Story

Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 is based on the novel penned by Kalki Krishnamurthy that narrates the achievements of the Chola Kingdom which existed 1000 years ago in the 9th century. Pallavatturyar (Sarath Kumar) and his wife Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) decide to replace Aditya Karikaludu (Vikram) with Madhurantakudu (Rahman). After this move, Kundavi (Trisha) asks Vanthiyadevudu (Karthi) to bring her brother Ponniyan Selvan (Jayam Ravi) to Tanjore. It is during this time, a bunch of goons try to assassinate Ponniyin Selvan. The rest of the film is all about the assassination plan and how he returns back home. Watch Ponniyin Selvan to know about what happens next.

Analysis

The first half of the film is not a smooth sail as it has enough number of layers and multiple characters. The common audience will struggle hard to understand. The first half of the film isn't gripping enough and engaging. The interval episode sounds decent and the brilliant technical aspects stand out. Ponniyin Selvan has large scope of drama and has less action. The film is based on history and the narration is poetic. The slow pace is sure a barrier. All those who are aware of the history will love the narration and the film. For others, the first half would be a tough one.

The second half of the film is decent and the technical aspects and the performances will take the film to the next level. Mani Ratnam's directorial abilities will be appreciated. The Tamil flavour is sure a barrier for the audience. Karthi steals the show and he dominates the other roles and characters. The boat action sequence is the major highlight of Ponniyin Selvan and the second half. The cinematography work and background score along with the sound design are the major highlights of Ponniyin Selvan. The length is also a barrier for the audience. Ponniyin Selvan will work well for the Tamil audience.

Performance

Ponniyin Selvan has a list of top rated actors like Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman and R. Parthiban. Karthi shines in the role of Vandiyadevudu and he dominates the film with his performance. Vikram gets the next best role as Aditya Karikaludu and he delivered his best like ever. Jayam Ravi as Ponniyin Selvan is decent and he has been quite apt. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gets a dual role and she is charming enough in the roles though they are small. Trisha looks like a princess as Kundavi and she is the perfect choice for the role. Prakash Raj, Sarath Kumar, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Sobhita Dhulipala were good in their roles. All the other actors are good.

Ponniyin Selvan is inspired from a novel penned by Kalki Krishnamurthy. The screenplay is adapted from the novel and the dialogues are good. The music and background score by AR Rahman are very good. The cinematography work stands out completely and the production design has been top class. The production values are extremely good. Ponniyin Selvan excelled in each and every craft. Mani Ratnam equally delivered his best.

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