Midway through Ponniyin Selvan: I, Aditha Karikalan's seething monologue seamlessly segues into AR Rahman's majestic 'Chola Chola' and reaches its pinnacle when the lovelorn crown prince is forced to confront his devastating memories from the past flashing in front of his eyes. The defining moment in Karikalan's arc, him discovering his childhood love, Nandini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) with the enemy, Veerapandiyan, and beheading him in a rage, is one of the film's powerful moments.
Speaking to Film Companion ahead of the second part's release, actor Vikram recalled the experience of shooting the pivotal moment. "For me, it was an important scene. The moment, which plays out after a big battle and chase, was much more elaborate initially but was suddenly condensed into a couple of shots because it was integrated into a song. I had a description of what ensues but we had to communicate it all in just three shots," the actor said, adding that having a master craftsman like Mani Ratnam to lead them always helps. "Mani sir inspires you and tells you even what's not present in the book. So I when I was there, I just had to open the door. A lot of people ask me specifically about what I was thinking when I opened the door. Honestly, I wasn't thinking anything. It was all just there."
Vikram adds that the beheading was originally quite bloody when it was originally conceived. "It was supposed to end on a gruesome note. I had to walk away with the head. It would have been a silhouette shot though," he said. "It was gruesome, but suddenly, it became art."