Mani Ratnam’s “Ponniyin Selvan 2” has made a roaring start at the box office, with a global gross of over Rs 100 crore in just two days. Despite a slight dip in domestic collections on its second day, the film has received positive word of mouth and is expected to continue its successful run in cinemas.
The epic-drama, which follows the journey of Chola prince Arunmozhi Varman to becoming emperor Rajaraja I, boasts an ensemble cast including Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jayam Ravi, and Karthi, among others. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Kalki Krishnamurthy and was originally intended to be a single film, but was split into two parts and produced concurrently.
The first part of the film was released in September 2022 and had the biggest-ever opening for a Tamil film, making Rs 80 crore globally. It went on to gross over Rs 500 crore worldwide, becoming one of the highest grossing Tamil movies of last year.
Now, with the release of “Ponniyin Selvan 2,” the film has already made over Rs 56 crore in just two days, with an overall occupancy rate of 59.47% Tamil, 23.48% Malayalam, 34.63% Telugu, and 14.42% Hindi. While the domestic collection may have seen a dip on its second day, the film’s production house Lyca Productions shared a tweet on Sunday celebrating its global success.
“In the age of green screens and visual effects, Ponniyin Selvan is one of the biggest achievements in Tamil cinema because it strives to be real,” writes Kirubhakar Purshottam for Indianexpress.com, giving the film a 4-star rating. “The film opens with a mesmerizing prologue, a flashback to Aditha Karikalan (Vikram) and Nandini’s (Aishwarya Rai) teen years. This scene needs imagination, and Mani Ratnam has that in oodles.”
Overall, “Ponniyin Selvan 2” is a testament to the power of storytelling and the continued popularity of epic dramas in Indian cinema. With its strong performances, breathtaking visuals, and gripping storyline, it is sure to be a hit with audiences around the world.