Malayalam actor Lal to play warrior in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan

Malayalam actor Lal, last seen in Prabhas’s Saaho (2018), has been roped in to play the role of a warrior in Mani Ratnam’s period drama, Ponniyin Selvan.

Lal confirmed signing the project in his latest interview to Manorama Online. He further added that it had been his long-time desire to work with Mani Ratnam.

The actor went on to reveal that he has been taking horse riding lessons for the last few weeks to prepare for his role. He further revealed that he was approached for a role in Ratnam’s Kadal (2013), but he missed the opportunity as he was busy with other commitments.

Ponniyin Selvan, which has been in production for close to two years, will finally go on the floors in December. The cast so far includes Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Keerthy Suresh, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Amala Paul, Parthiban and Jyothika among others.

Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who has already confirmed that she is part of the project, is likely to be seen playing dual roles in the highly anticipated project, according to trusted sources.

In the film, she is expected to be seen as Nandini, the wife of Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar (a role played by Telugu actor Mohan Babu), and her mute mother, Queen Mandakini Devi. Apparently, the actress was excited about playing dual roles and jumped at the opportunity when she was offered.

Recently, Ratnam was spotted with action director Sham Kaushal scouting for locations in Thailand. A predominant portion of the movie will be shot in Thailand.

Ponniyin Selvan narrates the story of Arulmozhivarman, one of the kings of the Chola dynasty during the 10th and 11^th centuries. It has been Mani Ratnam’s long-standing wish to adapt Ponniyin Selvan as a film for many years.