New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS): Aishwarya Rai has said that she owes a debt of gratitude to the ace director Mani Ratnam and praised him for making an ambitious historical epic dram such as 'Ponniyin Selvan: I'.

The actress, who has been previously cast by Mani Ratnam in 'Iruvar', 'Guru' and 'Raavan', was in the Capital with the multi-lingual film's leading stars Chiyaan Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi and Trisha. She emphasised that "the entire cast is fortunate to be part of this film".

Aishwarya continued: "I have always been fortunate to be part of larger-than-life projects, but what makes this special is that it is Mani sir's film. This movie is a labour of love and the guru is Mani Sir. It is such an enticing, intriguing and exciting film. How fortunate we are that we are a part of this magnum opus."

She added: "Magic happens when we are in it together. What a great team. From the cast to the camera persons, to everyone else -- all have contributed to the making of this film. Thank you so much, Mani sir for making me a part of this film."

Aishwarya also spoke about how pan-India films are taking cinema in different languages to larger sections of the population.

"I feel it is a great time as cinema is accessible through different platforms and people are embracing it with open arms in all parts of the country," she said.

In the movie, Aishwarya plays the queen Nandini of Pazhuvoor. The film's promotions sum up the thought behind the character with the words: "Vengeance has a beautiful face."

'Ponniyin Selvan: I' is a period drama based on popular Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel of the same name.