There's so much nuance in the film that is hard to put down in words, it is best experienced!". Some theories said Uthama Chola being part of the conspiracy to assassinate him but it was proved wrong and later declared to be a misreading of the Chola inscriptions on the basis of the Udayargudi stone inscriptions. [124] After filming for a schedule ended in March, the next schedule was to start in May; by 23 April, it was delayed to June due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Nandini, Poonguzhali, Azhwarkadiyan Nambi aka Thirumalaiappan, and Mandakini Devi are entirely fictional characters created by Kalki. During Arulmozhi Varmans childhood, when the royal family sails through the river Cauvery, the prince falls into the river and gets rescued by an unknown female figure. [68][69] Actor Lal, shared a picture of him along with Ratnam, raising expectations about the film. Menu. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Nandini Arulmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selvan did not succeed Sundara Chola as should have been the case (in reality). She seems to always be around Arulmozhi Varman and saves him from many dangers before disappearing again. Details inside", "Ponniyin Selvan lures all from MGR to Kamal Haasan to Mani Ratnam", "Mani Ratnam scouting for locations in Thailand for Ponniyin Selvan, see pic", "Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan' will be shot in Tamil Nadu and Thailand", "Priyanka Chopra in Mani Ratnam's new film? Its because she thinks Ponniyin Selvan is her son! He need to keep some thing as mystery. Kalki initially intended not to make Vanthiyathevan, a commoner as a hero, but wanted to sideline him (like Paranjyothi of Sivakamiyin Sabatham). Most memorable among the female characters is Nandhini, whose beauty is said to have the power to influence any man. It was reported that Karthi joined shooting in Pollachi and Ashwin Kakamanu joined shooting in Mysore. [26][27], Seven days before the scheduled start of the shoot, a photoshoot for the film was held in Chennai featuring Vijay and Mahesh Babu. The film stars an ensemble cast including Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Jayaram, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Prakash Raj, Rahman, R. Parthiban and Lal. Towards the end, Ponniyin Selvan asks Vanthiyathevan to wear his clothes and manages to leave Lanka in disguise for Tanjore. [14][15] Ratnam revealed that he worked on a first draft of the film alongside Kamal Haasan, who had bought the rights of the novel from Ramachandran, but the pair shelved their plan as the project did not make financial sense at the time. 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Composer Ilaiyaraaja and cinematographer P. C. Sreeram became attached to the project, while actors including Sathyaraj and Prabhu were cast in pivotal roles. In Ponniyin Selvan, there are two Pazhuvettaraiyars and they are brothers, but Dr. Kalaikovan says that historically there was only one Pazhuvettaraiyar and his name was Maravan Kandan. Mandakini Devi . They both want to expand the Chola kingdom and are leading conquests of Kanchi and Lanka respectively. Oomai saves them from a falling building and another fatal accident during the time. Now, we enter the spoiler territory. The Climax is being set. [109] Ratnam wanted to shoot major portions in Hyderabad, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Madhya Pradesh and many prominent locations across India. [185], M. Suganth of The Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Mani Ratnam's adaptation of Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan is spectacular", adding "Mani Ratnam finally brings the dream alive with this spectacular adaptation that superbly captures the intrigue, thrills and page-turning quality of the books. Download the DT Next app for more exciting features! Nambi also arrives in Lanka and is revealed to be a spy of the Prime minister Aniruddha Brahmarayar. PS 1 is more about drama and less about action"[194] Lakshmi Subramanian of The Week rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Kalki's book gets Mani Ratnam's royal cinematic touch but lacks powerful storytelling". The spectacle lies in the setting and the story of the film that unravels beautifully. In Singapore, 'Raja Raja Chozhan' was also enacted 90 times. [177] Stutee Ghosh of The Quint rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "Ponniyin Selvan 1is grand and royal but unlike the