'Ponniyin Selvan I': Will Mani Ratnam-directorial touch Rs. 500cr mark?
What's the story
The first part of Tamil magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan has almost finished its run in the cinema halls and has collected Rs. 496cr at the global box office so far, including Rs. 327cr in India. Directed by Mani Ratnam, Ponniyin Selvan I is a historical fiction based on the Tamil novel of the same name. Here's more about the film's box office haul.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The first part of Ponniyin Selvan was released amid huge expectations on September 30. The multi-starrer features Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha Krishnan, "Chiyaan" Vikram, "Jayam" Ravi, and Karthi in the lead roles. AR Rahman composed its music, and PS-I was bankrolled jointly by Lyca Pictures and Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies. According to reports, the two-part franchise was made on a budget of Rs. 500cr.
Details
Second highest grosser of Kollywood
Notably, Ponniyin Selvan I is the second-highest-grossing Kollywood film globally and stands right behind Rajinikanth's 2.0 (2018), which grossed Rs. 665cr at the worldwide box office, including Rs. 508cr in India. In terms of Tamil Nadu BO numbers, PS-I earlier emerged as the biggest-ever grosser, beating the likes of 2.0 and Kamal Haasan's Vikram (2022). It beat the latter with a Rs. 50cr margin.
Breakdown
The territorial breakdown of box office collections
Besides being the highest-grosser ever in Tamil Nadu, PS-I is also the first Tamil film to touch the Rs. 200cr milestone in the state. The overall Indian box office collection of Ponniyin Selvan I is Rs. 326.50 crore. Take a look at the territorial breakdown: Tamil Nadu: Rs. 221.8cr Andhra Pradesh, Telangana: Rs. 23.7cr Karnataka: Rs. 27.2cr Kerala: Rs. 24.3cr Other states: Rs. 29.5cr
OTT debut
Film is available on Amazon Prime Video
The historical fiction first debuted on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video on a rental basis. Later, on November 4, the film was made available to all the subscribers of the streamer. The sequel will arrive in the summer of 2023. Apart from the aforementioned actors, the Ponniyin Selvan franchise features Sobhita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, and Parthiban Radhakrishnan in important roles.