Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan' creates history at the global box office

Film-maker Mani Ratnam’s latest release ‘Ponniyin Selvan: 1’ seems to be unstoppable at the box office. The film which boasts an ensemble cast is inching closer to making Rs 400 crore (about 4,85,40,440.00 USD) at the worldwide box office. Also known as ‘PS-1’, the film has a stellar cast led by Chiyaan Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha Krishnan, Jayam Ravi and Karthi.

The film has now beaten the box office collection of Rajinikanth's 2.0, which was released in 2018, in the US.
Mani Ratnam's magnum opus has become the highest-grossing Tamil movie in the US market.

Based on Kalki's book, 'Ponniyin Selvan' is a period drama that is set in the 10th century Chola kingdom. The film's second part was reportedly shot simultaneously with the first film and will release in theatres in the summer of 2023.
In the US the film's collections stand at $ 5,564,305.

All about 'Ponniyin Selvan' the book series on which Mani Ratnam's film is based

Filmmaker Mani Ratnam had recently said in a media interaction that he was glad he could make the film into two parts, and release part 1 first and subsequently release the next part. The filmmaker said the time to release the film in two parts was right as the audiences are used to watching in multiple parts, thanks to SS Rajamouli's 'Baahubali' and the KGF franchise.

WION's Sayan Ghosh stated that the film is a fitting adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy's epic five-part book. "At 167 minutes, the film takes its time to establish all the characters and their motivations in a way that makes the audience curious about the sequel. The elaborate sets and picturesque locations provide the perfect backdrop for the clash of kings, but it is ultimately human emotions that are laid bare on the screen," wrote Ghosh. Read the full review here