Ponniyin Selvan-1 review: Aishwarya Rai, Karthi shine in a masterpiece from Mani Ratnam

Aditya Karikaalan (Vikram) assigns his trusted friend Vanthiyathevan (Karthi) the task of delivering an important message to his father Sundara Chola (Prakash Raj) and sister Kundavi (Trisha Krishnan).

As per the message, the kings of some princely states are laying out plans to bring down the Chola empire.

Vanthiyethevan is also on a mission to find out who the mastermind behind this plan is.

Where Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) and Arunmozhi (Jayam Ravi) figure in the narrative is for the viewer to find out.

There are a lot of layers in this story, whose unravelling needs to happen before we get to the truth in an adaptation of a magnum opus that was almost lost.

A visual extravaganza

What needs to be talked about is Mani Ratnam’s patience in making such a film, which is a visual extravaganza.

This film is rich in almost everything. The costumes, makeup, sets, graphics, jewellery, production values, horses, elephants, and whatnot.

This film definitely brings to life the Chola and Pallava dynasty chapters from school history lessons.

The actors do not really need a special introduction. Aishwarya Rai shines yet again in a masterpiece directed by Mani Ratnam. She is his muse, and once again delivers an amazing performance. She talks with her eyes, and is convincing with her expressions.

Karthi elicits some laughs and essays a true gentleman who is a pro at flirting with women. He is the most trustworthy person for Aditya Karikalan, and he nails the job.

Jayam Ravi, Trisha shine

Trisha is the epitome of royalty in this film. Jayam Ravi is the Ponniyin Selvan and nobody else could have played it better than him. Vikram is also good at playing this hyper, wild, and exciting character.

Ponniyin Selvan-1 is everything about royalty. From action sequences to huge sets, dialogues to expressions, music to visuals, everything is taken care of by Mani Ratnam. He did a great job at handling so many actors, including Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, Nassar, Parthiban, and Jayaram, for this magnum opus.

Ponniyin Selvan-1 is not everyone’s cup of tea. The first half is quite slow and more than half an hour goes into the development of the story.

Understanding the plot, remembering their names, identifying who is who, and then keeping a track of who wants to bring down whom: All this entirely occupies the mind as one tries hard to keep up with the story. Check this link if you need some help with the characters.

The second half is very entertaining, thanks to Karthi and Jayam Ravi.

The songs are beautiful and the background score pours soul into the film. AR Rahman and Mani Ratnam’s combination really doesn’t need an explanation.

On the whole, PS-1 is definitely worth watching this weekend.