bombastic, hyper-masculine world we are used to seeing these days with overwhelming VFX and CGI, here Mani Ratnam's hold on the narrative never slips". ", "Lal to play a warrior in Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan, "Malayalam actor Lal joins Ponniyin Selvan: I play an aged warrior in Mani Ratnam's film", "Mani Ratnam to begin shooting Ponniyin Selvan in Thailand next month", "Mani Ratnam on location recce for 'Ponniyin Selvan, "Keerthy Suresh walked out of Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan' for Rajinikanth's film", "Trisha is the latest addition in Mani's Ponniyin Selvan", "Mani Ratnam 's Ponniyin Selvan (In Pics): 15 principal characters, 15 adept actors Who's playing who in the epic adaptation? After learning this, Vandiyedavan meets Pazhuvettaraiyar's wife Nandini, who tells him to meet her at her building and gives her ring to him for entry into the royal palace when he expresses that he wants to deliver Nambi's message to her. During 10th century in Thanjavur, the Chola dynasty rules prosperously in South India, under the reign of Emperor Sundara Chozhar, whose sons Aditha Karikalan and Arulmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selvan are heading their conquests of Kanchi and Lanka, respectively for the empire. [149][150] Ponniyin Selvan: I had a limited Canadian release in select private theatres, including TIFF Bell Lightbox (a first for a Tamil film premier), amidst protection from law enforcement. [125] In mid-June 2021, it was announced that shooting would only resume once there were fewer COVID-19 cases. [29] The film was later shelved before the start of the filming stage, as the expected cost of production escalated. The novel was first serialized in Kalki's weekly editions from October 29, 1950 to May 16, 1954, and then published in five parts as a book in 1955. ", "Ponniyin Selvan in 32-hour animation film", "Writer Jeyamohan reveals why Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan was shelved", "Ponniyin Selvan to come alive on screen", "Live Chennai: Ponniyin Selvan serial in internet: Eros announces,Ponniyin Selvan serial,internet, Eros announces", "Puthu Vellam: Soundarya Rajinikanth announces Ponniyin Selvan web series", "Another Ponniyin Selvan adaptation: A 125-episode series with music by Ilaiyaraaja", "MGR's dream project to be turned into film, web series by Ajay Pratheeb", "Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan' poster out, lyricist not mentioned in crew", "Mani Ratnam wraps 'Ponniyin Selvan' shoot", "Mani Ratnam wraps up Ponniyin Selvan shoot, film is set to release in 30th September 2022", " ! Obese people take more time to recover from accidents: Docs, In a 1st in 3 decades, board exams conclude without any malpractice, Pet Golden Retriever dog giving ashirwad to its humans is adorably hilarious. A massive storm and battle ensue and both Vanthiyathevan and Ponniyin Selvan are injured, drowning in the sea and presumed dead. Karthi finished shooting for his portions on 16 September 2021. [183] Sanjana Deshpande of The Free Press Journal rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "the cherry on top of the cake was the cinematography by Ravi Varman. Ratnam has managed to condense wisely and has removed the fluff. Mandakini Devi aka Oomai Rani is one of the characters played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the film. People who havent read the book were intrigued to find an older version of Aishwarya Rai. The soundtrack consists of six original songs composed by A.R.Rahman, namely, "Ponni Nadhi", "Chola Chola", "Ratchasa Maamaney", "Sol", "Alaikadal" and "Devaralan Aattam". Book vs film [85] Post shooting being suspended due to lockdown, Trisha trained in horseriding at the Madras School of Equitation,[86] where she was enrolled for a special course on 26 October 2020, and completed within 14 November 2020. [166][167][168] The film performed exceptionally well in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and overseas market, but performed average in the Kannada, Telugu and Hindi belt. [57][58] Art director Thota Tharani signed the new version of the project, thus replacing Sabu Cyril, who worked in the old version. The film's narration was voiced by Kamal Haasan, Anil Kapoor, Rana Daggubati, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Jayanth Kaikini in the Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages respectively. Neither Mandakini, nor Madurantakan know that they are mother-son. [54] In September 2019, Ratnam confirmed that he will be working with the composer and lyricist duo Rahman and Vairamuthu, who were a part of Ratnam's frequent collaborations since Roja (1992). 