Karthi overwhelmed as PS1 brings senior citizens to theatres, reveals his daughter is now reading Kalki’s novel

Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan: I has grossed over ₹400 crore at the box office globally in just 11 days. Apart from doing great business, the film has earned the rare distinction of bringing senior citizens in large numbers to theatres. Actor Karthi, who plays the character of Vanthiyathevan in the film, is touched by the patronage of the older audiences but he feels the whole credit must go to the original writer Kalki. Also read: Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan I crosses ₹400 crore globally

PS1 tells the story of the early life of Arulmozhivarman (Ponniyin Selvan), who went on to become the Chola emperor Rajaraja I (947–1014). The film released in theatres across the globe in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. The film is based on the eponymous novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy. It was first serialised in the weekly editions of Kalki, a Tamil magazine.

The release of PS1 reportedly saw senior citizens coming in large numbers to theatres. It was a rare sight as the age group of Tamil cinema audiences usually ranges between 20 and 45. Reacting to senior citizens watching PS1 in cinemas, Karthi said, “It really feels overwhelming to see old people come and watch our movie. But the whole credit must go to Kalki sir. It is his story that has gripped them for so many years and is drawing these older audiences to the theatres. If it wasn’t for the story, we wouldn’t be seeing this kind of response.”

Karthi added that the novel is so gripping that his young daughter Umayaal, who was born in 2013, is currently reading it. The film is having a dream run at the box office. As of Tuesday, PS1 has crossed ₹400 crore globally and could beat the lifetime collection of Kamal Haasan-starrer Vikram soon.

Quiz Karthi on how he feels about the box office return of PS 1, the actor said, “Honestly, I’m not the kind of guy who’s too much into numbers. I’m happy the film is doing very well and it’s a very good year for Tamil cinema. This success means anticipation for part 2 would be naturally even more, and people will come and see it. That’s what we aspire for as artists.”

Karthi is gearing up for the release of his upcoming Tamil film Sardar, in which he plays dual roles. It’s scheduled for release on October 21. He calls Sardar, directed by PS Mithran, a rooted spy thriller. It’s the rootedness that makes the film unique, Karthi feels.

“When we talk about spy films, we automatically start thinking of the high-concept films that are made in the west. What we have been missing is our home-grown spy tales and that’s what Mithran is bringing through Sardar,” he said. Karthi will be seen playing both father and son in the movie. As the father, he will be seen playing someone in his 60s, which was a challenging role for him.

“What happens when you play someone so old, you need to take a lot of factors into consideration. Here, I play someone who is in his 60s but he’s also a guy who has to fight. When I fight as a 60-year-old, the style is different and it wasn’t easy to bring that out,” Karthi said. The film also stars Raashi Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan and Chunky Pandey in key roles.

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