Karthi spoke about his brother Suriya’s thoughts on Ponniyin Selvan.
Karthi talks about her brother, superstar Suriya’s reaction to Ponniyin Selvan. Karthi played an essential role in Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus.
While Karthi had already proven himself as an actor with films like Madras (2014), Oopiri (2016), Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru (2017) and Kaithi (2019), this is the historical action-adventure film epic filmmaker Mani Ratnam Ponniyin Selvan I which earned him pan-Indian recognition. Karthi’s depiction of Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan, the prince of the Vaanar clan, won him wide critical acclaim. The second installment of the franchise, Ponniyin Selvan II, also earned him appreciation.
And now, in an exclusive interaction with News18, he reveals how his superstar brother Surya reacted after seeing him play Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan on the big screen for the first time. Karthi tells us that Surya watched it with his wife, actor Jyothika’s family, and was in awe of the magnum opus. “Interestingly, my brother watched the film – the Tamil version with subtitles – with his in-laws in Bombay in a theater full of non-Tamil viewers. Everyone loved it. He was very proud of it. He said, ‘What Tamil cinema could achieve makes me very proud.’ And what was his comeback for his younger brother? “He had nice things to say about the whole movie. But he had no special words for me,” Karthi shares with a laugh.
But his association with Ponniyin Selvan goes back a long way as his father, veteran actor Sivakumar, was approached by legendary actor and deceased politician Marudhur Gopalan Ramachandran, better known as MGR, when he announced for the first times the screen adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel in 1959. Speaking about it, Karthi says, “Even before Kamal (Haasan) sir was supposed to do Ponniyin Selvan, MGR got the rights and he wanted to do it . He wanted my father to play Arunmozhi Varman. For the uninitiated, the Vikram (2022) actor intended to make the film in 1989 and even announced the casting, but his plans didn’t materialize.
With the Ponniyin Selvan baton being passed from actor to actor across generations, Karthi feels lucky to be able to be a part of the film, which the brotherhood has wanted to direct for the longest time. “We have all received a lot of appreciation for this movie. It was written 70 years ago and the fan following of every character in the movie has almost turned them into superstars. They have received love over generations. When the audience saw someone bring it to life on screen for the first time, it was filled with excitement. They always watched actors from different generations play these roles. And ultimately, we of this generation have to do them. And the audience fell in love with all the characters,” he explains.
Apart from the accolades bestowed on him by critics and members of the film fraternity, the actor in Kaatru Veliyidai (2017) and Paruthiveeran (2007) has also won the hearts of audiences, especially children, for his comedic timing. , his physical prowess and his mischievous charm. in the movie. Speaking of this, he remarks, “Many children want to be called Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan and not by name. I met so many kids who came home and wanted to change their name to Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan (laughs).
On a related note, Ponniyin Selvan II hit theaters on April 28 in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. It also stars Chiyaan Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha Krishnan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Sobhita Dhulipala.
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