5.Nandini/Mandakini Devi. [171][172][173] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 11 critics' reviews are positive. [131] The team had begun shooting in Pollachi for a song sequence, in the middle of the month. [126], Filming resumed in July 2021 at Puducherry. Both Jayam Ravi and Karthi dubbed for the Tamil and the Telugu versions of the film. Oomai Rani's real name is Mandakini Devi and she is actually the mother of Nandini, which explains their close resemblance. The news reaches everyone in the kingdom of Tanjore who are heartbroken. Many consider Ponniyin Selvan to be the greatest novel ever written in Tamil literature. As Arulmozhi is in Lanka, he is attacked by assassins loyal to the fallen Pandya king and saved only by a mysterious grey-haired woman atop an elephant. Mandakini will have a larger role in part 2 and the film will explain much of her tragic backstory as well, particularly her bond with the titular character. [31] While Vikram,[32] Vijay Sethupathi and Jayam Ravi decided to play the lead roles, along with Silambarasan in a crucial role,[33] Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan too assigned the project; the former playing the role of Sundara Chola in the film. [75] Another major change in the film's cast happened, with Amala Paul and Keerthy Suresh opting out of the film. After winning the battle in Kanchi, Aditha Karikalan is told to return to Thanjavur but refuses as Nandini is present in Thanjavur. The attacks, which have happened during screenings of Theri (2016) and Kurup (2021), are alleged to have been conducted by owners of Woodside Cinemas and York Cinemas, a local theatre chain in Toronto attempting to hold monopoly of screening Tamil films. In ponniyin selvan (Ponni's beloved) there are many interesting factor which is left as it is. The first part only showed her in glimpses and her face was revealed in the last shot. Who are those children and do they have the right to the throne? The A.R. Aishwarya Rai, later herself confirmed her inclusion in the project, at the Cannes Film Festival. Ponniyin Selvan makes Vandiyadevan disguise himself as Ponniyin Selvan, and leaves with Poonguzhali, disguised as the mahout to meet the convoy when his well-wishers prevent him from doing so, fearing threat for his life from Pazhuvettaraiyar. [101] As of March 2020, the makers shot the major portion of the film for 90 days before shooting being interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their requests were denied with palace officials keen to keep film crews away from the historic locations. At the onset, we suggest a second viewing of this film if you are in awe of its scale. [170], Ponniyin Selvan: I met with critical acclaim, with emphasis on the direction, score, and the cast's performance with some reviews praising Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Jayaram and entire cast performances especially. It was first serialized in the weekly editions of Kalki, a Tamil magazine, from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954 and later integrated into five volumes in 1955. However, historically it is being claimed that there was only one Pazhuvettaraiyar. The narrative details attempts by his sister Kundavai to bring back Arulmozhivarman to establish political peace in a land seemingly beset with unrest and civil war plotted by vassals and petty chieftains. Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper! [165] By its third day, the film earned around 80 crore (US$10million) taking its first weekend worldwide collection to 230 crore (US$29million). This incident gave birth to his legendary nickname as people believed he was saved by the Goddess Kaveri herself. It was released in Tamil along with the dubbed versions of Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam languages. ", "Will Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai get together on film for Mani Ratnam? The second schedule was wrapped up on 26 February 2020. [195] Haricharan Pudipeddi of Hindustan Times stated "Mani Ratnam has managed the unthinkable--adapt the literary classic with finesse and impact. [21] Meanwhile, Sathyaraj was signed to play a supporting role in the film. The tragic deaths of the main characters also add sorrow to the fact that the story ends. Say for example if you are alright with a book with legible and clear font size and nothing more than that I would suggest Vanathi publishers. [30] It is available in Tamil and English. Being born in a joint family and having so many sisters, Ponniyin Selvan expresses every innate tendency of the feminine in an elegant manner. Abhimanyu Mathur is an entertainment journalist with Hindustan Times. Varman, was working for Indian 2, directed by S. Shankar, before signing the film's project. [143] The film's teaser trailer was released on 8 July 2022 in Tamil and dubbed versions of Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages.