Tamil star Karthi admitted in the Capital on Tuesday that it was not easy for people unfamiliar with the history of the Chola Dynasty to understand the first part of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, Mani Ratnam’s multi-award-winning periood drama that set a Tamil box-office record for 2022 by grossing Rs 502 crore.
But Part 2, which is releasing on April 28, will be easier for audiences in the North especially to comprehend, emphasised the actor who plays the victorious Chola general, Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan, in the film. Karthi added that if the first part was like an introduction, the second brings out the real story.
Speaking to the media, Karthi shared how he explained the story to his friends. “I sent them a WhatsApp message with info about the story and it helped them understand the film. PS-1 has done the basic work and introduced the story. So, PS 2 won’t be tricky,” Karthi said.
Vikram, who plays the Chola prince Aditya Karikalan, elaborated on what Karthi had said and added: “The confusion is about the names. I could not get some of the names and their pronounciation. It is tough even for me. I can well imagine how challenging it must have been when the film was being dubbed.”
‘Ponniyin Selvan-2’ is based on the Tamil classic, ‘Ponniyin Selvan, by Kalki Krisnamurthy. The story revolves around the early life of prince Arulmozhi Varman, who went on to become the famous Rajaraja Chola I.
Its principal cast includes Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Jayam Ravi and Sobhita Dhulipala. ‘Ponniyin Selvan-2’ will be released on April 28.