Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in PS-2. (courtesy: YouTube)
Cast: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prakash Raj
Director: Mani Ratnam
Rating: Four stars (out of 5)
With the scale and spectacle of the first part intact in every respect, the Ponniyin Selvan follow-up is shorn of the information overload that made huge demands on those segments of the audience that were not familiar with the long and eventful history of the Chola dynasty. The two parts are roughly identical in length but they differ in the matter of how the plot is underwired. Ponniyin Selvan-2 (PS-2) feels far leaner and more briskly paced than its predecessor.
Palpably more straightforward, the PS-2 narrative, a Tamil historical epic released nationwide in multiple languages, is much easier to grasp and savour. But like the first part, it is frequently eye-popping in terms of its visual grandeur. Mani Ratnam's measured directorial style ensures that the film is much more than just dazzling. It is consistently entertaining and engaging.
PS-2 starts off with a lavishly filmed, wonderfully mounted prologue that takes the audience back to the time of the young Aditha Karikalan's first meeting with orphan girl Nandini, who strays into the kingdom and catches the eye of the Chola prince. The film then dives into the many conspiracies, internecine tussles and secret liaisons that threaten the kingdom.
The script does not let the spotlight move away from the wide spectrum of the drama that is at the heart of the sweeping saga of ambition, betrayal, guilt and expiation. An enemy's enemy is a friend - that is a line that is spouted on more than one occasion. The Cholas have no dearth of enemies lying in wait to forge strategic alliances and launch an attack.
Ponniyin Selvan, based on an adaptation of Kalki's magnum opus by director Mani Ratnam, B. Jeyamohan and Elango Kumaravel, takes some liberties with the much-loved literary work. It yields dividends because the departures are never unduly self-conscious. The overall impact of the construct is accentuated by Ratnam's firm grasp on the technical aspects and the textual essence of the story.
PS-2, certainly to a significantly greater extent than the first part, is remarkably sinewy and compact whole despite its nearly three-hour runtime. The film is a treat for the eyes. Cinematographer Ravi Varman composes frames that capture the expanse of the locations even as they drill into the granular details of the exquisite images that the camera conjures up. The appeal is neither just sensory or superficial. PS-2 has enough in its folds to touch the mind and the heart.
The pomp and pageantry that are woven into the narrative tapestry do not take attention away from the story - a testimony to Ratnam's ability to achieve an alchemy of visual flourishes, emotional traction and technical finesse. The multiplicity of characters can still baffle a tad, but the free-flowing drama and action on the screen is never less than spellbinding.
On one level, PS-2 continues to be a story of unrequited love. Karikalan's (Vikram) choppy relationship with Nandini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) and the danger that it poses to the Chola crown prince constitute an important part of the sprawling plot.
On another, the film addresses the making of the model ruler who was destined to usher in the golden age of the Chola dynasty. It tracks the steps taken by Aditha Karikalan's younger, even-tempered brother, Arunmozhi Varman (Jayam Ravi), towards the throne as well as the ups and downs that confront Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan (Karthi), the Vanara clan warrior-prince, as he fights off a series of physical threats.
Arunmozhi's voice of reason and restraint is central to the film because it delivers one of the central themes of the story - the nature of power and ambition weighed against the duties of a ruler. The benign and brave Prince puts a King's purpose into perspective. In one scene, he is advised to hoodwink his people and slip out of a tight spot. He refuses. Without trust in your subjects, governance isn't possible, he asserts. That truism has timeless resonance.
When PS-2 gets into its stride post-credits, Arunmozhi is believed to have perished in a shipwreck, there is talk of revenge in the air and a band of Pandyan warriors are in the middle of covert preparations for an attack on the Cholas. The kingdom is surrounded by traitors and threats lurk at every corner for the ailing King Sundara Chola (Prakash Raj) and his children.
PS-2 reveals the story of the grey-haired Mandakini (Aishwarya in a double role), who the audience had seen briefly in the final moments of PS-1. It delves into the reason for the resemblance that she bears to Nandini and the nature of her relationship with Veerapandiyan, whose dastardly beheading drove a wedge between the Cholas and the Pandyans.
The quality of the performances that the director extracts from the actors is extraordinarily consistent, with Chiyan Vikram's powerful presence serving as a firm anchor for a few of the film's most important sequences. The others in the cast, notably Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi and Jayam Ravi, are also always on the ball and lose no opportunity to make their presence felt.
Trisha (as Chola Princess Kundavai), Sobhita Dhulipala (as Kodumbalur Princess Vaanathi) and Aishwarya Lekshmi (as Poonghuzali alias 'lady of the sea' Samuthirakumari), too, have their moments although they are somewhat crowded out of the film.
With literally a cast of hundreds to deal with, Ratnam does remarkably well to fit them all in and impart to each of the characters a distinct space in the larger scheme of things. Veteran actors like Prakash Raj, R. Sharath Kumar and R. Parthiban have to make do limited footage but they are by no means reduced to irrelevance.
Ponniyin Selvan-2 completes what PS-1 set out to create - a screen version of a daunting text. The result is a cinematic work of monumental proportions, an epic that looks primed to stand the test of time.
Cast:
Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prakash Raj