or as a series. Honestly, it was easier to make Ponniyin Selvan now. I’m glad Ponniyin Selvan didn’t happen all these years because this is the right time.”
‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ will see a majority of its star cast from ‘PS1’ return. Vikram, Karthi, Trisha and Aishwarya Rai, Jayam Ravi will reprise their roles in the film. ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ will be released on April 28, 2023.