Ponniyin Selvan: Here's why Mani Ratnam advised Trisha and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to not be friends on the set

The actress spilled the secret in the latest promo of the magnum opus

Trisha and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on the set of Ponniyin Selvan

The team of Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan recently released a promo in which Trisha revealed a number of secrets about the film. The actress plays the Chola princess Kundavai in the film and she stated that she always wanted to be part of a period film and play a princess. She said in the promo, "You know honestly in many of my previous interviews, people have asked me what is the role you wished to do since you have done so many films? And much before this even happened, I have always said I want to be part of a period film and that I wanted to be a princess."

Trisha said that she could instantly connect to Kundavai as she was very much like her in real life. "I could relate to Kundavai because she is very me. I am used to feeling empowered, but unfortunately not all women get that. It was nice playing Kundavai, taking a little bit of Trisha and putting it there. As for working with Ash (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, her onscreen rival Queen Nandini), it's not Aishwarya Rai and Trisha Krishnan out there. It was Nandini and Kundavai. Mani sir advised us that we can't be friends. 'This is Nandini and Kundavai, so don't talk too much. I need you guys to have a little bit of rivalry for my scene'. I don't think I have been a part of a film with these many actors. A film like this needs a great, stellar star cast.

On working with Vikram and Jayam Ravi, she said, "Of course with Ravi and Vikram, we have played romantic leads opposite each other. So this was fun, to have one as my elder brother and one as my younger brother." The actress stated that she was extremely nervous on the set on day one. "I was very nervous on day one, which normally is a very rare emotion for me to feel nervous. And it was a scene with me in a courtroom with 10 other men. So that was basically Kundavai at her peak."

The actress stated that the make up too was challenging. "It's very tough and I didn't think it would be this challenging. We all had to wake up at 3am in the morning and then our make up would take an hour. And then another hour just for the costumes and jewellery. We had Kishan Das who did a great job with the jewellery and Eka fitting it into it."

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