Ponniyin Selvan and RRR find new life online through stories created by fans,as fanfiction centred around Indian stories garners interest

A still from Ponniyin Selvan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement It is now common knowledge that in Kalki’s celebrated magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan, Raja Raja Chola marries Princess Vanathi. But what if he had to travel through multiple universes, challenges and a curious situation where Vanathi and his brother fall in love instead? This is […]

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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 […]

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Ponniyin Selvan: Author Nandini Krishnan on translating Kalki’s epic, and Mani Ratnam’s two-part film

Author Nandini Krishnan’s tryst with the Ponniyin Selvan (PS) series began at birth. “I was named after Nandini from the books, you know,” she remarks. With the first of her 10-part translation of author Kalki’s serialised magnum opus — First Flood (Eka by Westland)— making its way into bookstores across India, Nandini says that she […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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: […]

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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 […]

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Kamal Haasan: Like the Cholas in ‘Ponniyin Selvan,’ Tamil cinema has also reached its Golden era

Jayam Ravi, Karthi and Silambarasan TR at the ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ trailer launch | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Actor Kamal Haasan remarked like how the Chola empire reached its Golden era, Tamil cinema has also now reached its own. The actor-politician said this on Wednesday at the audio and trailer launch event of Ponniyin Selvan […]

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‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ trailer: Mani Ratnam’s epic returns for final flourish

A still from ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’ The trailer of Ponniyin Selvan 2, the much-anticipated second instalment of Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus, was released by the makers today during a grand trailer launch event in Chennai. The Ponniyin Selvan films are based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s popular novel on the life of Raja Raja Chozhan. With a […]

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Explained | How did Tamil cinema fare at the box-office this year?

Stills from ‘Vikram,’ ‘Ponniyin Selvan,’ ‘Beast’ and ‘Valimai’ | Photo Credit: Graphic: Albert Francis The year 2022 has been the best ever in the last two decades or so for Tamil cinema. Two Tamil films, Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan:1 ( PS1) and Kamal Haasan’s Vikram find a place among the top five worldwide blockbusters from […]

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