Ponniyin Selvan (which means: The Son of Ponni ) is a historical fiction novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy, written in Tamil. The novel was first serialised in the weekly editions of Kalki from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954, and released in book form of five parts in 1955. In five volumes, or about 2,210 pages, it tells the story of early days of Arulmozhivarman who later became the great chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I (947 CE – 1014 CE). Budget of PS1 Ponniyin Selvan is directed and co-produced by Mani Ratnam and is said to be made with a whopping budget of Rs 500 crores . Cast : ⬛ Vikram as Aditya Karikalan, the crown prince and the commander of Northern troops in Sundara Chola's Reign. Eldest son of Sundara Chola. Arulmozhivarman and Kundavai's elder brother. ⬛ Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a dual role as: Nandini, a Pazhuvoor queen and wife of Pe...