Aishwarya Lekshmi opens up about her role in Ponniyin Selvan II and working with Mani Ratnam

Malayalam actor Aishwarya Lekshmi gained nationwide recognition for her performance as Poonguzhali in filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan I (2022). As the release of Ponniyin Selvan II approaches, Aishwarya recently revealed to News18 that she was initially scared to play the role, despite making it through auditions. However, Ratnam’s assurance that she could pull it off and that the character was “sexy” gave her the confidence she needed.

Aishwarya describes Poonguzhali as a feminist character who, in a time when it was unheard of, transported people by rowing a boat from one part of the town to another over a one-night journey across the ocean, requiring a lot of physical and mental strength. She further adds that it was Poonguzhali’s fearlessness that spoke to her, as she is in love with the king even though she isn’t supposed to desire what she can’t get.

Ponniyin Selvan I was Aishwarya’s first collaboration with Ratnam, and she describes the experience as one that helped her unlearn everything and fall in love with acting more than ever. She credits Ratnam with bringing her discipline and making her a better person and actor.

Ponniyin Selvan II, a historical action-adventure film, stars an ensemble cast including Aishwarya, Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, and others. The film is an adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel of the same name and is highly anticipated by fans of the book and the first movie.