PONNIYIN SELVAN 1 (PS1) MOVIE REVIEW
Cast-;
Vikram , Aishwarya Rai Bachchan , Sara Arjun , Jayam Ravi , Karthi , Trisha , Aishwarya Lekshmi , Sobhita Dhulip alaPrabhu , R. Sarathkumar , Vikram Prabhu , Jayaram , Prakash Raj , Rahman , R. Parthiban , Ashwin Kak umanu , Asw in Rao , Nizhalgal Ravi , Lal , Vijaykumar , Vidya Subramanian , Jayachitra , Mohan Raman , Nassar , Kishore , Riyaz Khan , Vinay Kumar , Yog Japee , Arjun Chidambaram , Nimmy Raphel , Vinodhini Vaidyanathan , Master R aghavan , Babu Antony , Makarand Deshpande , Amzath Khan and others .
Crew-;
Banner : Lyca Productions & Madras Talkies , DoP : Ravi Varman , Editor : Sreekar Prasad , Production Designer : Thota Tharrani , Choreography : Brinda , Costume Designer : Eka Lakhani , Additional Costume Designer : Chan dra kant Sonawane , Jewellery: Kishandas & Co , Hair & Make Up : Vikram Gaikwad , Action : Kecha Khamphak dee & Sham Kaushal , VFX: NYVFXWaala , VFX Supervisor : Sanjiv Anand Naik , DI : Red Chillies Color , Colorist : Ken Metzker , Re-Recording Mixer: Craig Mann , Additional Re-Recording Mixer : S Sivakumar , Sound Designer : Anand Krishnamoorthi , Background Score Supervisor : Tuomas Kantilenian , Music Supervisor: Nakul Abhyan kar Panchat an Sound Engineers : Suresh Permal, Karthik Sekaran & Aravind Cresendo , Stills : CH Balu , Publi cit y Designs : Gopi Prasanna , Promo Editor : E.Sangathamizhan , Digital Streaming Partner : Amazon Prime Video , Music Label : Tips Industries Ltd. (Tips Tamil) , Lyca Productions : Head- G.K.M. Tamil Kumaran , CEO ; Aashish Singh , Lyrics : Ilango Krishnan * Kabilan* Siva Ananth & Krithika Nelson , Dialogues : Jeyamohan , Screenplay : Mani Ratnam, Jeyamohan & Kumaravel , Executive Producer : Siva Ananth , Produced By : Mani Ratnam & Suba skaran , Directed By : Mani Ratnam P R O ; Johnson and Yuvaraj etc.
Story-;
In the 10th Century, the Chola dynasty rules prosperously across Southern India, under the reign of Sundara Cho zhar. His sons, Princes Aditha Karikalan and Arulmozhi Varman, are mighty successful in their conquests for the Chola empire in Kanchi and Sri Lanka. A group of devote Pandya soldiers (Pandiyan king’s Aabathudavigal) sche me to avenge their King, Veerapandiyan, as he was slain in battle, by the crown Prince of Chola, Aditha Karikal an. Parallel to this, in the dead of the night, a group of royal chieftains of the Chola kingdom come together secr etly, with the agenda to usurp the throne from Aditha Karikalan and place his uncle, Madurantakan, as the king. Leading this mutiny is the Chola treasurer and minister of finance, Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar. It is now a race aga inst time for the Chola Princes, to win the battle against the wrath of the Pandyas, the enraged army of the Ra shtrakutas, and betrayal of Pazhuvettaraiyar.
Ponniyin Selvan 1 story is all about the historical happenings in the Chola Kingdom. Adithya Karikalan (Vikram), the crown prince of the Chola Empire goes on waging wars to expand the kingdom. After defeating Rashtrakuta s, Adithya Karikalan, gets information from the spies that everything is not right in the Capital Tanjore where his ailing dad emperor Sundara Cholan alias Parantaka Chola II (Prakash Raj) is put up. Aditya Karikalan sends his tr usted lieutenant Vallavaraiyan Vanthiyathevan (Karthi) to get first-hand information. ngering and the chan gin g dynamics with sister Kundavai, also known as Ilaiya Piratti(Trisha), brother Arulmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selv an (Jayam Ravi), another brother Madurantaka Uttama Chola(Rahman), Pazhuvoor queen Nandini (Aishwarya R ai),her husband,treasurer Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar (Sarath Kumar)from the Story of PONNIYIN SELVAN 1 (PS1).
Watch The Trailor -;
MOVIE REVIEW-;
Adapting celebrated author Kalki Krishnamurthy’s five-part epic novel has been a long-time dream of Director Mani Ratnam. Maniratnam turned Ponniyin Selvan novel of Kalki Krishnamurthy into a film, Ponniyin Selvan, his dream project with a whopping budget of Rs 500crs. the film got a tremendous craze and the film’s OTT rights ha ve been bagged by the renowned digital platform Amazon Prime Video and the film will be streamed after the en d of its theatrical run. The film’s first part Ponniyin Selvan 1 is released amidst huge expectations on Sept emb er 30, 2022, across the world. The film has a star-studded cast of Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shobhita Dhulipala, and is based on the popular Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan written by Kalk i Krishnamurthy in 1950s. Let us find out whether Maniratnam created magic to mesmerize all with Ponniyin Se lvan.
