Legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s ambitious project, Ponniyin Selvan-1 has hit the screens today. Let’s check how it is.
Story:
The film is based on reputed Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel with the same title, Ponniyin Selvan which glorifies the greatness of the Chola kingdom that was in existence almost 1000 years back. Who tries to conquer the kingdom? How will king Aditya Karikaaludu ( Vikram) try to protect it? What is the role of Kundavai( Trisha)? How is Nandini’s role interconnected with the entire setup? What is the prominence of Arunmozhi Varma ( Jayam Ravi)? To know that, you have to watch the film at the nearest theaters.
On screen Performances:
All the lead actors gave decent performances in this period film. While Vikram is good with his screen presence as the Chola king, Jayam Ravi got the best introduction as Arunmozhi Varma in the movie.
Karthi is impressive with his performance in the given comic-coated character. Trisha and Aishwarya Rai are stunning with their screen presence and did a decent job in their respective roles.
Other artists such as Prakash Raj, Sarath Kumar, Jayaram, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shobita Dhulipala are fine in their limited screen time.
Off-screen Talents:
Music by AR Rahman is okay not as expected. Except for one song and background score for a couple of scenes, Rahman’s contribution for the film is almost nothing.
The cinematography work by Ravi Varman is good as he tries to present the large sets erected for the film in a lavish manner but his framing lacks a fresh take. Editing by A Sreekar Prasad is fine but would have chopped close to ten minutes of the runtime for a better viewing experience.
Production design work is okay and so is the case with the production values of this period drama.
Last but not least, director Mani Ratnam’s taking is impressive at parts but his flat narrative without any high moments come as a major deficit for the movie.
Positive Points:
- Story
- Actors performance
Negative Points:
- VFX
- Screenplay
- Poor Action
Verdict:
In an overview, Ponniyin Selvan-1 is flat and unexcited watch which lacks an emotional connectivity. For those who haven’t read the book will find it difficult to comprehend the characters, story and proceedings, may not appeal for non Tamil audience. Expect for a few blocks in the second half which set a proper way for the second part, PS-1 has nothing great to glorify.
TeluguBulletin.com Rating: 2.25/5
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9.30 PM EST: Final report – 2nd half is better than 1st half drama wise. Overall, movie is average with no high moments.Action sequences could have been better..Aishwarya and Trisha roles are good..watch this space for detailed review
8.35 PM EST: Sundara Chola ( Prakash Raj) wants his both sons (Aditya Karikayadu) and Arunmozi (Jayam Ravi) to Tanjore. Second half proceedings are bit better than first
8.15 PM EST: Second half begins with Arunmozi ( Jayam Ravi) and he gets the best introduction. Aditya Kalikayudu (Vikram), Arunmozi ( Jayam Ravi) and Trisha are siblings. Feudal kings ( Sarath Kumar etc) plot gets halted by Kundavai ( Trisha ) plan.Arunmozi is Ponniyan Selvan..
7:30 PM EST: 1st half report – Movie is not upto the mark. Though movie turns little bit interesting with Vikram’s entry, rest of the first half is bland with complex story and confusing screenplay. No scenes in 1st half that would give you a high. 2nd half needs to be extremely good to compensate for the 1st half. Visuals are grand, performances are good with nice music.
6:45 PM EST: Movie starts with Chiru voiceover followed by “ponge nadi” song. Karthi (as vandiyadevudu) goes to Chola kingdom to meet his friend. Story looks pretty complex with lot of characters (names) being mentioned..30 mins into the movie, it is bland but looks grand
Ponniyin Selvan: I is an upcoming 2022 Indian Tamil-language epic period action film directed by Mani Ratnam, Produced by Ratnam and Subaskaran Allirajah under Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions,
The film stars an ensemble cast of Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha. The music is composed by A. R. Rahman, with cinematography handled by Ravi Varman, editing done by A. Sreekar Prasad and production design by Thota Tharani.
Watch this Space for US Premiere Show Live Updates and First On Net Ponniyin Selvan Review