Kamal Haasan has spoken in favor of director Vetri Maaran for his statement on Rajaraja Cholan not being a Hindu king

Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan has managed to create a tsunami at the box office.

Khateja Qureshi | Published On: Oct, 7, 2022 | 07:39 AM

Kamal Haasan has spoken in favor of director Vetri Maaran for his statement on Rajaraja Cholan not being a Hindu king

Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan has managed to create a tsunami at the box office. This historical drama has been inspired by Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1955 novel of the same name which is about the Chola dynasty. Amidst raving reviews, the film has also managed to create some controversy. The film has led to heated discussions on the religion of King Rajaraja Cholan. The National Award-winning director Vetri Maaran was quoted saying that Rajaraja Cholan was not a Hindu king, giving way to a debate across the country.

Now, Kamal Haasan has come in support of Vetri Maaran. Sharing his views on the matter, the Vikram star stated that Hinduism did not exist during the time of Rajaraja Cholan, and only Saivam, Vainavam, and Jainism were there during the time. He also mentioned that Hindu was the name given by the Britishers.

In the meantime, speaking at the Ponniyin Selvan Trailer launch event, Kamal Haasan revealed that either he or superstar Rajinikanth were to play Vandhiyathevan in the film. He said, “Sivaji sir told me to cast Rajini as Vanthiyathevan. I told him that I wanted to play it, but he insisted that I played ArunmozhiVarman instead.”

Additionally, Kamal Haasan recently watched the magnum opus in a  theater with Karthi and Chiyaan Vikram. He further attended the press meet and praises the two co-stars for their respective portrayals as Aditha Karikalan and Vandiyadevan. The superstar also congratulated all those involved in the making of Ponniyin Selvan.

PS1 cast includes some big names from the industry like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, and Trisha Krishnan, apart from others.