Vikram recalls refusing Kamal Haasan’s offer when he wanted to make Ponniyin Selvan for TV: ‘I told him I’d wait for…’

Actor Vikram, who essays the role of Aditya Karikalan in the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan, has revealed that several years ago veteran actor Kamal Haasan had approached him for the televised version of the book. In a new interview, Vikram recalled that Kamal Haasan told him he could choose ‘whichever role’ he wanted. Vikram, however, refused to be a part of the serial. (Also Read | Jayam Ravi gets emotional ahead of PS-2 release, Vikram and his castmates give him a hug. Watch)

Currently, Vikram is busy promoting Ponniyin Selvan-Part 2 in which he will reprise the role of Aditya Karikalan. Apart from him, the film also stars Aishwarya Rai. The film marks the third collaboration between Aishwarya and Vikram after their critically acclaimed film Raavan in 2010. The second part is set to hit theatres on April 28.

Speaking with News18, Vikram said, “The interesting thing that happened was that, long back, Kamal sir called me to his office and told me that he wants to produce Ponniyin Selvan. He wanted to do it for television. He told me, ‘I would like you to do a role… You can do whichever role you want.’ So, I was given the chance to do any of the three roles. I told him that I would read the books.”

He added, “He had said, ‘As an actor, I may not want to do it but you think about it since it’s for TV and take a call’. The next day, I got back to him and told him that I would wait for it to come to the big screen. It’s very strange that I’ve always been on somebody’s mind for Ponniyin Selvan. But it’s a nice thought.”

Ponniyin Selvan-Part 2 (PS-2) has been helmed by Mani Ratnam. The film will continue to focus on Arulmozhi Varman, and his journey to becoming the Chola empire’s greatest ruler Rajaraja Chola I. The second part is also expected to focus on the flashback story of Aditya Karikalan.

The sequel will also show the relationship between Ponniyin Selvan and Oomai Rani, played by Aishwarya. PS-1 was a cinematic adaptation of author Kalki Krishnamurthy’s Tamil novel of the same name which was released in the form of a series during the 1950s.

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