Babu Antony, Rahman resume shooting for Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan in Gwalior

Mollywood actor Babu Antony has been travelling non-stop since his return from the US to join the sets of Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan. 

The actor, who first joined the team in Pondicherry, had shot with Vikram and Karthi and then moved to Hyderabad to finish some of his portions for the film, which also has Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Jayaram, Sarathkumar, Jayam Ravi and Lal. 

On Wednesday, Babu Antony posted on his social media that he along with Rahman are shooting for the big budget period drama in Madhya Pradesh. Sharing a photo with Rahman, the veteran action star wrote, “Meeting Rahman after a long time. Our last movie (together) was Black… Filming for Ponniyin Selvan in Gwalior.” 

The film also marks the first time Babu Antony is collaborating with Mani Ratnam after Anjali, which was released in 1990. During the schedule in Hyderabad, he was part of the battle scenes in the film.  

While Babu Antony’s character is reportedly that of King Kotikan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plays Nandhini, Jayam Ravi essays Arulmozhi Varman and Karthi plays the roles of Vanthiyathevan. 

Tamil actor Jayam Ravi had posted on Wednesday that he had wrapped up his portions for the film, which will be released in two parts, and thanked Mani Ratnam. “To watch you lead this magnum opus with utmost precision whilst imparting so much knowledge around has been an experience of a lifetime sir,” wrote the actor. 

The team is expected to complete shooting the movie in a few palaces in Madhya Pradesh. The first part of Ponniyin Selvan, which is based on the epic novel of Kalki, is expected to release in theatres in 2021.