Ponniyin Selvan: Art director Thota Tharrani says the team was aware of the fact that they were working on an epic

With less than 10 days left for the release of Ponniyin Selvan, makers have upped its promotional activities. The team, including Mani Ratnam, Vikram, Trisha, Karthi and Jayam Ravi, flew down to Trivandrum the other day. They have now unveiled a BTS video in which veteran production designer Thota Tharrani has opened up about erecting sets and creating weapons for some of the crucial sequences in the film.

The movie marks the reunion of Mani and Tharrani after 28 years. The video begins with the latter saying that he always comes up with sketches of required materials on papers. He becomes excited when he talks about Mani asking him to create a water front in front of a huge building erected during the Chola dynasty.

Tharrani says, "We had a person who would do intense research on materials that were used during the early time period. It was interesting to learn about things which were written on leather and palm leaves. One of the biggest references for us was the old temples which are testimony to the architectural skills of people who lived during the Chola kingdom."

The legendary art director notes that one of the biggest challenges for them was to design dress for animals and create weapons of various kinds. "We made weapons of different sizes and shapes in fiberglass, wood and steel with fiberglass," he adds. 

Tharrani proudly says the team was aware of the fact that they were working on an epic, and that it left them gratified. All praise for Mani Ratnam, he says that making an epic out of an epic was indeed a challenge.  

The movie bankrolled by Lyca Productions and Madras Talkies will release on September 30. The second part of the film is expected to hit the screens after seven to nine months after the release of the first installment.