Filmmaker Mani Ratnam on Thursday began shooting for his upcoming magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan in Thailand where the first schedule will be filmed for 40 days. Reliable sources have confirmed that actors Karthi, Jayam Ravi and Trisha Krishnan will be part of the first schedule.

Another latest update is that actor Keerthy Suresh, who was roped in to play a pivotal role, has opted out of the project as her dates were clashing with Rajinikanth’s next film. Trisha is said to have been signed as her replacement.

The cast so far includes Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Vikram Prabhu, Amitabh Bachchan, Mohan Babu and Aishwarya Rai among others. Aishwarya, who has already confirmed that she is part of the project, will be seen playing dual roles in the highly anticipated project, according to trusted sources.

In the film, she is expected to be seen as Nandini, the wife of Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar, and her mute mother, Queen Mandakini Devi. Apparently, Aishwarya is pumped up about playing dual roles and immediately jumped at the opportunity when she was offered.

The pre-production work on the project has been going on for over six months now. The makers are in the process of erecting huge sets to shoot crucial portions of the film in Chennai as well.

Ponniyin Selvan narrates the story of Arulmozhivarman, one of the kings of the Chola dynasty during the 10th and 11th centuries. It has been filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s long time desire to adapt Ponniyin Selvan as a film for many years.