Ponniyin Selvan Movie Review: The five-volume Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy, widely considered the finest work of Tamil literature, was adapted into a feature film. Maniratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan was a film that drew its inspiration from a literary work and featured a number of well-known actors from Kollywood. The movie has been a huge success in Tamil, but the Telugu producers have done nothing to promote it.
The film has already been released, so let’s find out if it’s worth watching despite the fact that it may have generated some buzz due to the participation of well-known stars.
Story
In the first chapter of Ponniyin Selvan, which takes place a thousand years ago, Vandiyathevan (Karthi) carries a message from Crown Prince Aditha Karikalan across Chola country (Vikram). When vassals and lesser chieftains plot a civil war, Kundavai (Trisha) takes action to restore political equilibrium in the realm. How can Arunmozhi Varma, played by Jayam Ravi, protect the Chola dynasty and ensure the survival of the Chola Kingdom? See the movie if you want to find out more about Nandini (Aishwarya Rai).
Cast & Crew
Movie stars include Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Prabhu, R Sarathkumar, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman, and Radhakrishnan Parthiban. The film was shot by Ravi Varman, while the score was composed by AR. Rehman, under the direction of Maniratnam.
| Movie Name | Ponniyin Selvan Part 1 |
|---|---|
| Director | Maniratnam |
| Music Director | AR. Rehman |
| Producer | Lyca Productions & Madras Talkies |
| Genre | Historical Drama |
| Cast | Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Prabhu, R Sarathkumar, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman and Radhakrishnan Parthiban |
| Cinematography | Ravi Varman |
Movie Verdict
There’s no denying that Bahubali has inspired a wave of movies with similarly broad ideas. Maniratnam, the master storyteller, has devised a historical drama for the first time and starred many prominent performers in this picture, which has caught the interest of many viewers despite the fact that most of these films are failing at the box office. But I consider it authentic Tamil cinema because, in addition to being populated by Tamils, it was also created by Tamils.
After the film’s primary characters are introduced, there’s a noticeable lack of interest in gripping drama. After Vandiyathevan’s (Karthi) introduction, however, the audience’s interest and curiosity are kept up until the intermission, and the second half of the film is propelled by strong emotions that keep the audience engaged. On the other hand, Ponniyin Selvan seems to have it all, but we sense that he’s lacking something. This, I’ve come to realise, is the absence of context from the past.
Undoubtedly, the film is a visual treat to watch on screens, but non-Tamil speakers may have trouble following the story because of the nativity and the non-sinc dubbing. If you know anything about the Chola kingdom, though, you might enjoy the film.
This is a really significant matter In a film like this, where the actor or actress is expected to portray a historical figure while also providing the character’s face and physical presence, casting is very important. In addition, Trisha as Kundavi, Aishwarya as Nandhini, and all of the characters did a fine job, and Karhi as Vandiyathevan is cool because the character’s comic body language is similar to that of Yuganiki Okkadu’s. Jayam Ravi as Arunmozhi Varma has a limited screen presence, but his character is so well written. The performance of Vikram as Aditha Karikalan is equally noteworthy.
There is a lot of tension in Ponniyiin Selavan, but director Mani Ratnam, who is a master at drawing out dramatic performances from his actors, is unable to make it into an emotionally engaging film. You can rule out the possibility that Mani Ratnam was involved in the making of this film.
With the exception of a few visual effects shots, AR is Ponniyin Selvan’s primary technical talent. The film is bolstered by the contributions of the rest of the technical staff, including Rehman’s music and score, Ravi Varman’s excellent photography, and the rest of the cast and crew.
Ponniyin Selavn is great fun to see on TV if you know anything about the Chola Kingdom.
Plus Points:
- Cast
- Performances
- Music
Minus Points:
- Nativity
Rating: 3/5
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