'Ponniyin Selvan: I' hit the screens today (September 30) on a big scale across languages. In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.
Story:
Aditha Karikalan (Chiyaan Vikram), the crown prince of the Chola dynasty, is invading the regions to the north of the Chola empire. He asks his ally and trusted messenger-warrior Vallavarayan Vandhiyathevan (Karthi) to spy on the traitors who are conspiring against the Chola throne. Aditha's father Sundara Chola (Prakash Raj) and his sister, princess Kundhavai (Trisha), are there in Tanjore, guarding the empire.
Meanwhile, schemers from the crest-fallen Pandya empire infiltrate the Chola kingdom and attempt to choreograph chaos. Nandhini (Aishwarya Rai), the young wife of the old Periya Pazhuvettarayar (Sarathkumar), is a powerful head of the Chola ministry. She captivates Pazhuvettarayars and the others with her beauty, prodding them to conspire against the king. Madhurantaka Chola (Rahman), who has a right to descend the throne, is the key to the conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Karthi's character has to travel to Sri Lanka to meet Arunmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selvan (Jayam Ravi) as a part of the journey.
Analysis:
It's advised that people watch the movie after getting conversant with details and some of the creative liberties taken by the epic Tamil-language novel 'Ponniyin Selvan' on which the film is based. The story, at its best, illustrates the volatile nature of power struggles and political equations. Three of the five volumes have been covered by the first part of the movie. The second one, due to be released next year, will tell the actual story of how the titular character ascends.
The manoeuvrings have been delineated by Mani Ratnam without caring for the average audience's preferences. The main players do fine, but the bit-part players give a tonally-off performance. While there is no needless romanticization, the writing is not weighty.
Karthi has a commanding presence, while Jayam Ravi's best portions seem to have been sorted in the second half. Vikram's character doesn't come with detailing; the prologue is followed by an excessive focus on Karthi's adventures.
The first half is devoid of highs, whereas the second half is rushed. The film introduces no new themes along the way. PS-I's milieu is barely impactful for a variety of reasons. The dance sequences are synchronized fairly well, thanks to choreographer Brinda.
A big minus is that the battlefield portions are uninspired. The dramatization of strategies takes the form of exposition. The internal dynamics and the non-negotiable elements in the palace would make better sense if you are clued into the plot before going to the movie.
Only time will tell whether this film adaptation will be lauded or whether it does justice to the literary profundity and depth of the novel. For now, though, the conniving characters don't make for a riveting watch despite their deceitful postures.
Ravi Varman's cinematography and Thota Tharrani's art direction could have been better. AR Rahman's BGM is satisfying.
Verdict:
'PS-I' doesn't have mega moments. It's just about okay.
