Thiagarajan’s Ponnar Shankar with his son, Prashanth in a double role, was a historical epic, based on Kalaignar Karunanidhi’s work. The film had grandiose sets, elaborate costumes, swashbuckling fight sequences, and was generally awash in opulence. The special effects came in for a lot of praise for their attention to detail.

Trade talk: Ponnar Shankar had decent collections.

Public opinion: Historical films usually succeed in striking a chord with the audience, this one did as well.