Aishwarya Rai may star in Ponniyan Selvan – director Mani Ratnam’s ambitious project which he is believed to have revived. Reports say that she has been approached to play the role of Nandhini, one of the central characters in the book written by Kalki.
A source close to the film told Silverscreen that no confirmation can be made about the movie until an official announcement by the filmmakers. Ponniyin Selvan is the story of Arulmozhivarman, who becomes Raja Raja Chozhan. It is believed that Kalki took nearly 3 years to complete the five-volume novel.
In the story, Nandhini is married to Periya Pazhuvetaraya of the Chola empire, and plans the downfall of the kingdom. In his adaptation, Mani Ratnam is planning to star Telugu actor Mohan Babu for the Pazhuvetarayar role, with Jayam Ravi as Arulmozhivarman and Vikram as Aditya Karikalan, reports India Today.
The film’s big star cast also has Vijay Sethupathi in the lead. Amitabh Bachchan may play the role of Sundara Chola in the film. Actor Karthi, who has worked with the director in Kaatru Veliyidai, has reportedly been approached for an important role. Simbu will play a character similar to his role in Chekka Chivantha Vaanam.
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Reports about the film have been doing the rounds since January. The film is likely to be produced by Lyca Productions, who haven’t confirmed this yet. In the past, MGR and Kamal Haasan attempted to adapt Ponniyin Selvan into a movie, but they moved on due to the size of the project.
Mani Ratnam planned Ponniyan Selvan 15 years back. It was scheduled with Vijay, Vikram and Mahesh Babu in lead roles, and later with Karthi and Ram Charan, before it was shelved temporarily.
It was also reported that Mani Ratnam is working with Vijay for an upcoming film. Some speculate that the director is considering Vijay for a lead role in Ponniyan Selvan, and not a different project.