Ponniyin Selvan 2 Movie Review: Chiyaan Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha and Karthi Gallop to the Rescue of Mani Ratnam’s Over-Stuffed Period Drama (LatestLY Exclusive)

Ponniyin Selvan 2 Movie Review: The great Mani Ratnam brings his passion project to its conclusion with Ponniyin Selvan 2, that has arrived this April. Although I had very mixed feelings about the first Ponniyin Selvan film, it was a huge hit at the box office and set up enough material and drama for an exciting sequel, which I had expected Ponniyin Selvan 2 to be. Based on the Cholan empire especially the ascension of the legendary Raja Raja Chola and inspired by the epic novels of Kalki Krishnamurthy by the same name, Mani Ratnam's film veers closer to historical happenings than by the narrative of the books by the time the sequel concludes. Ponniyin Selvan 1 Movie Review: Chiyaan Vikram, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Empower Mani Ratnam's Most Ambitiously Crafted Yet Long-Winding Magnum Opus.

Continuing straight from where the first film end - in case you had forgotten how it ended, Kamal Haasan's deep baritone does a recap of PS-1 - Prince Arulmozhi aka Ponniyin Selvan aka future Raja Raja Chola (Jayam Ravi) is rescued by the mysterious Oomai Rani (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) from drowning though we now see him in the hands of the faithful Vanthiyathevan (Karthi).

Knowing that Nandini is behind the apparent attack on his younger brother using her Pandyan allies, Aditha Karikalan (Chiyaan Vikram) prepares to march his army to Thanjavur. Nandini, however, sends a message to him through a captured Vanthiyathevan to meet her in Kadambur fort.

Despite knowing that his life is in danger and ignoring the protests of Arulmozhi, their sister Kundaivi (Trisha Krishnan) and Vanthiyathevan, Aditha Karikalan decides to go to Kandambur to confront the Cholan rebels and finally face his old lover and end their unresolved issues once and for all. Meanwhile the Pandyan assassins are waiting for the right opportunity to kill him, his brother and their ailing father Sundara Cholan (Prakash Raj).

Watch the Trailer of Ponniyin Selvan 2:

The sequel begins on a strong note with the drama around Arulmozhi's apparent demise and how different factions react to the news gaining a kind of urgency that made proceedings more engaging to watch. I heaved a sigh of relief here; I was glad that the hush-bush narrative of the first film was getting better gains in the sequel now that PS-1 established the characters and the conflicts. However, my relief was quite short-lived. For me, the sequel worked mesmerisingly until the moment the siblings have their reunion in a Buddhist monastery accompanied by Vanthiyathevan and the loyal Nambi (Jayaram).

Post that, though, the problems of the first film unfortunately start plaguing the sequel too. There is a very rushed manner in which Mani Ratnam goes through the events after the reunion scene, jumping from one location to another, from one set of characters to another, without allowing any one them to breathe freely and develop properlu. Often many times, the film keeps shifting away from the far more interesting characters - like Aditha Karikalan, Kundaivi, Vanthiyathevan and Nandini - to get its assassination games rolling that none of the characters and their arcs feel properly fulfilled.

When characters switch sides or return home with a very convenient flimsiness, when, like the later seasons of Game of Thrones, long distances are so easily travelled and some characters feel utterly wasted or misused (looking at you, poor Poonguzhali and Oomai Rani), the film keeps harking on a  doubt I had written in my review of the first film - Ponniyin Selvan would have worked far better as an episodic series rather than a two-part movie that had crammed up everything to feel over-bloated but retains very less personality of what it has packed up. Ponniyin Selvan 1 Ending Explained: Who is 'Oomai Rani' and How Does the Cliffhanger Climax of Chiyaan Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Starrer Lead to PS2.

And strangely, despite that rushed nature of the screenplay, there is also a sense of standstill happening to the plot. It is as if we are watching a two and a half hour-long highlights reel but without experiencing the sense of grandeur and emotions that a grand film like Ponniyin Selvan should have elicited in a viewer like me. That a legendary filmmaker like Mani Ratnam should have evoked in me.

As someone who has grown up on the director's films, I was always in awe of the universality of his films, no matter the subject and the language they are made in. This is the one ingredient that feels sorely missing in his Ponniyin Selvan films that would appeal more to the Tamil audience who knows and is proud of the Cholan heritage, but they don't expand that magic to enrapture the outside spectator. What's more, it is disappointing to see Mani Ratnam struggle to make 'drama' a more powerful component of these films, despite being a master at it. Mani Ratnam Birthday: From Kamal Haasan’s Nayakan to Dulquer Salmaan’s OK Kanmani, 6 Times Bollywood Looked to the Director’s Amazing Films for Inspiration!

Interestingly, it is not that Ponniyin Selvan 2 is devoid of the ace filmmaker's dramatic flourishes. Even though their romance is pretty undercooked, I totally adored the sexy vibe in the scene where Vanthiyathevan has a rendezvous with the alluring Kundaivi on an islet.

If the first film underused the fabulous Chiyaan Vikram, then the sequel atleast does amends on that and gives this amazing actor more scenes to chew on. Loved the scene where he confronts the Cholan rebels at the Kadambur fort while sitting on a restless horse, or when he finally faces Nandini and asks her to do what she always wanted to do. Just see the expressions that play on his face when he hears the news of his brother's 'demise', and you will be in awe of his craft even if you have not seen his earlier work. But again, it is the actor that rescues the scene rather than the scene working the magic itself. Well, at least, Mani Ratnam got the visual aesthetics of the film right aided by stunning production design and beautified by Ravi Varman's fabulous camerawork. AR Rahman's music is just about okay, though his background score does elevate a handful of scenes especially the climactic battle (that felt underwhelming as a spectacle though). Which reminds me, the action choreography is pretty ordinary for a film like this.

The ensemble cast often to the director's rescue when needed, with Vikram, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Trisha being the standouts here. Jayam Ravi is decent but is not allowed to flourish much as a performer. Among the supporting cast, Jayaram, Rahman, and Kishore leave a mark. Vikram Prabhu gets more to do as Parthibendran Pallavan here, but his loyalty switcheroo and later his supposed animosity over his friend's death felt artificial because of weak writing.

Final Thoughts

As much as majestically Mani Ratnam has mounted his most ambitious project, Ponniyin Selvan 2 feels among his weaker works. Despite his cast bringing justice to their roles with their performances, the rushed nature of the screenplay and underdeveloped writing struggle to bring impact to their drama. You can see the grandeur Ponniyin Selvan wants to invoke, but the trouble is, you don't really get to feel it.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 28, 2023 11:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).