Chiyaan Vikram Reveals Why He Turned Down Kamal Haasan’s Offer for Ponniyin Selvan TV Show

Chiyaan Vikram, who plays Aditha Karikalan in the upcoming movie Ponniyin Selvan: II, recently revealed that Kamal Haasan had approached him to play a role in a television adaptation of the epic novel Ponniyin Selvan. Speaking exclusively to the media, Vikram shared that Haasan had asked him to choose any of the three main characters for the TV show. However, Vikram declined the offer as he wanted to wait for the project to be made for the big screen.

Haasan has been associated with the project for over three decades, having revealed his plans to make a two-part movie in 1989. His plans did not materialize, and the project was eventually taken up by Mani Ratnam, who directed the first instalment of the movie in 2022. Haasan went on to narrate the film and hosted a press meet for the movie’s unit, where he praised the actors’ performances, including Vikram’s.

Vikram lauded Haasan’s gesture, calling it “magnanimous” and “gracious,” as their film was competing with Haasan’s action-thriller Vikram, which starred Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi. Despite his film becoming the biggest all-time grosser in Tamil cinema, Haasan recommended Ponniyin Selvan: I and praised the actors’ work. Vikram expressed his surprise and gratitude at Haasan’s support, saying that nobody else would have done the same.

It is interesting to note that Ponniyin Selvan has been in the works for over six decades, with legendary actor and politician MGR being the first to announce the adaptation in 1959. Despite getting official rights, he was unable to turn the novel into a movie. Haasan picked up the baton after MGR’s death in 1987, but his plans did not come to fruition either. The project was eventually taken up by Mani Ratnam, who managed to bring the epic novel to life on the big screen.

Vikram’s revelation about Haasan’s offer sheds light on the long and tumultuous journey of Ponniyin Selvan’s adaptation. Despite the setbacks, the movie has generated a lot of buzz, with the first instalment becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2022. Fans of the novel and Tamil cinema will undoubtedly be eagerly awaiting the release of Ponniyin Selvan: II.