Ponniyin Selvan 2: Trisha reveals Mani Ratnam asked her to 'think of' J Jayalalitha while playing Kundavai

Ponniyin Selvan 2, the second part of Mani Ratnam's magnum opus based on the war of succession among the Cholas, is set to release in theatres this Friday, April 28. The film features an ensemble of actors including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Prakash Raj among others playing major historical characters.

Trisha plays the Chola princess Kundavai, the only daughter of the emperor Sundara Chola, played by Prakash Raj. She wants her kingdom to extend its boundaries and is more politically aware than her two brothers, Vikram's Aditya Karakalan and Jayam Ravi's Arunmozhi Varman.

In a recent interview, the actress revealed that Mani Ratnam asked her to take inspiration from the former actress and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha for her character. Speaking to Film Companion, Trisha said, "He (Mani) said, ‘think of her’. Because we are all from Chennai, we have literally grown up seeing her, watching her films, and how she was as the CM. He said, ‘stop being Trisha, think of her'. How she walks, how she talks, she is always a little bit on guard. She doesn’t let her emotions come up because that's how Kundavai needs to be."

"So actually I did start thinking (about her) because I have watched so much of her, her videos, her films, the way she speaks. And he wanted that and it actually did help. You kind of know, all of us know how she walks, her body language, how she talks, she is always the queen", the actress further added.

Ponniyin Selvan 2, just like the first part released last year, will have a pan-India release in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. The AR Rahman musical is bankrolled by by Mani Ratnam’s own banner Madras Talkies and Allirajah Subaskaran’s Lyca Productions.

READ | Ponniyin Selvan 2 trailer: Aishwarya Rai, Vikram, Jayam Ravi's battle for Chola throne gets grander in Mani Ratnam epic