Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS): Stating that there was a competition between him and director Mani Ratnam as to who would make writer Kalki's classic novel, 'Ponniyin Selvan' into a film, actor and politician Kamal Haasan said that the director had won that competition and that one must appreciate him for his determination.

"I knew for a fact that some day 'Ponniyin Selvan' would get made into a film. I knew either Mani Ratnam would make it or I would make it," Kamal said at the grand audio and trailer launch of the event that was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor stadium in the city on Tuesday.

"In fact, there was a competition between us as to who would make this epic novel into a film. While I made efforts, he continuously kept making efforts and has won.

"This is a big successful film. This will be a very important film in Mani Ratnam's victories list," Kamal said and went on to recall a time when they (Mani Ratnam and Kamal) used to lean on a motorcycle in his home in Alwarpet and talk wonder if they could ever make films like 'Sholay'.

"This is that," Kamal said.

Congratulating producer Lyca Subashkaran for having produced such a film, Kamal told the producer that this would be one of his most important films as well.

The actor, along with Superstar Rajinikanth, released the trailer of director Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan-I ' in the presence of a packed stadium at around 11.45 p.m. on Tuesday night.