Category: Tamil

Ponniyin Selvan II (2023) #SherylPuthur

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Directed By: Mani Ratnam

Screenplay By: Mani Ratnam; B. Jeyamohan; Elango Kumaravel

Cast: Vikram; Aishwarya Rai Bachchan; Jayam Ravi; Karthi; Trisha; Jayaram; Rahman; Vikram Prabhu; Prakash Raj; Aishwarya Lekshmi; R. Sarathkumar; Sobhita Dhulipala; Prabhu; R. Parthiban; Lal; Kishore; Babu Antony; Nasser

Language: Tamil                                                   

Genre: Historical; Drama; Action

Run Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Ponniyin Selvan II begins with a quick recapitulation of the events of PS-1 and then delves right into the story.

Arulmozhi (Jayam Ravi) nearly drowns but is saved by a mysterious woman Mandakini, also known as Oomai Rani (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). She is, surprisingly, the splitting image of Nandini Devi (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) – the woman at the centre of all the plots aimed at the Chola Kingdom.

All the Pandyan plots seem to be directed at eliminating the three ‘tigers’ – Aditha Karikalan (Vikram), Kundavai (Trisha) and Arulmozhi. We know why the Pandyans want them dead – to avenge Veera Pandiyan (Nasser) who was killed by Aditha Karikalan. But Nandini has many more reasons for wanting them destroyed and so we are given an insight into what occurred all those years ago between Aditha Karikalan and Nandini.

We also get to see what was hidden behind the witty repartee between Kundavai and Nandini. The insecurities, anger, fears and the resolve to eventually be able to take decisions beyond individual desire.

In fact, this placing of the greater good – the people, the kingdom, the King above individual desire is underscored many times. To contrast it, we are shown the poisons that seep into the soul when ego, ambition and hate blind us to truth, kindness or forgiveness. It depicts how revenge can turn anyone and everyone into a pawn for the final aim of victory. The film then delves into what makes one a truly great ruler and why rulers who are able to transcend the personal are seen as divine. Selflessness and an awareness of each individual’s worth, no matter how little, is deemed as greater than raw power.

Equally though, we are shown how far sacrifice can go, even if they are ultimately drastic decisions. It is presented as a duty that must be fulfilled for healing and growth to enter into the space. Choices made by individuals are shown to reveal the complexities of individual actions and how it can have a ripple effect leading to a hitherto unforeseen path in history.

If the first film set the stage and introduced the characters who make up the story and their various connections with each other, PS-2 gives us the emotional depth needed to form a relationship with the story and its people. PS-1 was an action-oriented film about the grandeur of the Cholas and their undefeated status. It had Vallavaraiyan Vanthaiyathevan (Karthi) as our guide into the story. Here, however, since we are already in the story, he is at the side-lines observing and assisting the central figures of the narrative.

The music and the score reflect this change in pace and tone. Much of PS-1’s music is rousing, energetic, war-like and playful. There is sensuality as well. In PS-2, we are surrounded by sombre tones, solemnity, sorrows, heartbreaks and the triumph of overcoming impossible odds with equanimity.

In keeping with the previous film, it pans out like a historical not a cult of personality. Thus, a more grounded narrative. The film packs a lot but for a film adaptation it is rather well done. It can be possibly be outdone only by a paced-out series.

Ponniyin Selvan I (2022) #SherylPuthur

Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

Directed By: Mani Ratnam

Screenplay By: Mani Ratnam; B. Jeyamohan; Elango Kumaravel

Cast: Vikram; Aishwarya Rai Bachchan; Jayam Ravi; Karthi; Trisha; Jayaram; Aishwarya Lekshmi; Sobhita Dhulipala; Prabhu; R. Sarathkumar; Vikram Prabhu; Prakash Raj; Rahman; R. Parthiban; Lal

Language: Tamil                                                   

Genre: Historical; Drama; Action

Run Time: 2 hours 47 minutes

Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan I is an adaptation of Kalki’s eponymous epic historical fiction series. It looks at the rising power and expansion of the Chola Empire during the reign of Rajaraja I or Ponniyin Selvan. The film sets the stage for the conflicts and political machinations that would complicate the story going forward.

Battles are being won and kingdoms are being annexed but besides resentful enemies, there are disgruntled courtiers who want to replace the powers that be so as to have more control over the functioning of the empire. This political plotting is complicated by personal vendettas – Nandini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), the Pazhuvoor queen wants to destroy the Chola Empire from within because of her ill-fated past with Aditha Karikalan (Vikram), the Chola crown prince.

Our introduction to the complex world of the time is through the charismatic presence of Vallavaraiyan Vanthaiyathevan (Karthi), a confidante and spy for Aditha who uncovers the courtiers’ plot and then gets further instructions that intertwine his narrative with that of the other players of the story.

The story traverses the length and breadth of the southern lands as well as Sri Lanka. Besides geographical diversity, there are race and ethnic concerns that add to the already murky undercurrents. However, on the surface, it is beautiful, witty like the charged exchange between Kundavai (Trisha), the Chola princess and Nandini. Nothing is openly revealed, but in this political chess game, the women seem to puppeteer a lot of the moves.

Kundavai, for instance, is the astute mind behind many of the ruling powers’ decisions as is Nandini in prodding her husband Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar (R. Sarathkumar), the treasurer, in the direction she wants him to take. Even the erstwhile Queen, Ponniyin Selvan’s betrothed, Samudra Kumari and Oomai Rani, expertly weave the plot.

