Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2 by Mani Ratnam continues the story's ill-fated romance between crown prince Aaditha Karikalan (Vikram) and Nandhini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), which was set in motion in the previous part. The director of PS2 shows us the blossoming of love between a prince and an orphan girl, and the heartache it leaves in the wake of them being separated by factors beyond their control in the opening prelude, which captures the romance between these two characters when they were young.But we understand why.
The Karikalan-Nandini angle is the cause of the most of the misunderstanding in the Chola monarchy, which is still experiencing significant unrest. Arunmozhi Varman, also known as Ponniyin Selvan, is well and alive, yet he is ailing. Can he return and retake the throne in his rightful place? Will Aditha Karikalan encounter Nandini, and if so, what will happen? What about Vandhiyathevan (Karthi), who served as the key conduit for the introduction of the principal characters?
Ponniyin Selvan is one of the greatest successes in Tamil film because it tries to be realistic in an era of green screens and visual effects. Aditha Karikalan (Vikram) and Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) are introduced in a captivating prologue that flashes back to their teenage years. Mani Ratnam has a tonne of imagination, which is just what this scene requires. You get the impression from the filmmaker that Nandini and Karikalan must have met in a similar manner. Of course, while he was seated on the horse, smirking, she would have strolled past him at the riverbank wearing her effortful smile. All of it happened. You can believe it thanks to good films. Mani Ratnam is aware that you can't get there by using solely elaborate sets and CGI. He convinces you by making the movie. Another astounding event occurs when Vandhiyadhevan informs his beloved Kundhavai (Trisha) about the preparations. The master filmmaker shows us what may be accomplished with just a few close-up views and brief conversations to show us the beautiful love scenes that Tamil cinema appears to have lost how to depict. Of course, AR Rahman is required as a supplement. Blindfolded, Vandhiyadhevan is then placed on a small island. He is questioned (or should I say played?) by Kundhavai. She circles him gently while teasing him with a blade. Vandhiyadhevan is blind, yet he can sense his abductor. All of this is foreplay without kisses and touches. Even so, it compensates for the most enticing scene in recent Tamil film.
But the more underwhelming moment is the climax. Even in Kalki's book, we get a rather low-key ending, with one too many twists, but here, while the writers (Mani Ratnam, Jeyamohan and Kumaravel) sensibly give us a more agreeable twist, they fail to pack a punch with the speech that Arulmozhi delivers in the end while making the supreme sacrifice that makes him the titular hero of this sprawling epic.
PS2 is a must-watch theatrical experience for its visuals, crafted so beautifully by Mani Ratnam in his dream project. PS2 is a historical political drama constructed around a love story.
