Last seen in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s production Fanney Khan in 2018, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been missing from the silver screen for close to four years now. However, she is now set to stage her comeback with her mentor Mani Ratman’s much-anticipated period drama Ponniyin Selvan – 1, which has been in production for more than three years now.
The makers of Ratnam’s upcoming magnum opus on Wednesday released a new poster of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In the poster, the actress stands tall in a graceful orange kanjeevaram saree draped in the front pallu style twirled on the arm.
Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, which is co-producing the two-part film franchise, took to Twitter to share Aishwarya’s poster as Nandini, the Queen of Pazhuvoor who is motivated by “vengeance”. “Vengeance has a beautiful face! Meet Nandini, the Queen of Pazhuvoor! #PS1 releasing in theatres on 30th September in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada,” the banner said in a tweet.
In addition to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the ensemble star cast of Ponniyin Selvan – 1 also includes Vikram, Karthi, Trisha Krishnan, Prakash Raj, Jayaram, Jayam Ravi, and Aishwarya Lekshmi in pivotal roles.
The first part of Ponniyin Selvan reunites Aishwarya with Ratnam following her acting debut in 1997 Iruvar (Tamil), Guru (the 2007 Hindi film), and the 2010 Hindi movie Raavan.
The upcoming film is based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1955 Tamil novel of the same name, which chronicles the story of the early days of Arulmozhivarman, one of the most powerful kings in the south, who went on to become the great Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I.
Also backed by Lyca Productions, Ponniyin Selvan has Ratnam also serving as co-writer on the screenplay with Elango Kumaravel, while B Jeyamohan has been credited as the dialogue writer. The film has music by AR Rahman.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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