Amala Paul on board Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan

Filmmaker Mani Ratnam is all set to commence work on his next project which is based on the epic Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan, an adaptation of late Kalki Krishnamurthy's historic novel of the same name.

After roping in actors such as Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Mohan Babu and Keerthy Suresh, the industry grapevine is that Amala Paul is the latest addition to the cast of this highly anticipated multi-starrer.

According to The Times Of India report, Amala has already been signed for the project which will have its official launch later this year.

For nearly a decade, Mani Ratnam has been eyeing to make Ponniyin Selvan. He had almost started shooting for the project a few years ago with Vijay and Mahesh Babu; however, a week before the shoot, the project got shelved for unknown reasons.

Now, it looks all the decks have been cleared for a smooth commencement of the project. The launch ceremony is expected to take place later this year.

Ponniyin Selvan is the widely known story of Arulmozhivarman, one of the kings of the Chola dynasty during the 10th and 11th centuries.

Lyca Productions is bankrolling the project which will be released in multiple languages. There are also rumours that a very popular studio from the Hindi film industry will likely come on board.

The pre-production work has already commenced on the project. The makers are currently in the process of erecting huge sets to shoot crucial portions of the film.

It’s worth mentioning that superstar Rajinikanth’s daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth recently announced she will bankroll a web-series version of Ponniyin Selvan in association with MX Player.