How hard must that be when you are among the country’s most prominent film-makers?It’s only while watching the glorious Ponniyin Selvan: 1 that one realises the depth and dedication of ambition this labour of love entails. Ponniyin Selvan 1 story is all about the historical happenings in the Chola Kingdom. Adithya Karikalan (Vikram), the crown prince of the Chola Empire goes on waging wars to expand the kingdom. After defeating Rashtrakuta s, Adithya Karikalan, gets information from the spies that everything is not right in the Capital Tanjore where his ailing dad emperor Sundara Cholan alias Parantaka Chola II (Prakash Raj) is put up. Aditya Karikalan sends his tru sted lieutenant Vallavaraiyan Vanthiyathevan (Karthi) to get first-hand information. I haven’t read Kalki’s books, but the excitement for its legacy is undeniably impressive.It’s easy to see what the fuss is about.At the risk of sounding like an awestruck tourist, the events of Ponniyin Selvan’s first installment (the second part will release sometime later next year) transported me to another realm, another era.
(If possible watch it in Tamil like I did, the English subtitles by Nasreen Munni Kabir do a fine job of putting things in context.) The story of Ponniyin Selvan is inspired by the popular novel Ponniyin Selvan authored by Kalki Kris hnamurthy. Star director Maniratnam fine-tuned the novel by putting in a lot of effort and hard work. He realize d his dream of turning Ponniyin Selvan into a film after multiple attempts failed. Ponniyin Selvan story starts wit h the Cholas defeating Rashtrakutas and Vikram and Karthi are introduced as Aditya Karikalan and Vanthiayat hevan with interesting war sequences. This sets the pace for the proceedings to take forward. The narration pic ks up pace once Karthi goes on a mission to find out the real happenings in the Chola Kingdom on his way to Tan jore. There’s no shortage of showy extravaganzas in the market but what distinguishes this labyrinthine drama is Mani Ratnam’s sophisticated storyteller crafting a piece of marvel, a slice of fictional history whose aesthetics and politics are coloured in nuance.Sure,
there’s plenty of drama and A R Rahman’s magnificent score underlining the scale of it all, but Ponniyin Selvan 1′ s ethereal spectacle doesn’t possess a single bombastic bone in its body. The first half proceedings in a slow but in teresting manner with the introduction of various important characters like actors Jayaram, Sarathkumar, Pr akash Raj, Rahman, and actresses Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, and Sobhita Dhulipala. However, in between all the ex uberance of Karthi and interesting action sequences and hilarious scenes involving Karthi Jayaram, and dialog ues between Karthi and Aishwarya Rai and Sarathkumar, the pace turns out to be slow before the interval twist. The first half ends on an interesting note and the entry of Jayam Ravi as Arulmozhi Varman increases the interes t levels. The second half picks up pace and with various forces like Pandyas, Sri Lankans, and also a few internal e nemies of Cholas trying to weaken the Chola Kingdom and bring down its regime, excitement increases.
The action sequences involving Jayam Ravi, and Karthi fascinates all. Aishwarya Lekshmi is also introduced and the pre-climax and intense climax action episode bring down the curtains to the Ponniyin Selvan I setting the st age for the second part. Every dance number is an exquisitely choreographed ballet capturing culture and mytho logy in all its ferocity and elegance.Characters favour wit and slyness over pomposity while an undercurrent of sadness shrouds its most charismatic players.The movie demands you submit yourself to its vision and bask in th e beauty and intrigue. For all his hard work, Maniratnam’s story, script, and direction have Tamil flavor. One cann ot find fault with Maniratnam as the story is a Tamil historical drama showing the rise of the Chola Kingdom. Wit h all the star cast mostly Tamil actors, people may get disconnected from the Tamil Kings’ names. Maniratnam sp ent the entire first half introducing various characters and it gives a feeling like watching a documentary except for a few scenes which increase the curiosity levels.
The energy of the viewers gets dissipated at the end of the first half but the second half twists and turns keep them excited to some extent. Overall, it’s a proud moment for the Tamil industry as Maniratnam did full justice to Ponniyin Selvan’s novel. Every little detail — from the ornate brass lamp, the delicately painted walls docum enting war, the workmanship of the jadau jewellery to the breath-taking production design is designed to conv ey an element of enigma or violence.In the beginning, I was a tad overwhelmed by the complex prologue and all the numerous characters central to the plot. There are over two dozen key characters and it’s difficult to keep track of names and motives, but as the epic progresses, PS1 takes over the senses and spontaneously informs the brain all the emotions it needs to feel and details it must hold on to. Against the background of the 10th ce ntury Chola kingdom unfolds the story of a troika of royal siblings proving too strong-headed for their ailing father to handle. Vikram as Aditya Karikalan came up with an intense performance.
