PONNIYIN SELVAN - PART ONE (2022)

Critic No. 289

Director: Mani Ratnam

Written by: Mani Ratnam, Elango Kumaravel, B. Jeyamohan

Produced by: Madras Talkies, Lyca Productions

Casts: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman, R. Parthiban, Sobitha Dhulipala

Music: A.R.Rahman

Language: Tamil

Genre: Period Drama

SYNOPSIS: 

The Chola kingdom is under threat from forces both internal and external, and with crown prince Aaditha Karikalan (Vikram), his younger brother Arunmozhi Varman (Jayam Ravi) and the emperor, Sundara Cholar separated by circumstances, it is up to a messenger, Vandhiyathevan (Karthi) to ensure the safety of the kingdom. Can he succeed in his mission, especially with Karikalan's former girlfriend, Nandhini (Aishwarya Rai), plotting to bring down the entire Chola empire?

REVIEW:

Ponniyin Selvan, Kalki Krishnamurthy’s five-part historical novel on the Chola dynasty, not only captivated generations of Tamil readers, it was only constantly gained the attention of generations of filmmakers, including the legend, M.G.Ramachandran. After many tries, finally one of the strongest, well-respected Indian filmmakers, Mani Ratnam as made the industry’s dream come true. 

The film kicks off with Chola prince Aaditha Karikalan (Vikram) sending his friend Vandhiyathevan (Karthi) to deliver a message to his father and emperor Sundara Cholar (Prakash Raj) and sister, princess Kunthavai (Trisha) on the threats that the kingdom is facing. The schemers include Periya Pazhuvettarayar (Sarath Kumar) and Chinna Pazhuvettarayar (Radhakrishnan Parthiban), the empire's finance minister and commander, the numerous kings who have sworn fealty to the emperor, the remaining forces of the vanquished Pandya king and most importantly, Nandhini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), Karikalan's former lover and the wife of Periya Pazhuvettarayar, who is determined to bring the entire Chola empire down for reasons of her own.

It is an uphill task to summarise and condense a 5 part novel into 2 films and Mani Ratnam together with his terrific writing duo Elango Kumaravel craft a sharp adaptation that sets up the story well with not much of spoon feeding. Does that mean that audience who has not read the novel will lose the plot? Not really, but it really depends on how much each can grasp at the first view. Personally, I felt it was a clear enough plot that sets the tone and motifs of each character clearly. However, I just felt that the film lacked any memorable word play or dialogue to remember.

The character introductions are brief and before we grasp them, another character is introduced. Many scenes are staged tactically to start from the middle of the action to condense them. If anyone is expecting a Bahubali here, you will be thoroughly disappointed. Ponniyin Selvan is a more grounded, realistic period film that focuses more on the conflicts and drama that happen in the kingdom. Kudos to Mani Ratnam for avoiding any cinematic liberties or mass moments despite having so many stars on hand. 

As usual, Mani Ratnam extracts solid performances from each of his star actors, irrespective of their screen time. All the characters stand out in the pivotal scenes they are assigned to. For me, the scene stealers are Karthi as Vandhiyathevan and Jayaram as the spy Alwarkadiyan. Not only do they provide the comic relief of the film but also keep us engaged throughout through their travel to meet each character. Each character is unveiled through their perspective. Aishwarya Rai and Trisha are the biggest strength of the film with their earnest performances. While the former conveys her intentions and ambition for the throne through her eyes, Trisha walks away with applause whenever she is seen in the framer with her majestic persona. All the other actors / stars fit perfectly well in their roles and one cannot wait to catch them more in the sequel. 

To bring this ambitious project alive, Mani Ratnam has employed a great technical team who have given their career-best work as well. Be it Thotta Tharani’s intricate art direction, Ravi Varman’s creative angles, and Sreekar Prasad’s razor-sharp cuts, they all bring the dream alive convincingly. Look out for the exciting climax fight scene in the middle of the sea. As usual, A.R.Rahman delivers another career-defining music for his guru who introduced him to the industry. While the songs feel a little excessive though they are catchy, it’s the score that elevates the film to many levels higher. The film also invokes the spatial attributes of the tenth century to perfection - be they structures made of stone, interiors of forts and palaces, or ships and boats out at sea. The visual effects are 90 percent perfect as well given the moderate budget.

‘Ponniyin Selvan 1’ definitely evokes interest in us to know how the politically driven story will conclude and how each character is going to solve the layered conflicts. It is undeniably a proud moment for Indian cinema/literary and only Mani Ratnam could have handled the story with such grounded treatment the novel deserved. This is just the start and let's hope the sequel brings the bigger conflicts and characters alive.

VERDICT:

Ace director Mani Ratnam crafts a respectable adaptation of the celebrated novel, ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, anchored by the star-studded cast ensemble, A-list tech team, and sharp storytelling.

CELLULOID METER- 4/5: