It's not the finest time to appreciate "Ponniyin Selvan: Part II," the second installment of the much awaited Tamil translation of the acclaimed multi-volume historical drama by Kalki Krishnamurthy. The indeterminate future is probably the time for this sequel, when S.S. Rajamouli's influence on modern Indian pop cinema may not seem as significant and when Indian film fans may be able to (possibly) see the many "Baahubali" imitators with more clarity.

A few Indian filmmakers, including writer/director Mani Ratnam, who is best known to American moviegoers for directing the seminal 1998 Bollywood romance drama "Dil Se," have expressed interest in adapting "Ponniyin Selvan." Ratnam has also acknowledged that "Baahubali's" inspiration and commercial success were essential to the creation of his two-part adaptation of "Ponniyin Selvan." Based on "Ponniyin Selvan: Part II," a sequel that, like Rajamouli's "Baahubali: The Conclusion," frequently feels like an involved but rewarding de-escalation of the emotional intensity from the first film, it's simple to understand why. Unless you've read Krishnamurthy's writings, you can't appreciate "Ponniyin Selvan: Part II" unless you've seen "Ponniyin Selvan: Part I."

The popular epic by Krishnamurthy, which was first serialised in "Kalki" magazine throughout the early 1950s, has likely already been read by many viewers, which is both good and bad news. Anyone who hasn't read the book, but still wants to see "Ponniyin Selvan: Part II" on a big screen should know that "Part I" was more about the itinerant Vanar prince Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan (Karthi) than the beloved title character (Jayan Ravi)—a nickname for the 10th century Chola dynasty Prince Arunmozhi—or his hothead older brother Aditha (Vikram).
The primary characters of "Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1," such as the princes' disturbed and alleged wicked stepmother Nandini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) and their treacherous opponent Madhuranthakan (Rahman), occupy more prominent positions in "Ponniyin Selvan: Part II," as do Arunmozhi and Aditha. Everyone suspects Nandini of plotting to assassinate Aditha, who also has suspicions about Nandini and a romantic tension with her, as well as her husband.
In "Ponniyin Selvan: Part II," there is more Nandini and a lot more auxiliary figures who either support or oppose her, such as the Chola chieftains who covertly support Madhuranthakan or the numerous advisors to the Chola princes, such as their sister Kundavai (Trisha Krishnan) and, oh yeah, Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan. The many threads of Krishnamurthy's sprawling story are successfully connected by Vallavaraiyan, an itinerant fabulist who zips around "Ponniyin Selvan: Part I" without a formal invitation. He does this by negotiating facetime with various powerful characters using token favours like a sword, a signet ring, and handwritten messages.