He showcased his feelings and emoted strongly as a heartbroken person. He looked apt for the role of Aditya Ka rikalan. After the grand introduction, Vikram disappears only to appear in a few scenes here and there for the re st of the film. Karthi got the all-important role and most of the screen presence in Ponniyin Selvan I. He show ed variations in his expressions and toned his body language accordingly. He excelled in hilarious scenes, heroic sce nes, and also romantic scenes. For starters, there’s Aditha Karikalan (Vikram), crown prince and conqueror wagi ng battles to get his mind off a romance gone sour, followed by Princess Kundavai (Trisha) whose unmatched be auty and brains cannot save her from the age-old ‘When are you getting married?’ inquiries.Finally, there’s Arul mozhi Varman (Jayam Ravi), an unassuming but valorous royal guided by his conscience and duty, holding the fort in Lanka.As captivating they are, both men are somewhat reluctant to defend the threats to their throne.
Instead, Aditha appoints the Vanar clan’s Vanthiyathevan (Karthi) — a comical, charismatic figure prone to flirtin g around every beauty he meets and get out of the stickiest of situations — to do his bidding. Vanthiyathevan’s ad venturous journey introduces us to all the key characters, devious schemes and majestic architecture one after another.Enemies sneak up from every corner in the garb of plotting chieftains and brutish rebels but at the cent re of all the antagonism is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s beguiling Nandini one can neither look away from nor trus t.Harboring feelings of revenge, envy, ambition, greed, despair and dissatisfaction, Nandini’s glamour belies her pain. But the paralysing effect of her allure on her much older husband (R Sarathkumar), storm of contradictions within ex-flame Aditha and unspoken rivalry with Kundavai imply she is much too sharp to be swayed by any of it.Splendour is on full display and cinematographer Ravi Varman showcases it to dazzling effect in poetic compo sitions and painting-like visuals of the sea — silent or tempestuous.
Ponniyin Selvan: 1 is art with an edge. Like that dizzying sequence where Aditha shares his painful backstory while the camera swings in all directions to convey the chaos of his mind.Vikram doesn’t have too many scenes, but his angst lingers on.A resplendent Aishwarya reigns supreme whether she’s letting her guard down or mast ering the art of manipulation.Trisha is absolutely commanding in her power play while her constant companion Sobhita Dhulipala exudes poised charm. Karthi is a scene-stealer at his swashbuckling best. Jayam Ravi feels fee ble around such buzzing dynamism. Screen throbs with action in tantalising visuals of battles, boats, elephants, horses, palanquins, slit throats, secret passages, spies, sorcerers, mysterious woman in white and warring for su premacy Shaivaites and Vaishnavaites. Jayam Ravi stole the show elevating the proceedings since his introduc tion. He made a lasting impression with his expressions and emotions and showcased it accordingly. Jayam Ravi and Karthi powered the film together with their performances.
Jayaram did well in an important role while Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, Prabhu, Rahman, Parthiban, and others made their presence felt. Aishwarya Rai looked royal and Trisha looked regal and both made an impact with th eir majestic screen presence. Mani Ratnam elevated their roles in a beautiful and appealing manner. Shobhita Dh ulipala and Aishwarya Lekshmi made an impact on the screen. Others performed accordingly.Everyone knows th at double oscar winner Rahman longtime back lost his sheen. His songs unlike his early days are failing to create any magic cutting across all sections. However, he did justice to the songs by coming up with tunes suited to the Chola Kingdom and the historical backdrop. The songs are well picturized and choreographed. His background music too followed the same pattern but he however livened up the proceedings elevating the scenes with the intense score during the pre-climax and climax. Ravi Varman’s cinematography showcased the grandness of the Chola Kingdom in a natural and realistic manner. The art director also worked thoroughly to bring reality to the sets and art designs.
Visual effects are decent and the ship sequence during the climax, though resembles that of Karthikeya 2 and Ra dhe Shyam, is far better and done extravagantly than Radhe Shyam. Sreekar Prasad’s editing is good but could ha ve been fine-tuned as there are few drags. Dialogues of the Telugu version are alright and especially the dialo gues dubbed for Jayaram by Tanikella Bharani made a good impact. Production values are grand. Ponniyin Sel va n 1 with the star-studded cast turned out to be a historical ride to the Tamil culture. If people watch the film wit hout comparisons, few of them may get interested. However unknown names of the characters, Tamil cast, lack of real emotions, twists, and turns, and also missing elevations, heroic elements, and hair-raising action sequen ces, put off the viewers.
Credit should be given to Maniratnam for finishing the entire film’s first and second parts in just 180 days and coming up with a quality product and giving a good cinematic experience. But with Tollywood viewers after ge tting the Baahubali, Magadheera, and RRR experience, will find nothing new in it. Maniratnam’s story, screenp lay, and direction progress at an even pace, and at the same time, it has many lows and few highs. Altogether, Po nniyin Selvan turns out to be the Saga of Cholas. Considering all these aspects, One seldom thinks of Mani Rat nam’s excellence in terms of VFX but Ponniyin Selvan: 1 goes full steam. Its action-packed ‘ship caught in a sea storm’ climax is one of the wildest, wow things you’ll see this year.
This IS MY Personal Review So Please Go And Watch The Movie In Theaters Only
Written By- T.H.PRASAD -B4U-Ratting-4/5
