I actually saw the movie twice. Once with kids and Anand in Chennai soon after it released, and again in Bangalore with my sister. I loved the movie both times :) Before I forget……what is with Satyam (or should I now say PVR) charging you for butter in the popcorn?! What cheapos?! I remember Satyam CEO writing a long letter to his patrons at the time of PVR takeover about the continuity in their quality of service, and specifically the continuity in the quality of popcorn. I suppose he left the pricing vague and the vultures in PVR zeroed in on it? Unfortunately I ended up giving money to PVR again when I saw the movie in Bangalore. Seriously pathetic.
Back to the movie…….
Between the four of us, we were armed with the (refreshed) knowledge of two versions of translated Ponniyin Selvan books, 1 ACK version to quickly identify any deviations from the original! Considering the complexity of the story, we were pretty sure the movie would be highly disappointing. But we actually ended up falling in love with Mani’s version! Mani has managed to give it just the right amount of tweaks to stay true to the spirit of this story.
While the first part was all about introducing the characters, the second was about their relationship, the pivotal role they play, and moving the story forward to bring it to a logical conclusion.
I remember the whole episode of Aditha Karikalan-Nanthini’s past and the role Kundavai plays in it narrated very briefly in the book. But it made sense to go into the details of this relationship in the movie for the viewers to appreciate the depth of the relationship and Aditha’s anger and frustration.
While none of the characters get much screen time (except Vikram of course!) the time they do get is very meaty and exhibits layers in their characters without making it obvious. The only characters I wish had more screen time were Vandiyathevan-Nambi, and Vandiyathevan-Kundavai.
Without many scenes or interactions Mani has managed to show a strong connect between Vandiyathevan and Kundavai. I dont know if this is my own extrapolation but I felt their common interest and goals drew them closer and hence the chemistry between the actors as well. Both loved and wanted to defend the Chola empire, both were focused on protecting and keeping the two princes safe, despite knowing the dangers of the expedition Kundavai asked Vandiyathevan to go to Lanka and he in turn took on the mission with pride and bravery. And the actors are such an unlikely pair! I dont think we have seen them together in any movie before but they turned out to be so good together.
One of the best scenes in the movie is when the three siblings meet. This doesn’t exist in the original. Despite deviating from the original, this scene is so beautifully crafted that you can’t really complain. Mani has exhibited enough restraint to keep this from wallowing into an emotional scene. What is particularly significant is Arunmozhi’s and Kundavai’s understanding of the emotional turmoil Aditha is going through and their unwilling acceptance of his decision to go to Kadambur palace.
Another interesting deviation from the original is Kundavai putting together the pieces of Nanthini’s past and guessing her mother’s connection to Sundara Chozar. While the book exhibited Arunmozhi’s intelligence and generosity in the way he figured out and accepted Mandakini’s relation with his father (and Nanthini), in the movie he comes across as clueless as to why she looks like Nandhini. This unfortunately puts Arunmozhi in a bad light, but added more weight to Kundavai as she puts it together and confronts her father. The saving grace is how Arunmozhi handles the coronation at the end. Especially his dialogue ‘peraasai thaan arasar ku azhagu’.
I think the whole twist in the tale of baby swapping and Madhuanthakar-Sendhan Amudhan backstory is too much for a movie, especially if it is a two-part movie for a 5-part book. Mani’s way of completely removing that piece and yet keeping the spirit of the book by showing the different faction’s love and loyalty towards their empire seemed apt. My daughter cried foul ‘But he is not the real Madhuranthakan?This is so wrong!’ But eventually (after we convinced her that Kalki’s is a fictional story and that is not what happens in reality) she agreed that the ending makes sense. On a side note: I am not sure how many mother-daughter tend to be fans of same actors but we can. I am a proud mother of a daughter who is also a fan of Vikram after this movie. By the way, she also loves the younger day Amitabh Bachchan (after a good dose of Sholay, 2 aur 2 paanch and few other ‘my younger day’ favorites of mine).
Now coming to the other ‘best’ scenes and the actor who myself and my sister drooled over! It is a hard pick between his 3 scenes - when he enters Kadambur, his meeting with the chieftains, and his last scene with Nanthini. When he enters the Kadambur palace, the way he baits the Kadambur chieftain, piques on Pazhuvettarayar for marrying a young woman by repeatedly calling him ‘paatta’, the subtle transformation on seeing Nanthini all this while manoeuvring a restless horse is just amazing!
Vikram is just as amazing when he confronts the chieftains for springing Madhuranthakan as the heir despite Sundara Chozar anointing Aditha as the prince. I couldn’t help but notice that Vikram is the shortest of the actors in that scene yet with the strongest screen presence.
The final scene between Nanthini and Aditha is yet another gem in VIkram’s acting. How does someone look so handsome, confident and yet so vulnerable! His acting is just unbelievable in this scene.
Unlike PS-1, music in this part was really good! My favorite is the Ilaiyoor Soodaar. It sounded like a very deep and poignant song. The composition, visuals and singing were very beautiful in the movie. Unfortunately I am unable to find the lyrics with translation. While Aga-naga is a little annoying to listen to, it is quite good in the movie. I guess there was nothing much to complain about the background score either, though it is not something I usually notice.
While I don’t pay much attention to the settings or visuals, one worth mentioning is the sculpture of Raavana holding up Shiva and Parvathi. It is a very beautiful relief on a stone. While it looks like it is facing the King, it is actually facing a sculpture of Rama’s pattaabhishekam. Interestingly, I came across a Chariot which had Raavana carrying the idols of Shiva and Parvathi in Thiruvannamalai temple.
I dont think I will finish the rest of the book. Unfortunately, now when I read the book I visualize with the actors from the movie. So it kinda kills your experience of reading the book. Also, I have got the scenes from the book and movie so jumbled up! However, the next time they put up the Ponniyin Selvan drama, I will take my daughter along. Few years back when I saw, I found it a drag because a) I had forgotten the story b) I was all alone so no one to discuss what is happening on stage and c) the Tamil was too tough to follow. This time I will have her for company. She has read the story 3 times - all translated versions but different authors. So hopefully it will make for some stimulating company!
