Ponniyin Selvan director Mani Ratnam’s acting cue for Trisha: ‘Always keep in mind Jayalalithaa amma’

Actor Trisha is quite upbeat about her character Kundavai in the upcoming magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan: 1. She noted that the movie, which is adapted for the big screen by Mani Ratnam, has many strong woman characters. Even though the film is set in the 10th century, Trisha suggested that the way women characters conduct themselves in this film reflect the aspirations of today’s woman.

Trisha noted a key acting cue that she received from Mani Ratnam to get into the skin of her character. “Always keep in mind Jayalalithaa Amma. The way she walks, and her confidence. You don’t necessarily need to feel it inside. We may go through mixed emotions within but we have to keep a stoic face. There is a scene where she (Kundavai) needs to have a meltdown but she can’t do it. She has to have certain confidence because she is a princess. And Mani sir kept instilling in my head, be a princess, think that you’re one. Start acting like it, hold your head high always,” Trisha told during an interview with Film Companion.

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Mounted on a massive budget, the movie is based on legendary writer Kalki Krishnamurthy’s iconic novel Ponniyin Selvan. The five-volume novel narrates the story of Arulmozhi Varman, who eventually became Rajaraja Chola I.

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

PS1 is due in cinemas on September 30.