Ponniyin Selvan: I Review: A Dull Movie All Around!

One of the biggest Kollywood releases of the year, Ponniyin Selvan: I or PS-I, has been in production hell for well over ten years and is the dream project of director Mani Ratnam, who’s going through a lean period in the recent past. Based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1955 novel of the same name, the 167-minute historical action drama stars, ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, ‘Jayam’ Ravi, Trisha, and Karthi in the primary roles with Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, R. Sarathkumar, and many others in supporting roles. The storyline mainly focuses on the brewing civil war pertaining to the throne of the Chola dynasty in the 10th Century.

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So, before I go too deep into the problems I had with Ponniyin Selvan: I, let’s discuss the positives. Firstly off, Ravi Varman, the cinematographer, who previously collaborated with Ratnam in Kaatru Veliyidai, succeeded (for the most part) in beautifully capturing with finesse and magnificence. You can see all the hard work that went into designing, positioning, and executing every frame right from pre-production to principal photography and post-production. National award-winning art director Thota Tharani’s production design also complemented Varman’s camera work excellently with the regal setting. While a few people were worried about the visuals of this movie during the trailer launch, now, having seen the whole output, I can confidently say that they are one of the positive aspects of the film (if you exclude the climax).

Alongside the visuals, Ponniyin Selvan: I am also gifted with a dense and very cinematic storyline with interesting characters all around. However, the screenplay by Mani Ratnam, Elango Kumaravel, and B. Jeyamohan was very dull from start to finish. Although I was invested in assembling all the information, emotionally, there isn’t a single moment where I was touched or felt ecstatic, which is why I still believe that this narrative is a better fit for a web series. The character had weight, but I didn’t root for anyone, which could be a problem going into the second part. Which I hope has a great pay-off and better pacing now that Ratnam managed to establish the narrative haphazardly.

Action is not a strong suit for Mani Ratnam, and that belief was reaffirmed by what I’ve seen on the big screen. Forgettable, generic, and spoiled by abrupt cuts in the cutting room floor, I at least hoped for something fresh when a big budget is involved and is categorized in the “action” genre. A. R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer’s music is again not very striking (a notable drawback in most of his new films), especially, because I expect much more from a Rahman x Ratnam collab. Although a few soundtracks had that aura, the remaining were nowhere near his standards.

The performances were decent from the entire cast, but, in my opinion, Karthi had the most fun playing a very charismatic and goofy character. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s character, Nandini, had considerable layers, and I’m interested in where all her motivations land in the second part. Vikram and ‘Jayam’ Ravi had restricted roles alongside Sobhita Dhulipala and Aishwarya Lekshmi. Again, if these characters were flushed out well in a web series setting, it could’ve worked wonders.

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Overall, Ponniyin Selvan: I is a dull film. With historical dramas, you can either love them when the execution is perfect or dislike them for having no substance. Interestingly, with this movie, even though I had some sort of interest because of the strong source material, I felt very much nothing in the aftermath, and I honestly cannot recollect anything what I’ve seen instantly. Unless you’re very much curious, I wouldn’t recommend this for a normal moviegoer.

‘Ponniyin Selvan: I’ Rating – 2.75/5