[144]. READ ALSO: How far below sea level is the Caspian Sea? [179] Ritika Handoo of Zee News rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "The beauty of Part one of the two-part film lies in the fact that Mani Ratnam has not only made the story concise but has managed to do so carefully, taking adequate care not to dilute the essence of the novel or its charm". [15] In late 2010, Ratnam renewed his interest in his film project and worked alongside writer Jeyamohan to finalise the script for the film adaptation of Ponniyin Selvan. However, the reason behind her fondness for Arulmozhi Varman and her resemblance with Pazhuvu Ilayarani Nandini is one of the many twists in the book. 'Raja Raja Chozhan' was also presented at the Motilal Nehru Centenary celebrations in Delhi in 1961, earning compliments from Nehru for the splendid acting. . His two-film adaptation featured an ensemble cast consisting of Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi and Trisha. [187] Vivek M V of Deccan Herald rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Ponniyin Selvan is a winner because Ratnam shows a new way to make epic films". [16], In 2016, Eros International engaged Jeyamohan and Soundarya Rajinikanth, as a creative producer, to make the book into a web-series but the project did not develop into production. [138] An official from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, complained to the local officials against Ratnam, his production house Madras Talkies and the owner of the horse under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC), saying that several horses were continuously used for hours at the film set due to which the animals were tired and dehydrated. Then slowly the dispersed family starts assembling. #Oomai Rani #Mandakini #Who is Mandakini in Ponniyin Selvan? Kalki visited Sri Lanka three times to gather information and for inspiration. On 21 February 2015, a Sanskrit translation by Rajalakshmi Srinivasan was released at a public function in Chennai.[34][35]. Who is Oomai Rani, the guardian angel of Arulmozhi Varman, in Ponniyin Selvan 1? The film opens to Sundara Chola, his father in ill-health, as his two sons Arulmozhi (Jayam Ravi) and Aditya Karikalan (Vikram) are away. [84] For the role of Poonguzhali, Aishwarya Lekshmi learnt rowing, as the character Poonguzhali is a boat woman in the novel. It was originally intended to be a single film but was split into two parts. It is easy to guess that Nandini is the daughter of Mandakini Devi as they both look similar. Ponniyin Selvan: Part One, Mani Ratnam's much-anticipated magnum opus, is all set to release in theatres on September 30. . Parantaka Chola was succeeded by his second son Gandaraditya as the eldest son Rajaditya had died in a battle. All actors do their parts well but Aishwarya Rai is a revelation". He is the prince who wants to succeed Sundara Cholar on the throne. ", "Ponniyin Selvan: Rajinikanth had imagined Sridevi as Kundavai, asked Mani Ratnam to give him a cameo", "Elango Kumaravel to co-write Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan' adaptation", "Cinematographer Ravi Varman opts out of Shankar's 'Indian 2, "Rahman, Mani Ratnam criticised for choosing Vairamuthu for Ponniyin Selvan", "Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman to work with Vairamuthu, who was named in #MeToo? Answer (1 of 3): I am not too sure I didnt understand that part properly I am not sure if the Kid is in fact Nandinis Child or just an orphan child playing the role of a Pandyan Prince Based on my understanding - the Child is alleged to be the Natural Born Child of Nandini and Veerapandian (Wh. Ponniyin Selvan: I was released in theatres worldwide on 30 September 2022 in standard and IMAX formats, where it received acclaim from film critics, who praised the direction, cast performances, musical score, visuals and faithfulness to the novel.