Ponniyin Selvan 2 resumes the story from where it ended in part one. Nandini’s (Aishwarya Rai) plan to end the Chola Empire by killing the heirs reaches its concluding stages as she makes the final moves. Did Nandini succeed with her plans? Why did she intend to kill the Chola heirs in the first place? The answers to these form Ponniyin Selvan 2’ core plot. Performances The primary cast of Ponniyin Selvan Part One remains in the second. Vikram, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai, Jayam Ravi, and Trisha lead from the front playing vital roles. Only the screen time varies here according to the story. The second part is primarily an emotional drama as each character goes through an arc, putting them under or overcoming dire circumstances. The fun quotient is less for the same reason. Vikram nails his part with ease and effortlessly presents the pain and anguish of a crown prince who feels betrayed in love. Aishwarya Rai gets the more prominent role in the second part among all the actors. She looks ethereal and conveys the moral dilemma well. She also has a dual role, an old woman part, and is alright in it. The most awaited Vikram and Aishwarya Rai confrontation scenes have come out well, presenting all the tension and anguish neatly. Karthi’s character isn’t as fun as it was in part one. His role has more drama, and he goes about the proceedings clinically in his style. Jayam Ravi shines in a couple of emotional moments, highlighting his character. And finally, Trisha is good, but relatively she doesn’t have the bigger moments like in the first outing.

Analysis The legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam director Ponniyin Selvan 2. It is the concluding second part of Ponniyin Selvan, based on the namesake epic novels written by Kalki Krishnamurthy.  Ponniyin Selvan 2 resumes from where it left off at the end of part 1. The heirs of Cholas are under attack, and the messenger to save the kingdom from doom is captured. It is this intriguing story that holds the attention from the start.  The issues from part one resurface, like the slow pace. However, the neatly staged drama by the excellent eclectic cast holds the attention. It also helps that we already know many of these characters.  Despite knowing many of the roles, and the slow pace, one is still lost sometimes concerning the characters, and the plot shows how dense the narrative is. It remains the biggest issue with the two-part films.  The narrative is drama-driven out and out, with many face-offs and (mildly) charged moments. There are no highs dramatically, though, as they are done understatedly. The closest thing to that feeling comes around the interval mark when there is a small twist.  Post intermission, the drama resumes as we move to critical moments in the story. The second half is where the emotions roll out as a few threads reach their closure. The Vikram-Aishwarya Rai one is the most prominent one among them. Both actors nail their parts, which helps the narrative.  All the drama leads to a final big battle for the throne. A huge war scene is shot neatly but without too much high. This and the lack of conclusion to the threads of some popular characters leave one a little unsatisfied at the end.  Overall, Ponniyin Selvan 2 holds attention despite all the issues to those who are already connected to the characters and the world. The scale, ambition and casting make the movie a one-time watch with the right expectations set in from the start. 

Performances by Others Actors:

 Ponniyin Selvan 2 is a vast canvas movie with multiple actors essaying bits and pieces roles. We have Prakash Raj, Jayaram, Parthiban, Rahman, Shobita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sarath Kumar, Prabhu, Vikram Prabhu, Lal etc., playing small but vital roles. They are fine in their respective parts and make the narrative come alive as a whole.

 Music and Other Departments?

 AR Rahman’s music fits the mood and narrative even though they don’t inspire much confidence outside. The background score is relatively more in the local zone than the western one (sound-wise) compared to the previous part. Ravi Varman’s cinematography is top-notch. The lighting and images enhance the naturalistic feel of the proceedings. The editing is decent, considering the enormity at hand here. A lot is condensed from the novels, and simultaneously it is fitted into a regular movie runtime. There is not much action barring a war sequence at the end. The action choreography is on the expected lines. The writing is good and helps one easily navigate through the proceedings