Salaar star Sriya Reddy says she didn’t understand Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan

Salaar: Part One - Ceasefire hit theatres on December 22, opening to stellar box office numbers and gratifying audience reactions. While Prabhas and Prashanth Neel have been at the forefront of accruing praise for the film, a character that has also grabbed attention in the film has been Radha Rama, essayed by Sriya Reddy. In a recent interview, the actress confessed to being confused watching Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan. 

Sriya Reddy was confused by Ponniyin Selvan

At a recent roundtable interview, Sriya Reddy stated she didn't understand Ponniyin Selvan. The actress continued, saying that she thought the movie was not clear with its storyline. The statement came after Baahubali producer Shobu Yarlagadda said if he had been Salaar's producer, he would have given the audience a preview of the movie's setting.

According to Yarlagadda, for viewers to enjoy a movie, filmmakers must ensure that they know what to expect from it. At this point, Sriya adhered to his opinion by admitting that she didn't comprehend Ponniyin Selvan. 

“If you present the world before and say that these are the characters and this is what you will see in the movie, the audience will connect well with the characters. There is nothing wrong in it,” stated Shobu. While revealing the entire plot is not required, Shobu said that introducing the characters will suffice. 

What is Ponniyin Selvan about? 

Ponniyin Selvan was based on the eponymous Tamil novel by Kalki, which was serialised in the 1950s and has remained readers' favourite ever since. The film's plot is set against the backdrop of the 10th century and features the power struggles in the Chola empire as their enemies begin to act as catalysts. 

Ponniyin Selvan follows the period before the son of River Kaveri, Pnniyin Selvan, who later became Rajaraja Chola, one of the greatest emperors in Indian history.