Mani Ratnam said only Aishwarya could do justice to Nandini’s character.
In the interaction with News18, Trisha revealed how much she admired the character of Nandini in Ponniyin Selvan: 2.
Film director Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan: 2 has wreaked havoc in the theatres. From the grand sets to powerful dialogues, and compelling performances from the star-studded cast, PS-2 has created magic on the silver screens. Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai’s character Nandini has especially been appreciated by the masses. Trisha Krishnan, who plays the role of Princess Kundavai in PS: 2 once desired to be cast as Nandini in the film. But, in an interview, the actress shared that when she requested Mani Ratnam to give her the role of Nandini, the filmmaker replied that only Aishwarya could do justice to Nandini’s character.
In an interaction with News18, Trisha revealed how much she admired the character of Nandini in Ponniyin Selvan. “I would have loved to play her,” she shared. Expressing her desire to be roped in as Nandini, the actress urged Mani Ratnam to cast her as the character, when she visited the director’s office one day. But, the filmmaker was quick to reject her proposal conveying that the role of Nandini was the “first thing” that was confirmed.
Mani Ratnam’s firm reply to Trisha’s request was, “Only Aishwarya can do that,” which Trisha was completely okay with. Earlier, Trisha had disclosed how Mani Ratnam had discouraged her from talking with Aishwarya too much for the sake of the film as Aishwarya’s Nandini and Trisha’s Kundavai were rivals of each other. “I need you guys to have a little bit of rivalry for my scene!” was Mani Ratnam’s piece of advice to the leading ladies of PS: 2.
In the film, Nandini and Kundavai are sworn enemies. Being a woman of beauty with brains, in addition to having a keen interest in literature, art, and music, Nandini dislikes Kundavai’s diplomatic abilities, trying to outrun her. Both Aishwarya and Trisha excelled in their respective performances in PS: 1 and PS: 2.
Released on the big screens on April 28, Ponniyin Selvan: 2 has seamlessly crossed the 100-crore club within just three days. From the positive reviews pouring in for the Mani Ratnam directorial, it seems that PS: 2 has lived up to its name, being a perfect sequel to the first part. Apart from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Trisha Krishnan, the film also stars Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Lekshmi, R Sarathkumar, and Parthiban Radhakrishnan in important roles.
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