Ponnlyin Selvan: Part Two

I am not reveal any spoilers, but my anger was that the story was totally ruined, the part of story has been completely changed which is the core part. As a book reader i am really disappointed but general audiance liked the movie. But it could have been better with some investment and story telling. Didnt expect this from mani, many secrets didnt reveal and all being hidden and history told is also so wrong. The dailogues not entirely in pure tamil which disrupts the beauty of Ponniyin selvan. The ponniyin selvans beauty is the dialogues and screenplay kalki possessed. The screenplay is good but dailogues were worst. I expected more mani sir. The camera work is average , vikram was top notch in his acting he nailed it as always, others were just in frame. But if u arent a book reader u wud love this movie but i cant. Pls do check out this movie in theater.

First of all thanks to Mani Ratnam for thinking and making a visionary story like this by knowing this kind of projects always worth a risk but then to directing with such a huge cast is impressive. Talking about the film it starts at the same place where the 1st part ended. And the 1st half of the film is excellent and worth watch. All the characters that were established in the 1st film continues to impress in the 1st half specially Aishwarya Rai & Karthi's character both were impressive. But the 2nd half film falls completely flat where all the characters were ruined and misplaced. While seeing 2nd half it was like director was in a hurry to just wrap the story up and finish somehow and you can easily guess and predict where the movie falls. Even the established characters was also ruined and director didn't utilize their potential at all. Screenplay is as usual as the 1st part little slow sometimes movie bore you and sometimes it gets interesting. Bgm and music was good. Vfx and set pieces are enjoyable but the story and execution was lacking at the end completely. I would not give any spoilers but those who like the 1st one can easily enjoy 1 time and give the time to this film. But this film is not everyone's cup of tea. I've enjoyed the 1st one but the conclusion doesn't satisfied me. (5/10)

Finally, the dream of director "Mani Ratnam" become a reality with release of part 2.

Part 1 was exactly what I thought, a setup for more drama and twisted political games.

What I anticipated for Part 1 is a setup for greater drama and deranged political games and that is exactly what I got.

Better action scenes, cinematography, beautiful lighting, lavish scenery, expansive art direction, authentic costumes and an engaging story are all there in Part 2. I had my doubts about how the director would manage to fit in so much of the tale in this one, but he managed it almost flawlessly, except for the final war sequence, which felt clumsy and averagely staged otherwise it could have been a fantastic conclusion. In the war sequence, camera was too shaky, And I forgot where the warriors were in the field.

A brief backstory of "Aditya" and "Nandini" is given at the start. It helps us to understand the reasoning behind Nadini's action, And Aditya's behaviour.

Reasons why minister trying to coronate "Madhurantkan" as next king, What's "Nandini's connection to "Pandays".

We get to see how different religion and belief were coexisted that time. Whether its "Shaivism", "Vaishnavism" or "Buddhism".

We learn the minister's motivations for wanting to appoint "Madhurantkan" as the new monarch as the plot develops. How each person's loyalty is motivated differently. Some people are driven by friendship, while others are driven by vengeance and pride.

The meeting sequence between "Aditya" and "Nandini" is handled masterfully, and both "Vikaram" and "Aishwarya" gave flawless performances. Their emotional state is shown with circular camera movement, while keeping its focus on their expressions. "Aditya" keeps a smile on his face while carrying guilt in his heart and desire for vengeance of "Nandini" fading away is beautifully done. Fire burning in the back and "Nandini" realises her mistake, and scene end with voice of helplessness, Just beautiful.

Due to Mani Ratnam's cautious direction and AR Rahman's soundtrack, the drama in the film avoids becoming overly dramatic.

When compared to the first part, music whether it be BGM or songs is an improvement.

A beautiful, intimate, and sensuous encounter occurs when "Kundavai" and the blinded "Vallavaraiyan" they meet without being sexually or verbally explicit.

I enjoyed "Jayam Ravi" who played "Arunmozhi" in that role, but the director's decision to have him fight against Pandya assassins in slow motion appeared artificial in the environment, which was depicted as being rustier and rawer.

I would suggest a recap of first part to enjoy part 2 more, And watch it on big screen.

Before reading this review, please ensure that you have read my review of PS1 and watched PS1. It is crucial to avoid spoilers in order to fully appreciate the plot twists in the movie.

In comparison to PS1, PS2 surpasses its predecessor in terms of quality. PS2 effectively resolves most of the confusion and doubt that arose from PS1. However, the writing falls short in several scenes, but the actors manage to make it captivating.

Certain details have been altered in the film. Readers may not appreciate the climax. Nonetheless, Mani Rathnam's direction is a masterclass in itself. The performances are on par with those in PS1, but viewers' expectations may not align after witnessing PS1. Vikram, Karthi, and Ravi deliver performances similar to PS1.

Aishwarya Rai, portraying both Nandini and Umai Rani, may have a greater impact as the latter. The character Kundavai may not meet our expectations, but Trisha's extraordinary acting in her limited screen time is noteworthy. We don't anticipate much from Jayaram, but he surprises us. The child/young characters are satisfactory, and the remaining cast is fine.

I must commend Mani Rathnam for giving faces to the characters in the book. Even if the film fails to impress you, it allows for a clearer and more accurate imagination of the Chola kingdom when reading the books.

Technically, everything is as good as in PS1, and the visual effects seem even better this time. The background music aptly complements the film's mood without overpowering it. I highly recommend watching it in theaters for the full experience.

ARR scores big!

Thotta Tharani creates majestic sets and Ravi Varman proves can make any shot look epic.

Even the actors played their roles to satisfaction.

But Mani Sir?

He fails terribly. The movie travels through so many sequences at a lightening pace, but never once does it make you heart skip a beat.

Numerous opportunities are simply present in the book itself, although Mani made great attempts and fought mighty ordeals to make this decades old dear a reality, it simply stands stall to prove one fact.

Which is, Mani has long lost his touch with the audience.

Either he updates or we move on.