Tag: Mani Ratnam

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Kerala Lite Blogs

Mani Ratnam backs Kerala’s ‘Cinema Tourism Project’

To start with, Mani Ratnam will participate in a show planned at Bekal Fort in Kasaragod district, where exciting scenes of his film ‘Bombay’ were shot…reports Asian Lite News

As part of promoting tourist locations in Kerala which have been featured in numerous films, ace filmmaker  Mani Ratnam has extended his support to the efforts of the tourism department which has named it Kerala’s ‘Cinema Tourism Project’.

On Tuesday at a  meeting with Tourism Minister  P A Mohamed Riyas, Mani Ratnam promised to endorse locations that left a deep impression in people’s mind after getting featured in box office hits.

To start with, Mani Ratnam will participate in a show planned at Bekal Fort in Kasaragod district, where exciting scenes of his film ‘Bombay’ were shot.

Through the cinema tourism initiative, Kerala aims to attract tourists to such locations.

Mani Ratnam expressed his deep appreciation of the pioneering project besides recalling Kerala’s scenic landscape which had been locations for a number of his films, especially for song sequences.

Riyas, who is the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said the support and presence of Mani Ratnam will be a big boost for the Cinema Tourism project.

The Bekal Fort in Kasaragod, which featured in ‘Bombay,’ starring Aravind Swami and Manisha Koirala, has been included in the project. This location also featured in his  Malayalam film ‘Unaroo.’ To launch this project he will be present at the Bekal Fort along with the actors of ‘Bombay’

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Karthi feels blessed to work with Jayaram

The first part of the two-part film, which is based on the classic novel ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ by legendary writer Kalki, releases on September 30 this year…reports Asian Lite News

Showering praises on actor Jayaram, with whom he worked on director Mani Ratnam’s eagerly awaited magnum opus, ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, actor Karthi said that only Jayaram could be called an actor while Jayam Ravi and he were only at the ‘a’ of acting.

At an event where the first single of the film was recently launched, Karthi said, “Making this film was such an enterprising experience. Jayam Ravi, Jayaram sir and I were the only ones who have been together for the longest time for this film.

“It is a blessing to work with someone like Jayaram sir. Ravi and I would tell this to each other often. ‘Only he (Jayaram) is an actor and we are just at the ‘a’ of acting.’ Such a talent!”

“I won’t disclose the secrets but here is an interesting fact. The character Jayaram sir plays on screen — Nambi — is five-and-a-half feet in height. But Jayaram sir is six-and-a-half feet. To bring down his height to five-and-a-half feet, he has done something unimaginable in this film.”

Turning to Jayaram, Karthi said, “We are blessed sir.”

The first part of the two-part film, which is based on the classic novel ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ by legendary writer Kalki, releases on September 30 this year.

ALSO READ-‘Ponni Nadhi’, the first single from ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ launched

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Mani Ratnam makes two-part epic in 120 days

“We would put our makeup at 2-2.30 a.m. There would be 30 people waiting ready to put makeup for us. Nobody would sleep. At 6.30 in the morning, we would take the first shot…reports Asian Lite News

Tamil actor Karthi, who plays the pivotal character of Vanthiya Devan in Mani Ratnam’s much-awaited magnum opus, ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, says that the ace director has completed shooting both parts of the film in a matter of just 120 days.

Speaking at the launch of the first single, ‘Ponni Nadhi’, from the film, Karthi said the song is about a river. “All civilisations have started in rivers. Then, it was Ponni. Now, it is Cauvery. Every river has its own characteristics. Rivers have inspired poets. They have been a motivating force for even common people like us.

“When lots of people were saying that we cannot make a film on the scale of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, we started. Then Covid struck. When we were perplexed, just like how a river knows to find its way to the sea, we knew Mani sir knew how to take this film to its logical end.

“We all went and stood with Mani sir and worked. In a matter of just 120 days, he completed both ‘Ponniyin Selvan 1’ and ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’. It is not easy to make two films in 120 days.

“We would put our makeup at 2-2.30 a.m. There would be 30 people waiting ready to put makeup for us. Nobody would sleep. At 6.30 in the morning, we would take the first shot.

“Working on this film was like a dream. To make another film like this, a director would have to be born. Only Mani sir can do this.”

ALSO READ-‘Ponniyin Selvan’ second video on Raja Raja Chola released

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

‘Kalki is a gift to the younger generation’

Karthi concluded by saying: “Presenting it in the format of a movie is a gift that Mani sir is presenting to the next generation. You cannot create history without learning history…reports Asian Lite News

Karthi, who plays ‘Vanthiyathevan’, one of the central characters in director Mani Ratnam’s eagerly-awaited magnum opus ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, says the film based on a novel by eminent writer Kalki is a gift to the younger generation.

Speaking at the teaser launch event of the film that was held at the Chennai Trade Centre on Saturday, Karthi said, “In our schools, we learn more about how we were colonised by foreigners. Yet, we keep calling ourselves Tamilians! If someone were to ask us what makes us great, many of us here wouldn’t know what to answer. We wouldn’t know how our kings were. How our kingdoms and their administrations were. But it is important that we learn all of these.

“There is a lot to say (about the kingdoms and the administrations then). Take for instance the Cholas. The Kallanai dam, which they built almost 2,000 years ago, is still intact even to this day.

“The Veeranam lake, which was providing water to Chennai to meet its drinking water needs, was built by them. Twenty kilometres in length and seven kilometres in breadth, the lake was built by the king who got his army to do that. Then, there is the famous Brihadeeshwarar temple or the Periya Kovil, which has no foundation but has a height of 216 feet.”

Continuing to give more details of the other achievements of the Chola kings, Karthi said, “Even foreigners would only navigate on the sides of a water body. It was the Tamilians who learnt about the existence of undercurrents and used it to travel across seas.

“To this day, many of Tamil Nadu government’s welfare schemes were all formulated by the Cholas. There are several facts like these. But people like us who flip videos in 10 seconds don’t have the time for them.”

Karthi concluded by saying: “Presenting it in the format of a movie is a gift that Mani sir is presenting to the next generation. You cannot create history without learning history.

“The younger generation is going to see this (film) and learn. When you watch the movie, you will be overcome by a sense of pride. And when you feel pride, you want to preserve it. When you strive to preserve it, you make progress. I thank Mani sir for this big gift.”

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Films Lite Blogs

Mani Ratnam’s much-awaited historical extravaganza to hit screens on Sept 30

The film is based on the classic Tamil novel ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ by eminent writer Kalki…reports Asian Lite News

The first part of director Mani Ratnam’s much-awaited film ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ is to hit screens on September 30 this year, its makers Lyca Productions announced on Wednesday.

The production house, while wishing its chairman Allirajah Subaskaran on his birthday, tweeted, “Wishing our Chairman Allirajah Subaskaran a very happy birthday! The Golden Era comes to the big screens on Sept 30th!”

It also released the first look poster of the film along with the tweet.

The film is based on the classic Tamil novel ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ by eminent writer Kalki.

The brilliant story, that revolves around the early life of prince Arulmozhi Varman, who later on went on to be known as the great Raja Raja Chozhan, is one of a kind.

The film, dubbed by Mani Ratnam as his dream project, features a host of top stars including actors Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Jayaram, Parthiban, Lal, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prabhu and Prakash Raj. The project will be among the most expensive ever undertaken in the country.

The film has the best in business handling each of its departments. A.R. Rahman is scoring the music for this epic historical and cinematography is by Ravi Varman. National Award-winning art director Thotta Tharani is in charge of production design while Mani Ratnam’s trusted editor Sreekar Prasad is handling the editing.

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