Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan-1 to screen for Rs. 100 across India in all languages

If the majestic Mani Ratnam had his way, the ticket prices for his new opus Ponniyin Selvan-1 would be Rs 100 across India in all the languages, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam. Mani Ratnam in fact flew down to Mumbai from Chennai earlier this week to argue his viewpoint with multiplex associations.

Says a well-informed source, “He seems to have convinced the multiplex chains, at least partially. The talks are still on as to whether the single-price policy for Ponniyin Selvan will work or not. But the signs are encouraging. And if a Rs. 200-crore budgeted film can be offered to audiences for as little as Rs100 per ticket, then the future of cinema in the theatres is not so bleak after all.”

Mani Ratnam says he wants Ponniyin Selvan-1 to reach out to the optimum volume of viewership. “I think it will be very relevant to the audience today. From the time, I had read this it felt like a big-screen movie to me. His story telling is so vividly that it feels personal, like Kalki is sitting there and telling this story just for me.”

The lavish costume drama stars Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman and R. Parthiban.

Mani says the astounding actors were all his first choices. “Their time, the need to let them get into the period look, which would mean growing their hair not changing it till the film was over, etc. I was lucky to land on this cast. Most of the characters are done by artists who play leads in many films even today. It was the magic of the book, and the love for it that brought so many of these eminent actors together.”