Director Mani Ratnam’s recently released magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan-I has not only managed to garner praises from most quarters, but has also had a dream run at the box office so far. In addition to the discussions it has sparked on social media, there is a consensus among audiences that the big-budget historical drama — an adaptation of Kalki Krishnamoorthy’s popular 1954 novel — has lived up to the expectations. While the performances of Trisha, Vikram, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai, Jayaram, and other actors from the ensemble cast have been widely discussed by audiences and critics alike, the making of the film has also caught the attention and adulation of film buffs.
Following its theatrical release on September 30, TNM caught up with the executive producer of PS-I, Siva Ananth, to delve deeper into the logistical challenges of shooting a period film, its art direction, the role of computer generated imagery (CGI) and more. Walking us through the challenging aspects of the shoot, Siva explains, “The most interesting challenge was the film’s scale. Going into the shoot, we knew that we needed more people in every department, we had more costume and art requirements, lights, more rooms to be booked, more tickets to be purchased for flights. The numbers were big. The planning had to meet the requirement. The biggest learning was to not leave too many things to the last minute.”
Interestingly, Siva also points out that even the scenes that did not have many people in front of the camera, such as the scenes between Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) and Kundavai (Trisha) in the palace, had to be as meticulously planned as scenes that are visibly more resplendent in the film. He cites Vandiyatheprivan (Karthi)’s action sequence with the palace guards, and Jayam Ravi’s climax scene in the ship as examples of the same.
Watch Ponniyin Selvan-I Executive producer Siva Ananth’s full interview here: