Kamal Haasan watches Ponniyin Selvan 2, says its success a sign ‘Tamil cinema is moving towards golden age’

He added, “Mani Ratnam takes a lot of valour to do a film of this size like a production. Mani Ratnam, the team, the cinematographer, the musician — everybody has worked together to make Tamil cinema international. It is a good sign that Tamil Cinema is probably moving towards the golden age and expected to go in that direction. It’s a very moving moment for two friends who started speaking about cinema and he has gone ahead and done it.”

Kamal Haasan has also played a part in the film as a narrator. He lent his voice to give an introduction to the plot in both parts of PS. The actor-director admitted that he is a bit jealous of Mani Ratnam at the audio launch of the first part. He said, “I feel jealous of Mani Ratnam. I got a new opportunity through AR Rahman the day before yesterday to see his orchestra play songs and it was magic. I was overwhelmed and at a loss for words. Life is short and getting a chance in cinema is less. We should all celebrate the chances we get. This is not a time to be jealous.”

Kamal Haasan wanted to make Ponniyin Selvan even back in the 80s. However, due to the budget and length constraints, he couldn’t pull it off.

However, the good news is that Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan, two icons of Tamil cinema who ruled the roost in the 90s, are again at the top of the industry with Mani Ratnam riding on the success of PS films and Kamal delivering the hit Vikram. The two are joining hands for a project, tentatively titled KH 234. The film will have AR Rahman as the music composer. The film will be produced by Red Giants Movies and Kamal’s Raaj Kamal Films International.