Cine buffs, here is some great news for you. You won’t have to wait too long for the second part of director Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan. It will likely release next summer.
Ponniyin Selvan I has set the box office on fire. According to reports, it has already crossed the Rs 300-crore mark, with a gross worldwide collection of over Rs 355 crore.
The good news about the release of the second instalment came from a tweet by film trade analyst Taran Adarsh. The film, officially titled “Ponniyin Selvan Part II,” is slated for a summer 2023 release. According to Adarsh’s tweet, “The exact date will probably be locked in the next couple of weeks.”
Also read: Ponniyin Selvan sets box office ablaze, crosses Rs 200-cr mark in 3 days
Shot simultaneously
Adarsh also shared an interesting detail about the shooting of the two films. He suggested that the second part was shot simultaneously with Ponniyin Selvan I.
“… #PS1 and #PS2 were *shot simultaneously*, unlike #Baahubali2 and #KGF2 that were shot much after the first parts were successful… This move (of shooting simultaneously) helped keep the cumulative costs of both #PS1 and #PS2 in check,” read the tweet.
“…The producers are now evaluating the post-production schedule of #PS2… Going forward, the digital and satellite release of #PS1 will help increase the fandom, which, in turn, will create a solid ground for #PS2,” the tweet went on.
Also read: How Ponniyin Selvan has broken a box-office jinx in Karnataka
A celebrated work
Ponniyin Selvan is based on a five-part book by the same title written by Kalki Krishnamurthy. The first part of the film chronicles the events portrayed in the first three parts of the book.
The Tamil-language film stars Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, and Trisha, among others. The historical fiction is about Arulmozhivarman (played by Jayam Ravi), who went on to become Rajaraja Chola I, one of the most powerful kings of the Chola empire. Aishwarya portrays Nandini, the queen of Puzhuvoor.