Aishwarya Rai thanks her ‘guru’ Mani Ratnam for Ponniyin Selvan: I

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said at a recent event that she owes a debt of gratitude to the ace film director Mani Ratnam and praised him for making an ambitious historical epic dram such as Ponniyin Selvan: I. The actress, who has previously worked with Mani in films like  Iruvar, Guru and Raavanan, was in New Delhi with the cast of Ponniyin Selvan including Chiyaan Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi and Trisha. She also added that the entire cast was fortunate to be part of the film.

Also read: AR Rahman, Aishwarya Rai, and Vikram fly economy class for Ponniyin Selvan promotions

“I feel very blessed to have worked with him in Iruvar, Guru, Raavan, Ravaanan and now Ponniyin Selvan 1. PS 1 is his dream project. To have the opportunity to be a part of it in itself is any artiste’s dream. The entire cast would echo my sentiment that we are humbled, creatively content and regard ourselves privileged that we got to be a part of his dream film (sic),” she said at the event. 

On the topic of the film, Aishwarya shared, “I have always been fortunate to be part of larger-than-life projects, but what makes this special is that it is Mani sir's film. This movie is a labour of love and the guru is Mani Sir. It is such an enticing, intriguing and exciting film. How fortunate we are that we are a part of this magnum opus. Magic happens when we are in it together. What a great team. From the cast to the camera persons, to everyone else -- all have contributed to the making of this film. Thank you so much, Mani sir for making me a part of this film (sic).”

Also read: Trisha Krishnan poses with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on the sets of  Ponniyin Selvan-I 

The actress also spoke about how pan-India films are taking cinema in different languages to larger sections of the population. “I feel it is a great time as cinema is accessible through different platforms and people are embracing it with open arms in all parts of the country (sic),” she was quoted as saying. 

In the movie, Aishwarya will be seen playing the role of queen Nandini of Pazhuvoor. The film's promotions sum up the thought behind the character with the words, “Vengeance has a beautiful face”. Ponniyin Selvan: I is a period drama based on popular Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel of the same name. The film is scheduled to be released in theatres on September 30.