Like a true historical, it doesn’t become a cult of personality but shows how many players have to come together, how the many different actions taken will finally lead to the events we read about in history books. History books can after all be bird’s eye in its viewpoint and depending on the teller, limited in its framework. While there are fictional elements to this film and novel saga, it does create an important balance in the lopsided historical retellings of our nation.

The music and the score are exhilarating in how it accompanies the storytelling.  Also, the gold figurines that were used to give the premise of the narrative were beautifully done.

O Kadhal Kanmani (2015) #SherylPuthur

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OK-Kanmani-Images

Directed By: Mani Ratnam

Written By: Mani Ratnam

Cast:

Dulquer Salmaan – Aditya Varadarajan

Nithya Menen – Tara

Prakash Raj – Ganapathy

Leela Samson –Bhavani

Language: Tamil                                                            Genre: Romance; Drama

 

Mani Ratnam’s recent release O Kadhal Kanmani was slated to release on anniversary of his cult hit Alaipayuthey and uses that film as the framework for O K Kanmani. However, unlike Alaipayuthey, this film has a very simplistic storyline with no damaging twists and not much melodrama, making it a light-hearted and pleasant watch.

Aditya (Dulquer Salmaan) is a computer game developer and Tara (Nithya Menen), an architect. They meet at the train station (like Alaipayuthey) and through a series of meetings; they find a deep attraction for each other. They decide to live in together because their career ambitions will take them to the US and Paris respectively so why not spend the little time they have together?

Their relationship is paralleled with that of Ganapathy (Prakash Raj) and his wife Bhavani (Leela Samson), a carnatic singer. Ganapathy is Aditya’s brother’s ex-colleague at whose place he is staying as a paying guest. Bhavani is an Alzheimer’s patient and this becomes the focus of certain crisis situations. The relationship between Ganapathy and Bhavani is beautifully portrayed.

What you realise is that Mani Ratnam is trying to contrast new age relationships with that of an old fashioned romance, yet he is being neither didactic nor critical. It is a very accepting viewpoint that exposes the pitfalls of something like that in a traditional community.

The sound and visual track of the opening and ending credits are a part of the narrative of the film and give us an insight into the fast-paced and highly simulated & stimulated lives the current generation leads. They only want the thrill, especially the thrill of the chase. Once the prize is in the hand, they’ve lost interest – just like a game. In fact, the game seems to parallel Aditya’s life and his desires. And Tara is a then a character in his game – the prize.

It is also clear in that it explains that if the current generation is like this, no small part has been played in how the previous generation has been such as Tara’s parents who are divorced – her father an idealistic man who nevertheless was unable to take a stand for his daughter, and her mother who tries to make up by building an empire for her daughter, only in the process failing to have a relationship with her.

However, it does beg the question, is the major crisis of the present generation – commitment?

Watch the film for the splendid performances and the warm chemistry between the principal actors; the cinematography and obviously A.R. Rahman’s music. Also a special mention for the animation in the film, it is really quite interesting.

Pizza (2012) #SherylPuthur

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Tamil Movie Pizza Audio Release PostersPizza-Movie

Directed By: Karthik Subbaraj

Written By: Karthik Subbaraj

Cast:

Vijay Sethupathi– Michael Karthikeyan

Remya Nambeesan – Anu Michael

Aadukalam Naren – Sanmugam

Karunakaran –Raghavan

Jayakumar – Srinath

Bobby Simha – Bobby

Pooja Ramachandran – Smitha

Language: Tamil                          Genre: Suspense; Supernatural-Thriller

The film opens with the story of a group of ghostbusters who go into a haunted house to investigate the claims made by the locals. That sets the stage for the film because the ‘haunted house’ becomes the central motif of the film. This ghostbusters experience is actually a television programme being watched by a nervy pizza delivery guy Michael (Vijay Sethupathi) and his parapsychologist-in-the-making girlfriend Anu (Remya Nambeesan).

His life seems almost yawningly normal till he goes to deliver pizza to a house – and everything goes awry.

Dead bodies that appear and disappear, phone calls that register on a mobile phone but are answered on the landline and the pizza seems steadily eaten. The entire film takes a nightmarish turn when least expected.

The story has a claustrophobic quality that really trips a viewer but just when you have taken certain aspects of the narrative as definite, suddenly the very narrative is questionable. Does Michael really have a girlfriend? Are there parallels between what happens in the house and to his life? Is his boss Sanmugam (Aadukalam Naren)’s daughter being haunted by the child ghost from that house? Or is Michael schizophrenic?

The concept of an ordinary drama becoming a claustrophobic horror story – psychological narrative – leading up to an anti-climatic conclusion is well thought out. It is an interesting study on how fear influences and can be used to manipulate people.

It does not have the usual trappings of an Indian film, there are no dance sequences that take away from the main narrative except for the occasional song that plays in the background or takes the story forward.

However, in certain places the sequences were needlessly drawn out, especially in the house and that begins to labour the point.

The ordinariness of the setting is really interesting and it reiterates the point made in the 1993 Malayalam cult film Manichitrathazhu (which was set in an old palace but was simplistic otherwise) that elaborate sets and over the top special effects are not required to give that jolt to viewers.