Ponniyin Selvan: I, the much-anticipated film by director Mani Ratnam opened in theatres on September 30 to mostly favorable reviews and a strong box office reception. Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, and Trisha are among the ensemble cast members of the movie. Aishwarya returns to the big screen in Ponniyin Selvan after a four-year absence.

Aishwarya uploaded several photos with Mani Ratnam on Instagram on Saturday. The actor and the director smiled broadly as they stood in front of the camera. Fans praised the pair, with one of them writing, “Do more movies together.” “The finest director-actor pair,” another fan said. Fans praised Aishwarya for her portrayal of Queen Nandini in the film and stated that she was “born to play Nandini.”

At a promotional event, Aishwarya remarked about working with Mani Ratnam, “Working with Mani sir, he is my master. He and I collaborated on my first movie. The finest instructor is experienced, thus the ideal institution would be its guru. Work ethic is really important, and it all begins at the beginning.”

Aishwarya and Mani Ratnam have worked together ever since she made her acting debut in his film Iruvar 25 years ago. Following Iruvar, the pair worked together on other movies including Guru, Raavan, and Raavanan.

Ponniyin Selvan: I is based on the same-titled book by Kalki Krishnamurthy. After Valimai and Beast, the movie ranked third in Tamil Nadu for the year with a day one total of Rs. 25.86 crores.