EXCLUSIVE: Decoding Aishwarya Rai & Trisha’s jewelry in Mani Ratnam’s PS I: Handmade neckpiece to waist belts

Ponniyin Selvan, the most awaited magnum opus by Mani Ratnam is set to release on September 30, 2022. The trailer and teaser posters look nothing short of grandeur. The highlight of the film are the costumes, larger-than-life sets, and each intricate detail that can be seen has been dedicated to perfecting the period drama from the Chola Era. Well, with everything looking regal and grand, we decided to dig in more on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Trisha Krishnan’s handcrafted jewels and everything that went behind creating it.

Check out exclusive details on what went behind making the royal jewellery for the characters in Mani Ratnam’s PS: I.  Did you know a handmade neckpiece took them a month to complete?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Nandini, the Queen of Pazhuvoor 

The jewellery seen in the character played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who plays the role of Nandini, the Queen of Pazhuvoor is handcrafted. To enhance the character’s beauty, traditional jewellery such as nose pins, vankis, arm bands, vaddanams, hair pieces, and neck pieces with traditional motifs such as the Goddess Lakshmi were created. They wear Thussis, long and medium necklaces, jhumkas, rings, and bangle sets with uncut diamonds, emeralds, rubies, yellow sapphires, and pearl clusters. 

Trisha as Princess Kundavai 

The jewellery which has been designed by Kishandas & Co. of Hyderabad involved 3 artisans. They designed waist belts and accessories to complement the costumes, silhouettes, and hair accessories based on the elaborate hairstyles, buns, and hairdos specified for each of the character’s varying hairstyles. Each look has been created in a way that works well on the big screen. 

It took around six months for the makers to take inspiration, and study history and character specifications. In total 18 craftsmen worked on it. A handmade neckpiece took them a month to complete. Based on their areas of expertise, the artisans collaborated in the various stages of jewellery making, such as nakashi work, stone fitting, and polishing. 

Mani Ratnam’s research

Mani Ratnam’s research team, which includes historians studied the motifs and styling of the Chola dynasty. They gave jewellery designers a detailed brief of each character. The uncut precious gems such as emeralds, rubies, and yellow sapphires are just a few examples of the period’s jewellery used to create Trisha and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s looks in Ponniyin Selvan: I. 

As we all know, for Mani Ratnam, Ponniyin Selvan Vision is a dream come true project. The ace filmmaker has left no stone unturned to keep the regal touch intact in the story. His brief was simple- to create authentic jewellery that defines the characters. 

Stylist Eka Lakhani conceptualized all the signature looks with Kishandas and visualized by the legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam. 

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