Gopalaratnam Subramaniam, known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. He is one of India's most acclaimed and commercially successful filmmakers. Ratnam has won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, six Filmfare Awards South, and numerous awards at various film festivals across the world. In 2002, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, acknowledging his contributions to film.
Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy, better known by his pen name Kalki, was an Indian writer, journalist, poet, critic and Indian independence activist who wrote in Tamil. He chose the pen-name "Kalki", the future incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu. He founded a magazine, which was also named Kalki, with T Sadasivam being the co-founder, in 1941. Krishnamurthy‘s writings include over 120 short stories, 10 novellas, 5 novels, 3 historical romances, editorial and political writings and hundreds of film and music reviews.
Trisha Krishnan is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films. She gained prominence after winning the 1999 Miss Chennai pageant, which marked her entry into Cinema. Trisha is the recipient of several accolades. Trisha is often referred as the "Queen of South India" or "The South Queen" for her contributions to South Indian Cinema. She has been ranked among the top actresses in South Indian Cinema by The Times of India.
Mohan Ravi, better known by his stage name Jayam Ravi, is an Indian actor who works in the Tamil cinema. He has won a Filmfare Award and three SIIMA Awards. The son of veteran film editor A. Mohan, Ravi made his lead acting debut in Jayam. He has won one Tamil Nadu State Film Award and one Filmfare Award South, respectively.
Jyothika Saravanan is an Indian actress and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films in addition to Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. Jyothika has received several accolades including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and the Kalaimamani Award Jyothika is regarded as one of the most prolific actresses in Tamil cinema, and has been ranked among the best actresses of South India by the media.
Sarathkumar Ramanathan is an Indian actor, politician, filmmaker and former bodybuilder who works predominantly in Tamil cinema in addition to Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. He has acted in more than 145 films and won two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards South.
Ravi Krishna is an Indian actor who worked in the Tamil and Telugu film industries. Son of producer A. M. Rathnam, he made his acting debut in Selvaraghavan's critically acclaimed 7G Rainbow Colony. He has won Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South for his performance in that movie.
Pasupathy is an Indian actor. He appeared in critically acclaimed roles in many noted films in Tamil cinema, playing supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles. He has won a Tamil Nadu State Film Award and Two Filmfare Awards South.
Ponniyin Selvan is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Radha Mohan. Produced by A. M. Ratnam, it stars his son Ravi Krishna, along with Gopika and Revathi, while Vidyasagar had composed the music for the film. The film is unrelated to the same-titled novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy. It was released in Telugu as Muddula Koduku and additionally featured Uttej and Venu Madhav replacing the Tamil actors Elango Kumaravel and Mayilsamy, respectively.
Ajmal Ameer is an Indian actor known for his works in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu language films. He has won two Filmfare Awards South for his role Anjathe (2008) and Ko (2011).
Kishore Kumar G, known mononymously as Kishore, is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in South Indian cinema namely Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. He gained popularity for portraying the character of Veerappan in the Kannada film Attahasa in 2013. Recently, he got pan India recognition for his performance in The Family Man, Ponniyin Selvan: I, Ponniyin Selvan: II and Kantara.
Elango Kumaravel is an Indian actor and writer. He is also a co-founder of the Chennai based theatre group "Magic Lantern". He is an alumnus of Pondicherry University's Sankaradas Swamigal School of Performing Arts and the Chennai-based theatre workshop koothuppattarai. He has also worked as a casting assistant for the 2007 film Loins of Punjab Presents and wrote the script for the 2008 film Kattradhu Kalavu. He was involved in the production of "Ey Aa O!" a musical fusion work of collaboration between Indian folk and classical musicians.
Sobhita Dhulipala is an Indian actress who works in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. She won the Femina Miss India Earth 2013 title at Femina Miss India 2013 pageant and represented India at Miss Earth 2013. Dhulipala made her acting debut in Anurag Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) and subsequently played the lead role in the Amazon Prime Video drama series Made in Heaven (2019–2023).
Major Chandrakanth is a 1966 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by K. Balachander. Based on his play of the same name, the film stars Major Sundarrajan, Nagesh, R. Muthuraman, A. V. M. Rajan and Jayalalithaa. Produced by A. V. Meiyappan of AVM Productions, it revolves around a retired and blind major who gives asylum to a fugitive wanted for committing murder, unaware that the victim was his younger son.
Vinodhini Vaidyanathan is an Indian actress and writer who has mainly worked in Tamil cinema and theatre. She made her debut in A. R. Murugadoss's Engaeyum Eppothum portraying Ananya's sister. She is best known for her performances in OK Kanmani (2015), Appa (2016), Aandavan Kattalai (2016), Ratsasan (2018), Comali (2019), Game Over (2019), Ponmagal Vandhal (2020) and Soorarai Pottru (2020), Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023).
Aishwarya Lekshmi is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films. She has won one Filmfare Award South, one Kerala Film Critics Association Award and three SIIMA Awards.
Ponniyin Selvan: I is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language epic action drama film directed by Mani Ratnam, who co-wrote it with Elango Kumaravel and B. Jeyamohan. Produced by Ratnam and Subaskaran Allirajah under Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, it is the first of two cinematic parts based on Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel, Ponniyin Selvan. The film stars an ensemble cast including Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Jayaram, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prakash Raj, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, R. Parthiban, Rahman, Lal and Vikram Prabhu. The music was composed by A. R. Rahman, with cinematography by Ravi Varman, editing by A. Sreekar Prasad, and production design by Thota Tharani. Ponniyin Selvan: I dramatises the early life of Chola prince Arunmozhi Varman, who would become the renowned emperor Rajaraja I (947–1014). In the film, Vandiyathevan sets out to cross the Chola land to deliver a message from the crown prince Aditha Karikalan. Meanwhile, Kundavai attempts to establish political peace as vassals and petty chieftains plot against the throne.
Arjun Chidambaram is an Indian actor, who has appeared in Tamil language films. He made his debut as an actor in Moone Moonu Varthai (2015). He made a breakthrough appearing in Nerkonda Paarvai (2019). He has since appeared in leading and supporting roles in films.
Ponniyin Selvan: I and Ponniyin Selvan: II are Indian Tamil-language epic historical action drama films directed by Mani Ratnam, who co-wrote them with Elango Kumaravel and B. Jeyamohan. Produced by Ratnam and Subaskaran Allirajah under Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, they are the cinematic adaptations of Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel, Ponniyin Selvan.
Ponniyin Selvan: II is the soundtrack album for 2023 Indian Tamil-language epic period drama film of the same name directed by Mani Ratnam which features an ensemble cast of Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi. The film’s soundtrack and score were composed by Ratnam's norm composer A. R. Rahman.
