The magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan (PS1) was released last week. As expected (by me), the film has received a mixed response - largely positive reviews with few bad ones, especially from Andhra and the Northern part of the country. This is not new for Mani Ratnam. His movies have always faced this issue with one set of people rejecting it as scrap whereas another set claiming it a classic. I have been a big fan of his work throughout. Except for Kadal and Kaatru Veliyidai, I think all his films were good and some cult classics.
Mani Ratnam was always ahead of time. People never talked about terrorists till Roja happened. Many did not even know something called "Divorce" existed till Mouna Ragam (1986) was released. Even now, many can't accept women smoking.... the scenes in Agni Natchathiram (1988) can raise a few eyebrows in 2022 also. He has always focused on the characters and their emotions to tell the story rather than using mass elements and CG works. Most of his films had a very slow narration too. Am sure if Thalapathy was released today, people would have become restless and branded it as a drag. Blame it on our fast-moving lifestyle ;).
Mani Ratnam has never been a big budget director too. In fact he has never shot a film outside India till recent times. If the audiences today are aware and talk about cinematography, editing, lighting, etc... all this started only after Mani Ratnam entered the industry. He has handled some controversial subjects but all these films had some intense drama running in parallel. He has never directed any historical film or for that matter any big budget extravaganza. This is the exact reason why I thought Ponniyin Selvan could receive mixed reviews. I am not delving much into the story as many would have read the novel or by now seen some YouTube videos at least to know more about Cholas and Ponniyin Selvan. I will instead share some positives and negatives of the film.
PS1 is a typical Mani Ratnam film and I enjoyed watching it on the big screen. Though historic movies were never his strength, Mani Ratnam has been able to pull off this mammoth task in his own style. The film is character driven. The dialogues are short and apt as in most Mani films. The shots are stunning and lighting top class. Casual comedy is part of the dialogues in most scenes, especially those involving Karthi.
The performance of the lead actors is fabulous. Each one has given their career best. Karthi is apt for the role but I can't deny the fact that maybe Surya would have been a better choice here, especially for the physique). Vikram is rustic and reminds you of Ravanan. Expecting more from him in part 2. The surprise element has been Jayam Ravi. The chocolate boy has really transformed into Arulmozhi Varman. He carries the role with grace and elegance. Aishwarya Rai and Trisha are beautiful and are pivotal to the film's plot. They perform with ease and get the maximum claps from the audience. Aiswarya Lekshmi has a very unique character and she excels in it.
We don't have to talk much about other departments in a Mani Ratnam film. It's always top notch and the same goes here as well. The sets (Thotta Tharani) are so genuine and majestic at the same time. The graphics are limited and does not overshadow the drama happening in the forefront. To be honest, I never thought Mani Ratnam could have pulled this off in the CG segment. But this is a great lesson for all those who want to break off from their comfort zone. The lighting is unique, apt, and colorful. Ravi Varmans camera work is world-class. Each of the songs in the film has its own class and is picturized uniquely. AR Rahman elevates the entire film through his stunning background score..one of his career best.
Now coming to the negatives:
I have not read the novel. I have not even heard the story till I watched the film. Hence, I found it difficult to understand the relationship between the characters initially. I understand it is a 5 part novel condensed into a movie. But that's not a valid justification for not prepping up the audience for each character. PS1 is not a war movie. However, some bit of mass elements added to these sequences and to the introductions of the characters especially Aditya Karikalan and Arulmozhi Varma could have made wonders.
The film is slow (like most Mani Ratnam films). It takes time to evolve and for the conflict to emerge. This "Mani-special" quality did not work in a historical film like PS1. The scenes are cut abruptly and force us to imagine what could have happened or how it could have ended. For example, the scene where Karthi takes a boat ride to Sri Lanka and the introduction of Arulmozhi Varman... some bit of extended sequences would have helped the narration. This makes me think why couldn't the makers think of a 3 part series of 150 mins each?
For those who are expecting a Baahubali, this is not your cup of tea. Stay away. I repeat this is not a war movie. This is a drama in which war is just used to introduce characters and their qualities. Having said that, it's actually tough not to compare PS1 with other films of this genre and such comparisons will continue even when PS2 releases. The costumes may be inspired by the novel descriptions or through research, however, I felt it could have been better. The movie is about some of the greatest warriors ... why have actors like Prabhu or Parthiban play these roles. While they are great performers, they are not physically fit for these characters. And for the few scenes they are used, it could have been done by any other actor who has a better physique.
A director like Shankar or Rajamouli could have enhanced the cinematic experience tremendously with the same story. But when you are committed to making a film out of a novel that is very close to the hearts of millions, I think Mani Ratnam had no choice but to stick to the narrative and present what was best for the story. Overall, I think Ponniyin Selvan - Part 1 is just an introduction to all characters and their inner emotions, motives, etc. The film ends on a high note with a surprise element as well (Who is Oomai Rani?). I hope Mani Ratnam and his team work on PS2 keeping in mind the expectation of all viewers and deliver us a knock-out experience in 2023.
Rating - 3.5/5
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