Movie: Ponniyin Selvan 2
U: Historical, action, drama
Dir: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Trisha Krishnan, Karthi
Rating: 3.5/5

With the release of Ponniyin Selvan: 2 (PS:2), seven months after the first instalment, director Mani Ratnam fulfils his long-cherished dream. The auteur had earlier spoken about how budget constraints prevented his desire to adapt Kalki Krishnamurthy’s five-volume novel, Ponniyin Selvan (1955), into a movie, first in 1994 and then in 2011. Watching the epic period drama, one can understand why.

One would expect the sequel to pick up where PS:1 ended, with Arunmozhi Varman, aka Ponniyin Selvan (Jayam Ravi), falling into the stormy sea, but the narrative opens with Aditha Karikalan (Vikram) and Nandini’s (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) backstory. As the story progresses, you realise that going back into the story helps you understand the root cause of everything, be it betrayal, war, or vengeance.