Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan-2, PS-2, is a superb sequel to PS-1 (in theatres in Tamil, dubbed in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada—and Tamil with English subtitles, praise the Lord!). The eloquent title, meaning Ponni’s Son or Son of the River Cauvery, refers to the great Chola King Rajaraja-I (the Cholas reigned from 9th-13th centuries CE); spoilers ahead. We meet him when he is still the young Prince Arunmozhi, who later becomes king. What I loved about his character is that he is good looking, romantic, heroic on the battlefield—but crucially, when offered the throne to the kingdom, he offers it instead to his uncle Madhurantakan, who has staked his claim. Only after the uncle dies 14 years later, he ascends the throne and takes the kingdom to heights of glory. Influenced by Buddhism in Sri Lanka, where he lived, he is not greedy, can make supreme sacrifices without hesitation, and has the most appealing, kindest eyes (Jayam Ravi, uff!). While macho Bollywood and Tamil heroes despatch 20 villains apiece, yawn, it takes a Mani Ratnam to understand that women find kindness hot.

The film is, of course, adapted from Kalki Krishnamurthy’s five-volume Ponniyin Selvan, published in 1955, a fictional novel based on historical events and characters. Speaking to Gowri Ramnarayan, Kalki expert and his granddaughter, in Chicago, I understand that his novel sets a moral agenda for a newly independent nation, while reflecting pride in our ancient culture, with socialist touches, as when a boatwoman, Poonguzhali, becomes Queen. PS-1 sets the stage with swashbuckling war scenes, love stories and multiple story lines, and PS-2 takes the skeins forward convincingly. Rumours of a death trigger conspiracies and a succession war, leaving the three royal Chola siblings Aditha Karikalan (Chiyaan Vikram), Kundavai (Trisha) and Arunmozhi Varman (Jayam Ravi) vulnerable. Aditha Karikalan had killed Pandya King Veera Pandya, who was close to Aditha’s estranged lover Nandini (Aishwarya), who is married to the ageing Periya Pazhuvettarayar. To his eternal guilt, Nandini becomes his sworn frenemy.