Vikram Vedha director opens up on clash with Ponniyin Selvan-1, says, ‘You can’t beat that’; Hrithik Roshan differs

Vikram Vedha director Pushkar said that Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan' is an inspiration for every writer from Chennai so you just cannot beat that. Both the films are set for the big clash on September 30.

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New Delhi: The film industry is gearing up for the biggest clash of the season with ‘Ponniyin Selvan 1’ and ‘Vikram Vedha’ releasing on the same day, I.e., September 30. While ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ has been helmed by celebrated filmmaker Mani Ratnam, ‘Vikram Vedha’ has been made by director duo Pushkar-Gayathri.  

At a recent media interaction in Delhi with Hindustan Times, ‘Vikram Vedha’ co-director Pushkar said that ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ is an inspiration for every writer from Chennai so you just cannot beat that.  

“Ponniyin Selvan is a classic text, a tale of intrigue set during the Chola Empire. You can’t beat that. It’s a six-volume book that I read back in the day. That text has been an inspiration for every writer coming out of Chennai. We do our part and they have done theirs. Let’s hope people go and watch both the movies. I think Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday. I’ll be going and watching that movie for sure,” he said.  

However, actor Hrithik Roshan who portrays the character of Vedha in the film was of a different opinion. “I haven’t read the book. So, for me, it’s just Vikram Vedha. That’s all I know, the actor said jokingly.  

Saif Ali Khan was however at his comic best and said, “Yeah, go watch both the films.” 

Directed by Mani Ratnam, ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ is a magnum opus that traces the story of Chola Empire. The film stars Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Sobhita Dhulipala in prominent roles. It is based on the Tamil epic ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ by Kalki Krishnamurthy. 

‘Vikram Vedha’, on the other hand, is a remake of the Tamil film of the same name starring Vijay Sethupathi and R Madhavan. The original version was directed by Pushkar-Gayathri. The remake also stars Radhika Apte, Yogita Bihani, and Rohit Saraf.  

With both the films ready for release, let’s see which one triumphs at the box office.