Ponniyin Selvan: I: A historical and much talked about movie is a historical fiction based on the novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy. The novel was written in Tamil. It tells the story of the early days of Arulmozhivarman, who became the great Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I. The novelist Kalki visited Sri Lanka thrice to collect the correct information. It is one of the greatest novels ever written in Tamil literature. Its first publication was in the form of a series in the Kalki in a Tamil magazine. Tamil language magazine in the 1950s later incorporated it into a novel. During those times, the craze for the novel was so high that it elevated the circulation of the magazine circulation to reach the level of 71,366 copies.
Today also, the novel has a huge following even after so many generations. The book is still admired for its woven plot, vivid narration, witty dialogues, and the way power struggle and intrigues of the Chola empire are depicted. However, after so many years, Indian film director, Manu Ratnam decides to take an initiative and produced a movie on this famous novel.
Ponniyin Selvan: I-An Unforgettable Story:
Here is the summary of Ponniyin Selvan: I
Vandiyathevan, a charming, brave, and brilliant young man set across the Chola land to deliver the message from Crown Prince Adithya Karikalan to the King and the Princess. The story revolves around Vandiyathevan’s travel in Chola country and young Prince Arulmozhivarman’s (later known as Raja Raja Chola) travels to Sri Lanka. Arulmozhivarman’s sister Kundavai put her efforts to bring back Arulmozhivarman to establish political peace in the land with unrest and civil war planned by vassals and petty chieftains.
Parantaka Chola was succeeded by his second son Gandaraditya after the first son Rajaditya had died. After the death of Gandaraditya, his two-year-old son Maduranthaka hence Gandaraditya’s brother Arinjaya took over the throne. After the death of Arinjaya, his son Parantaka II or Sundara Chola was crowned. He had two sons, Adithya Karikalan, and Arulmozhivarman, and a daughter named Kundavai.
When the story started, the emperor Sundara Chola is shown as ill and bedridden. The younger son Arulmozhivarman is in Sri Lanka busy in battle. They had a sister Kundavai Piratti who loves in Chola royal household at Pazhayarai. The story moves forward with the conspiracy made against Sundara Chola and his sons
During his youth, Adithya Karikalan had fallen in love with Nandhini, but she destroyed the Chola dynasty after Adithya Karikalan killed Veerapandyan. This confusion revolves around the story. The audience will also meet Kundavai Piratti, who sends Vandiyathevan to Sri Lanka to deliver the message to Arulmozhivarman to come back. Other characters include Maduranthaka Thevar, the son of Gandaraditya and Aniruddha Brahmarayar, Sundara Chola’s Prime Minister, and Brahmarayar’s spy Azhwarkadiyan Nambi.
Movie also involves some adorable women too. A few of them are Vanathi, Kodumbalur princess; Poonkuzhali, the boat woman; Mandakini, the deaf and dumb stepmother of the original Maduranthaka Chola; Nandhini, whose beauty has the power to influence any man; Manimegalai, the sister of Kandhamaran. Meanwhile, with Poonkuzhali’s help, Vandiyathevan reaches Sri Lanka and meets Arulmozhivarman and became close friends. In Lanka, Arulmozhivarman got to know that his father had spent some time in an island near Lanka and had been with a girl born deaf and dumb. He meets her and makes out from her drawing that she and his father together have two children.
While coming back from Sri Lanka, Arulmozhivarman is caught in a cyclone and goes missing. Nandhini calls Adithya Karikalan to Kadambur Palace to discuss the future of the kingdom. Karikalan knows that his life is in extreme danger, he travels to Kadambur palace to meet Nandhini. Adithya Karikalan was assassinated at Kadambur palace. In the meantime, Arulmozhivarman returns to Tanjore and accepted the crown. Later, he tricks and crowns his uncle Uthama Chola. Therefore, the fifth part of the book deals with the pinnacle of sacrifice.
About Directors Attempted to Make a Movie on Historical Ponniyin Selvan: I
There are several attempts made when it is to create film adaptations of Ponniyin Selvan, starting back in 1958. According to M. G. Ramachandran, Ponniyin Selvan is a film adaptation of the novel. Ramachandran purchased the film rights to the novel for ₹10,000 and would produce the cast Gemini Ganesan, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Padmini, Savitri, B. Saroja Devi, T. S. Balaiah, M. N. Nambiar, and Chittor V. Nagaiah. Before the shooting started, Ramachandran met with an accident and it took six months to heal the wounds. Ramachandran was not able to continue with the film.
Rewinda Movie Toons, a Chennai-based animation studio, created 32-hour animation film. The project began in 2008 and it took him seven years to complete.
And lastly, director Mani Ratnam also attempted to produce the film.
He started the movie in 2019 with a star cast that includes Vikram, Lal, Parthiepan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Jayaram, Trisha, Jyothika, Vikram Prabhu, and Ashwin Kakumanu, with Prabhu and Aishwarya Lekshmi. The film will release on 30th September 2022 in five languages.
