This is a review of the Tamil Language Feature Film titled "Ponniyin Selvan- Part 2". This review has been written and edited by Anoop Prathapan and first published on the 29th of April 2023.
A spectacular, cinematic wonder which is undeniably not everyone’s cup of tea – is how I would describe the continuation of the “Ponniyin Selvan” epic on screen. The first movie summarized events in just the first 35% of the novel – that means the remaining 65% of the novel had to be condensed into the next movie, which could be only around three hours maximum, as per Indian standards. The movie begins with the story of a younger Nandini and Karikalan in a bit more detail, shown through the opening credits. Later, the story resumes from where the first movie ended, as Ponniyin Selvan is transported to a safe place by Vanthiyathevan and Nambi, in Poonkuzhali’s boat after being rescued from the sea.
There are a lot of occasions in this movie where I could detect disparities with the novel – I do not recall a sequence in the text where Karikalan meets his brother and sister – which means I cannot remember a sequence where all three siblings meet – but there is one such, in the movie. Similarly, I did not like the sequence where Karikalan is killed – it lacks the impact one feels on reading the novel, and nowhere in the text is written that Nandini drowns herself in atonement.
I assume Mani Ratnam might have taken some cinematic liberties to make the (otherwise) challenging narrative more appetizing to the ordinary cinema-goer – especially to those who have not read the novel.
Just as I mentioned in the review of the first movie, Aishwarya Rai Bachan who portrayed Nandini, is the star, followed by Vikram who essayed the ever-belligerent Karikalan, flawlessly. Thrisha looks ethereal as Princess Kundavai and Shobhitha looks decent as Vanathi. Though the novel narrates a lot of instances in the later portions where Poonkuzhali is in action, Mandakini is in action, Sendan Amudan is in action, such sequences have been cut short, probably due to lack of time. Dr. Aiswarya Lekshmi has 90% less screen time when compared to what she had in PS-1. Jayaram scores as Alwarkadiyan Nambi. “Junglee-Rummy fame”, actor-director Lal and another Malayalam actor Babu Antony looks wasted in their roles.
Even after watching the full movie, I feel the same as after the first part, that Vijay should have been Vanthiyathevan and Suriya should have been Ponniyin Selvan, for Jayam Ravi obviously struggles in the sequences after Karikalan is dead, to shoulder the proceedings till the end. Suriya would have excelled in the scene where Ponniyin Selvan generously transfers his crown to his uncle Madurandakan in front of a bustling crowd.
Technical aspects are just a continuation of the first, as both movies were shot, edited, and mixed at almost the same time at the same place. There are no songs in this movie – but the re-recording by the Mozart of Chennai was fabulous.
Maniratnam should have planned the visualisation of the epic in three parts than two, is what I felt after I watched PS-2, because he has rushed through the book so quickly that even Mandakini, the mute-queen who is such an important character in the novel, had to be reduced to a few scenes in the movie. Also no movie goer will ever understand why and how Periya Pazhuvettarayar lay attacked in the woods in the later half of the movie. In a country that over-hypes "Drishyam" and stretches it to three parts just on commercial interest, when it should have graciously ended with the first, a 2,500-page epic like Ponniyin Selvan deserved to split into three movies than two.
I watched the movie in IMAX PVR Thiruvananthapuram, this time, in its original language because the Malayalam version that I saw of PS-1 (supposedly) crafted by Malayalam actor-director Shankar Ramakrishnan was dreadful.
I will surely watch PS-2 again before it ends its theatrical run. But as I said, this is not everyone’s cup of tea.
My rating 7/10
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