Wherever I get the opportunity to shine, learn and grow, I will do it: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on Tuesday said she feels drawn towards acting opportunities that will help her grow as an artist.

The 49-year-old actor, who has acted in Hindi and Tamil films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Dhoom 2, Guru, Iruvar, Enthiran, and Ponniyin Selvan, said she doesn't differentiate between cinema as North and South.

"I look at cinema as Indian cinema. I had the opportunity to subtly but strongly and clearly convey that in the work that I did right from the beginning. I do not support this viewpoint that there is no work here, so go there (south), and vice versa.

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"As an actor, wherever we get the opportunity to shine, learn, to grow and to be able to do fabulous work, it naturally draws you," Aishwarya told reporters here at the trailer launch press conference of Ponniyin Selvan 2.

From the South film industry, the actor said she is grateful to have collaborated with stalwarts like Mani Ratnam, Shankar and AR Rahman.

"I was blessed to have got the opportunity to work with Mani garu in my first film. Why wouldn't I say a yes? Thereafter, I got to work with wonderful directors like Rajiv Menon and Shankar, so naturally I will say yes to these movies that I have done, the proof is in the pudding," she said.

"Besides, all the films have had AR Rahman's music, why wouldn't I happily say yes to these incredible combinations of talent. It's not about going here or there. Since the beginning of my career, I have made it clear with my choices that I don't follow these thought processes, systems and that's never been my journey and reasons for my choices," she added.

In her career of over 20 years, Aishwarya has forged a successful collaboration with celebrated filmmaker Mani Ratnam. The two have worked together on "Iruvar", "Raavanan", and the two-part magnum opus movie "Ponniyin Selvan".

Aishwarya said her answer to a Mani Ratnam movie will always be a "yes".

"You can call it adoration, devotion, thankfulness or love, (shraddha, guru bhakti, kritagyata)... Label it whatever you want to, the point is it will always be a yes. But why wouldn't it be a yes.

"Any actor deeply aspires to work with him. When that name or message flashes (on the phone), you cannot imagine the excitement," she said.

Ponniyin Selvan: II is the second part of filmmaker Mani Ratnam's screen adaptation of author Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 Tamil novel of the same name. The first part, "Ponniyin Selvan: I" was released in September 2022.

Aishwarya said it is a "beautiful coincidence" that two of her favourite characters -- from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan -- were both named Nandini.

"It is amazing that it has happened. Nandini in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' was very memorable, she has lived in people's hearts. I am so so thankful that I got to play Nandini then too. She has remained special to the audience and of course to me.

"Today with Mani garu, I got to play Nandini in Ponniyin Selvan. That's just tremendously a blessing to have gotten to play such a strong and layered woman, who touches the lives of so many women out there. There is a relatability and for that I am very grateful," she said.

Actor Trisha, who earlier worked with Ratnam in 2004 acclaimed movie Aayutha Ezhuthu, said she will forever cherish the experience of working with the master filmmaker on Ponniyin Selvan.

"On sets, we were all a little stressed wondering whether our clothes were right, our hair was right and most importantly if we were delivering our dialogues ok.

"It's all so special because all of us have had our emotional moments over the last week where we were laughing like crazy people, breaking down and crying," Trisha, who essays the role of Chola princess Kundavai in "PS", said.

The special memories of working on Ponniyin Selvan will not "fade away anytime soon", she added.

"I don't know if I can go on another set...there will always be withdrawal symptoms of not having these guys around. I always mostly have only one co-star, so I am so privileged to be a part of this and on this stage," Trisha said.

Ponniyin Selvan: II also starring Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Vikram, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Prakash Raj, among others, is set to be released countrywide on Friday in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

It is backed by Ratnam’s production house Madras Talkies and Allirajah Subaskaran’s banner Lyca Productions.