Aishwarya Rai Bachan's film career started in Tamil with Mani Ratnam's 'Iruvar' after which there was no turning back for her as she went on to rule Bollywood for the past two decades. We have been carrying reports about Aishwarya Rai's return to Tamil once again in Mani Ratnam's multi-star magnum opus 'Ponniyin Selvan'. Now Bollywood media too has confirmed that she has signed the project and will be playing the manipulative and villainous character Nandini.

'Ponniyin Selvan' which has music by A.R. Rahman has the stellar starcast of Amitabh Bachan, Jayam Ravi, Keerthy Suresh, Vikram, Karthi, Mohan Babu, Amala Paul, Sathyaraj and Aishwarya Rai. It is also said that Vijay Sethupathi is likely to play a small but important role but nothing is confirmed officially as negotiations are still going on with corporate production houses for a co-production deal with Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies.