Mani Ratnam credits Baahubali as inspiration to release Ponniyin Selvan in two parts  

With Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan Part-2 is all set to hit the theatres on April 28, the promotions are proceeding in full swing. During a recent event in Hyderabad, Mani Ratnam lauded Baahubali film and its director S S Rajamouli as an inspiration for making Ponniyin Selvan a duology. 

The veteran director said, " I want to thank Rajamouli. If Baahubali was not made into two parts, Ponniyin Selvan would not have been made. So we owe him a big thanks. I have called him, I have met him, and I have told him this. I want to say it here that it created a path for me to be able to mount Ponniyin Selvan in two parts, and it gives confidence to the entire industry to do historical. I think he opened a huge passage for a lot of people and a lot of Indian history to be converted into films"(sic)

Based on Kalki Krishnamurthy's novel, Ponniyin Selvan is adapted by Mani Ratnam, along with Elango Kumaravel and B Jeyamohan. The first part was released in September last year and minted big at the box office. The film stars an ensemble cast including Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Trisha, Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman and R Parthiban.  

S S Rajamouli's Baahubali was released in two parts, the first in 2015 and the second in 2017. The film featured an ensemble cast including Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Ramya Krishna, Sathyaraj, Nassar, and Subbaraju.