Ponniyin Selvan 2 | Mani Ratnam: No matter how much I love Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, I will only ask her if I think she is right for the role

According to filmmaker Mani Ratnam, the goal of historical films should be to remain true to the facts while also making the story relevant to modern audiences. The celebrated filmmaker, who is anxiously anticipating the debut of Ponniyin Selvan II, asserted that unreliable historical details cannot be added to a drama set in the past.

"Whatever film you make, you try to make it as well as you can. But when it is a period drama and when it is historical, you try to go as close as you can without fantasising about it and adding elements that are not real. You try to bring it as close to reality as possible. This film is treated in that fashion, and the objective while making it was simple: it should look like it is happening now, or it should look like we are there next to the characters. So, it was shot, it was put together, and it was performed casually, not like a historical drama, so everything added to that," the director informed reporters at the Ponniyin Selvan 2 press conference.

Ratnam said that he disagrees with the term "pan-India movie," which has acquired currency in recent years because of the success of films like the Baahubali series, RRR, Pushpa: The Rise, KGF, and Kantara.

The same-titled 1955 Tamil novel by author Kalki Krishnamurthy is the basis for director Ratnam's two-part Ponniyin Selvan. It details the life of Arulmozhivarman (Jayam Ravi), one of the most powerful rulers in the south, before he rose to become Rajaraja Chola I, the great Chola emperor. September 2022 saw the publication of the first instalment. Tamil is a language. The epic is the fourth film that Ratnam has made with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, following Iruvar, Raavanan, and Guru.

The filmmaker claimed that anytime he thought Aishwarya would be the best choice for a role in one of his films, he would approach her.

"Filmmakers are very selfish people, absolutely heartless and selfish; the only thing they care for is the film. No matter how much I love her (Aishwarya), I will only ask her if I think she is right for the role. Every time I have asked her, it is because I have believed that she is absolutely right for the role, and she has been nice enough to say yes. So, she is not just a lucky charm for me; it is her talent and her personality that were right to portray this character," he remarked.

When asked if Ponniyin Selvan may have a third instalment, Ratnam responded, "Maybe, but I don't know who will make it."

Ponniyin Selvan II, which also features Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Shobhita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Prakash Raj, will be made available on Friday in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam.