Ponniyin Selvan: Mani Ratnam reveals why he didn’t make it into a web series- It’s meant for cinema

Mani Ratnam is currently busy with the promotions of his dream project Ponniyin Selvan. The movie, which is based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1954-released historical fiction novel, is unarguably one of the most anticipated upcoming films in Indian cinema. The Ponniyin Selvan novel was originally released in five parts, but director Mani Ratnam chose to release his cinematic adaptation in two parts. Even though the film fanatics and Tamil literature enthusiasts are highly excited about the film, a group of audiences feels that Ponniyin Selvan should have been made into a web series.

In the recently held press meet in Trivandrum, director Mani Ratnam finally revealed why he chose to make Ponniyin Selvan a two-part film, instead of web series. “The first time I read Ponniyin Selvan, I must’ve just finished school. And when I read it, I looked at it as a big screen thing. Everything looked big to me – the adventure, the horses, the war, the women, the men – everything appealed to you as something which is so graphic, so big. It has always been a film for me. I never looked at the option of it being a web series,” said the veteran filmmaker.

“I’m sure that it can be done and I’m sure that somebody will do it at some point. Maybe you’ll do it. But to me, it was meant for theatres, meant for cinema. It has everything that we celebrate in cinema,” concluded Mani Ratnam.

Coming to Ponniyin Selvan, the first part of the film is slated to release on September 30, this year. The second installment is expected to hit the theatres in Summer 2023. The magnum opus features a stellar star cast including Chiyaan Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Trisha Krishnan, and others. AR Rahman has composed music for the film, which is produced by Mani Ratnam’s home banner Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions.

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