Movies by Mani Ratnam are a testament to his unwavering commitment to the craft of filmmaking, and in every work of art he produces, you can see both the artist’s soul and his own. As a result, there is a certainty that the director will never completely misjudge how to shape a picture. Does Ponniyin Selvan live up to his moniker despite what we have seen of his attention to detail and the results it produces?
Together with Jayamohan and Kumaravel, Mani Ratnam is responsible for adapting Kalki’s book for the big screen. The unconventional filmmaker starts off with all the incredible components to make the ideal movie. Aishwarya Rai comes back to his vision after working with him for 25 years, AR Rahman is writing music (their partnership reaches 30 this year), Ravi Varman is capturing the globe, and some of the biggest stars in Tamil cinema are all involved. Consequently, you are aware of its size right away.
But the final result is a product that is not just dispersed, but also excessively fragmented. Imagine cramming a whole season of Game of Thrones into a single, three-hour film. Ratnam chose to adapt a book that takes place over a very long period of time and has numerous households that are at war and dispersed over different regions of Asia, thus the full burden cannot be placed on the writing team. As we are being introduced to one, we are hurried to another and some more, only to end up confused by names and titles since time does not allow us to stay with them and learn.
Mani Ratnam’s main argument is that, while the House Chola’s basis was gradually becoming weaker due to internal politics and external pressures, the women were truly in charge of the farce. They refer to Nandini as the poison, yet when Ratnam tries to probe into her soul, the poison protects her. She is surrounded by a certain type of spirituality, and each appearance has profound effects. But even she is subject to time restrictions, and most of what she has to say gets moved to the following section.
That brings up the issues with the topics that were moved to Part 2. Why not make the first section longer if it serves as sort of an introduction for you in order to grab the audience with a cliffhanger that they can cheer for? The last image is undoubtedly fascinating, but solely for Nandini and the identity of the unknown woman; there is little interest for the Cholas as a whole. Because the only things I know about them are the lazily narrated memories and their greed or concern for their home.
Review of Ponniyin Selvan 1: Star Performance
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is thought of as a gorgeous illusion that is unreal. Many people think such about her even in her real life. So you can tell that magic is going to happen when Mani Ratnam positions her right in front of his camera. Even if she is able to captivate us with her charisma, everyone around her is unappealing.
The most time spent in front of the cameras goes to Karthi. The actor has a natural skill and is aware of his expectations. His duty is to show bravery when necessary and comedy when there is none, and he does a very good job of it. He has a flirty quality that adds a very thin coating to him.
Vikram is fully in character with his reckless style, although the screenplay makes some odd choices in his vicinity. In addition to giving him little screen time, it also forces him to engage in flashbacks through making him explain them endlessly.
Trisha Krishnan and Sobhita Dhulipala provide charm and chirp to the narrative, but they need to have been given more to let the narrative take a positive turn. Everything appears to be lacking at this stage, but not in a way that will make you eagerly await what comes next; rather, you will be resentful of the first for creating unwarranted expectations.
In a big-budget film, this is hardly the Mani Ratnam one would anticipate. Of course, he regains Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, his beloved muse of 25 years. He even treats her like a goddess, framing every scene around her as if he were photographing an angel. The Ratnam images that we all yearn for are just absent from the rest. The portions with Nandini seemed to have been directed by the Ratnam of old, while the ADs handled the majority of the other scenes.
With the exception of two or three sequences, none appear to have been jointly created by Mani and Ravi Varman. He follows a well-known path, and a few of the frames appear to have been taken from the world of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I am aware that resembles is unsettling, but it doesn’t mean we don’t respect the crazy spirit of the director we have long respected.
AR Rahman releases an album only for the film and not elsewhere. I am a devout follower of this man, especially the couple who are responsible for some of Indian cinema’s most recognisable songs. But it’s not like that. The background music during the last boat fight is excellent, and there is no denying that the pieces are fantastic, but then when two legends appear, your expectations can only rise.
The Last Word: Ponniyin Selvan 1 Movie Review
The adaptation does succeed in explaining the reasons why by presenting the fundamentals, but the major show misses the impact it should have. Ponniyin Selvan is a classic work that has captivated audiences in the South for years. Part 2 includes a lot of questions, and if the method is kept the same as in Part 1, chances are slim.