Discover Chola secrets in this Ponniyin Selvan-inspired walk at Chennai’s Government Museum

Discover Chola secrets in this Ponniyin Selvan-inspired walk at Chennai’s Government Museum

Chola craftsmen are masters in bronze, says Vijay Prabhat Kamalakara, the founder and CEO of Storytrails at the Egmore museum, Chennai during the Ponniyin Selvan-walk | Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran Who killed Aditha Karikalan, the crown prince of the Chola empire? History is elusive and author Kalki leaves us hanging with no answers in his […]

Continue Reading
Vikram suffers rib injury during rehearsals for Pa Ranjith’s ‘Thangalaan’

Vikram suffers rib injury during rehearsals for Pa Ranjith’s ‘Thangalaan’

Vikram in a still from ‘Thangalaan’ | Photo Credit: Studio Green/YouTube Actor Vikram, who is enjoying glowing responses to his performance in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan 2, suffered a setback when he injured his rib during a rehearsal of his next project Thangalaan and will take a break from the shoot . To be directed […]

Continue Reading
Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ crosses Rs 100 crore mark at worldwide box office

Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ crosses Rs 100 crore mark at worldwide box office

Vikram as Aditha Karikalan in a still from ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ | Photo Credit: Lyca Productions Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan 2 has earned ₹100 crore at the global box office, the makers said on Sunday. The second part of the lavishly mounted feature film hit the screens on Friday in Tamil along with the dubbed […]

Continue Reading
What is the next ‘Ponniyin Selvan’? Tamil literary pioneers recommend novels that would make for great movie adaptations

What is the next ‘Ponniyin Selvan’? Tamil literary pioneers recommend novels that would make for great movie adaptations

The trend of adapting literary works to the big screen is now booming, thanks to directors like Vetri Maaran (whose recent release Viduthalai: Part 1 was an adaptation of B Jeyamohan’s Thunaivan) and Mani Ratnam, whose magnum opus releasing this week, Ponniyin Selvan 2, is bringing Kalki’s novel to life. However, even with such occasional […]

Continue Reading
Actor Vikram on ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ and Mani Ratnam’s 100-film promise

Actor Vikram on ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ and Mani Ratnam’s 100-film promise

Vikram in a still from ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement. With a constant smile, Vikram spoke about his respect for Mani Ratnam like a student would do for his favourite teacher. “Among all the directors I have worked with, I have had the best understanding with him. Sometimes, there are characteristics inside […]

Continue Reading
Mani Ratnam says Hindi cinema should stop calling itself Bollywood; Vetri Maaran concurs

Mani Ratnam says Hindi cinema should stop calling itself Bollywood; Vetri Maaran concurs

Mani Ratnam on the sets of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Veteran director Mani Ratnam, who attended the second edition of CII Dakshin Media and Entertainment Summit in Chennai, spoke at a panel which was about the impact of south Indian films. During the interaction, the filmmaker suggested that he was against the […]

Continue Reading
Down memory lane: When Mani Ratnam and G Venkateswaran wanted to make ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ in 1989

Down memory lane: When Mani Ratnam and G Venkateswaran wanted to make ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ in 1989

Director Mani Ratnam, clicked in February 1996 | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan 2, featuring an all-star cast and produced by Lyca Productions, is gearing up for release in less than a week. The first film, released in September last year, turned out to be one of the highest-grossing […]

Continue Reading
Mani Ratnam: ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ will shine more than the first film; that was just an introduction

Mani Ratnam: ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ will shine more than the first film; that was just an introduction

After the phenomenal success of Ponniyin Selvan 1, the Cholas are back for the sequel. With stakes higher than ever, the team promises that there’s a lot in store with Ponniyin Selvan 2, set to be released on April 28. Right now, Mani Ratnam’s cast of A-listers is travelling across the country to promote PS: […]

Continue Reading
Singer KS Chithra interview: ‘Music helped me come out of troubled times’

Singer KS Chithra interview: ‘Music helped me come out of troubled times’

“I heard you humming something….” We are setting up equipment at singer KS Chithra’s residence, aptly named ‘Shruti’, at Chennai’s Saligramam, and the singer — a Padma Shri recipient and six-time National Film Award-winning musician — has just walked in. “Why don’t you sing,” she asks, almost pleadingly. I freeze. Armed with just memories of […]

Continue Reading