Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman, and R. Parthiban
Where: In theatres near you
Rating: 4 stars
Hate him or like him, you have to acknowledge that Mani Ratnam is an excellent filmmaker and is back with a blockbuster. His directorial, adaptation of one of the greatest fictions of Tamil literature—’Ponniyin Selvan’ written by author Kalki—is nothing short of an epic.
Ratnam’s magnum opus is based on some odd 2,220-pages-thick novel crafted in the early 1950s which revolves around the life of Arulmozhi Varman who became the great Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I. Author Kalki had woven a tale of a power struggle among popular kingdoms in South—Cholar, Cheran and Pandiyans, a story of love and war tempered with his wit.
Mani and his co-writers Elango Kumaravel and Jeyamohan [who also wrote dialogues] certainly did not have an easy job at hand. But the team has managed to deliver a film that is as intricately written as the source novel and respects the original plot instead of culling it and leaving a mess for the audience.
If you walk into the cinema halls expecting some ‘Baahubali’ or ‘RRR’-esque film; it is not. ‘PS-I’ requires you to engage with the plot, it commands that kind of attention so you can grip onto smaller details and join the dots.
The plot of the film, narrated through Vallavaraiyan Vanthiyathevan alias Vanthiyathevan (Karthi), begins with a comet appearance indicating trouble over the dynasty which will end in death but for whom is the real question. Although everyone assumes it is going to be ailing King Sundara Chola (Prakash Raj), the danger is looming large over both hot-tempered crowned prince Aditha Karikalan (Vikram) and Arulmozhivarman or Pooniyin Selvan [Son of Ponni/ Kaveri] (Jairam Ravi).
It is believed that Arulmozhivarman had once fallen in lake Ponni was rescued by the Goddess Ponni and was thus known as Ponniyin Selvan which is an important part of the story’s progression.
The creators did not, however, lay all the cards on the table for the audience; the film takes time to introduce each character who is a crucial part of the story as it explores the travels of Vanthiyathevan.
Although Karthi, Jairam, and Vikram give a power-packed performance, it is Trisha as Kundavai and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Nandini who steal the show. For the lack of a better word, the two women are equally important to the story as others almost as if they were the propelling forces.
The first half of the film rides over wit and talk [which I couldn't enjoy much with the Hindi version; my Tamil is not that great] as a flirtatious Vanthiyathevan explores the Chola kingdom to relay the message Aditha Karikalan wanted him to pass on to his father and sister Kundavai; the second half of it is set with action sequences and twists that keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
Certainly, without the VFX, the film wouldn’t look as grandeur as it does; it lends the same old-world charm and brings alive the kingdom.
The theatrics are only exalted with musical genius AR Rahman’s tunes. Who would have thought of using a war cry to talk about a man’s grief over his unrequited and poisonous love? Rahman delivers it with the song ‘Chola Chola’ which is almost like a celebratory song and a war cry but explores Karikalan’s past and his relationship with Nandini. Eka Lakhani’s costume design is commendable; the clothes donned by every character in the film were accurate to the time period.
However, the cherry on top of the cake was the cinematography by Ravi Varman. He catches the attention of the audience and never lets it go. Each shot is carefully placed and executed.
There’s so much nuance in the film that is hard to put down in words, it is best experienced!
Disclaimer: Make sure to read a cheat sheet of the novel [it is going to be a Herculean task to finish the novel] to understand the plot better.
