A big screen visual spectacle Starring: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Prakash Raj, Trisha, Sarath Kumar, Radhakrishn...
A big screen visual spectacle
Starring: Vikram, Aishwarya
Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Prakash Raj, Trisha, Sarath Kumar,
Rating: 3.5*
Ponniyin Selvan: Part
One, proves Mani Ratnam he is one of the best filmmakers working in India
today.
The film starts with
Adithya Karikalan just having won a battle against the Rashtrakutas up in the
North. He sends his friend Vanthiyathevan to deliver a message for his sister
Princess Kundhavai and his father Sundara Chola. What follows is the adventure
Vanthiyathevan undertakes and the subsequent duties he is assigned by Kundhavai
and Arunmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selvan. Parallel to these is a conspiracy
brewing in Tanjore regarding the Chola throne headed by the chieftain Periya
Parzhuvettaraiyar (a solid Sarath Kumar and his brother Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar
(the dependable Radhakrishna Parthiban). The brain behind the conspiracy is
none other than Adhithya’s childhood love the ethereal Nandini.
Ratnam has given to Indian
cinema some of the best films in recent history including Dil Se and Nayakan
and Bombay. With Ponniyin Selvan: Part One, he proves that he is the master of
all genres, including historical drama. The film features excellent direction
from Ratnam and some great cinematography from Ravi Varman which is a lot like
the cinematography from the Polish auteur Andrzej Żuławski done by Andrzej
Jaroszewicz.
Ratnam knew he was
directing a historical war film but decided to make it as a drama by focusing
more on the characters’ faces and letting them express their emotions, thus
bringing out the best in each performance. The performances are excellent all
around with the highlights being Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the scheming Nandini
out for revenge and Karthi who is excellent as Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan. The
performance from Vikram as Aditya Karikalan and Jayam Ravi as Ponniyin Selvan
are great as well, so is Prakash Raj’s who portrays the emperor Sundara Chola.
Trisha as Princess Kundavai looks stunning. The film’s only loose end is the VFX
which seems like it was done back in the 90’s. This has been Mani Ratnam’s
dream project for a long time and it doesn’t fail in any single way.
The action scenes are
excellently choreographed and the set pieces and costumes are marvellous to
look at. This is no doubt one of the best-looking films of this decade with
every frame looking like an ancient painting from the time of the Chola
dynasty.
Adapting what is
considered to be the greatest piece of Tamil literature is hard and it’s even
harder to get it right, but Mani Ratnam has got it bang on. A visual experience from start to finish Ponniyin
Selvan: Part One deserves to be seen on the biggest screen and doesn’t
disappoint at all.
The great twist at the end
of PS-1 will leave waiting with bated breathe for PS-2.
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