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Published 19:27 IST, April 18th 2023

Ponniyin Selvan actor Karthi opens up on muted response to the film in Hindi Market

Ponniyin Selvan actor Karthi opened up on why PS 1 did not do well at the box office in the Hindi markets and how it was "understood better" on OTT.

Reported by: Nitish Vashishtha
Image: karthi_offl/Instagram | Image: self

Ponniyin Selvan star Karthi opened up on the first installemt of the Mani Ratnam directorial not doing so well in North India. Several films from Telugu, Kannada and Tamil cinema have been pan-India hits. Kantara, RRR, KGF: Chapter 2 and Pushpa did great business at the box office in all regions of India. PS I, although a regional and an international hit, could not do so well in the Hindi markets.

Karthi, who was part of a media interaction session during a promotional event for Ponniyin Selvan 2, said that PS 1 didn’t have the same commercial reception in North India as it did in Tamil Nadu and other South regions. The actor opined that the North Indian audiences found the film "difficult to follow". "I think they (north audience) found it a little difficult to understand. That’s what I felt from my understanding of the reception," Karthi said

Karthi felt that viewers in North India were not able to follow up with the film. He added that watching PS 1 must have been similar to reading a novel that features many characters, and by the time you reach the tenth page, you forget some of the names. Karthi also spoke about the reception of the film upon its OTT release, commenting, "I’ve been told they understood the film better (on OTT). Therefore, I feel they will receive PS 2 better when it releases in cinemas.”. 

He also spoke about playing the role of Vanthiyathevan in PS 1. He said that he was extremely fortunate for having the opportunity to play the role of Vanthiyathevan. Karthi revealed that his mother doesn’t discuss his films with him. However, when she came to know that was going to play Vanthiyathevan in PS 1, she was thrilled to see him. 

Ponniyin Selvan 2 release date and other details 


Ponniyin Selvan 2 is currently slated for a worldwide release on April 28. The film has an ensemble cast of Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshami, Vikram, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jayam Ravi, Jayaram and more. Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is also reprising her role as Nandini in the sequel. Ponniyin Selvan 2 is based on the Kalki epic novel of the same name. While the first film explored the early life of Arulmozhi Varman, the second part will further explore the story of the Chola dynasty and their reign.

Updated 19:27 IST, April 18th 2023

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