Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022) User Reviews

A magical experience and a visual treat

[harshkumarrocks · 9/10 · 28 September 2022]

Great screenplay, great visuals, beautiful actors, great performances and really soulful music. An experience through and through, the old mani ratnam is back and this time he has something to prove. Aishwarya and Vikram proves why they are one of the finest actors that have graced Indian cinema and how experience matters the most. Every actor plays their part well, it's such a visual treat.

Maybe the only nitpick that i have is the length, gosh this movie is too detailed and lengthy, but don't let that inhibit you from watching it. One of the finest historical period dramas to come out of India.

A brilliant adaptation of a literary masterpiece.

[ThironthoramDude · 9/10 · 30 September 2022]

Mani Ratnam delivers a masterpiece yet again. One would have been forgiven for being a sceptic considering the fact that Ponniyin Selvan is an all time classic of Indian Literature and could have forgiven the makers for not living up to the expectations. However, Mani Ratnam and crew delivers aplomb with PS1. Vikram, Karthi and the rest of the stellar cast did not disappoint a wee bit. The screenplay, direction and music holds its lofty standards throughout the movie. The numerous delays that the movie had before finally hitting the theaters now make sense as well as Mani Ratnam did not leave any stone unturned in making sure the audience were treated to a visual masterpiece.

Part 1 is a must watch and cant wait for Part 2.

PS I won the battle of winning audience's attention

[sharonnyoroy · 8/10 · 1 October 2022]

The Common Fiction mood is there in the film that mainly progresses the story in a very different and enfold way . The fiction itself lies on the title of the Film as Ponniyin Selvan son of Ponni ( River Ponni ) is saved by her from drowning and thereafter holds the Title.

Rivalry, War and Diplomacy are the stuff that surround the events. There are multiple action scenes. But the main motion is controlled by efficient diplomacy and conspiracy by the people of the royal family and their close ones.

The Screening is undoubtedly amazing. Whether it's the entries of the mainstream characters or the presentations of the songs and dance performance.

All the characters have their own shade and caliber to get the audience's attention. Each character is connected to each other in some way. And the net is spread in a very beautiful manner through all of them.

Very much progressive as a cinematic prologue in its own way.

Mani Sir literally insists the audience by his storytelling to think in a way like the dynasty about which the film is. PS I is mostly about knowing the characters and critical assumptions of the audiences.

Must Watch to Know a deep Rooted psychology and chronological suspense. Its a film greatly scripted down.

And and and Last But Not The Least A. R Rahman's music are just gob smacking.

No sugarcoating it, this movie was really good

[isaacsundaralingam · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

I never had the hype that a lot of other people had regarding Ponniyin Selvan. The reason for this is that I knew nothing of its source material, nor cared for it. When the movie comes out, I simply wanted to judge it off of its merits than by how much I wanted this movie to be something it's not. So having watched Ponniyin Selvan at today's 4 a.m. Show, I walked out of the theater thinking this movie was really good and to an extent understand why the source material had all the hype it did surrounding it.

The only drawback is how many characters there are to keep track of, as well as the overall lore behind each character and the overall setting. But that too goes on to be more clear as the movie progresses. Each character is very well written to be their own unique characters as well as being a cog in a greater story, and the story progresses in a way that keeps the whole thing fresh and exciting and keeps you wanting more. I'm not a big fan of the musical numbers as I usually find them very intrusive, but here, I didn't really mind them all too much. The photography was beautiful and so was the entire PS universe on screen.

It's as much a technical masterpiece as it is a narrative one. And I'm really glad to have been one of the first to watch this movie in this country. I'd definitely recommend you go check it out!!!

Best movie 🍿 Vikram acting was excellent jayam Ravi karthi acting was good

[sumathiprabhuraman · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

All characters are given their best maniratnam was the best director and given his best. Best movie Vikram acting was excellent jayam Ravi karthi acting was good it was a nice movie Trisha and Aishwarya Rai meeting scene was excellent ar rahman music was excellent they satisfied all exception if you not read the you will not understand stand this movie don't except that all in the book will be on the movie karthi took this film to next level good movie Waiting for jayam Ravi in part 2 and his fight Best movie Vikram acting was excellent jayam Ravi karthi acting was good please watch this film at thetre.

You won't be disappointed, engaging movie !

[vish-58823 · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

Engaging movie, awesome acting, fast paced story telling and a visual treat ! I went to watch the movie without any expectations, did not see the trailer or reviews online and have to say the movie did not disappoint me. Director kept the movie engaging with the audience, acting is top notch as you can feel the emotions and considering its 167 minutes movie, it moved at a good pace. Trisha and Aishwarya expressions were amazing. Background music is awesome, songs not bad. Finally, hats off to legend Mani Ratnam, the screen play and direction delivered and served in a tasty platter for the audience to enjoy.

The Cholas come into life once again!

[ararchanavasudevan · 10/10 · 1 October 2022]

The age old classic literature has come into life today. The amount of detailing is beyond one's imagination. Enormous amount of pre-work and research has been done to craft this PS I. The hues, textures, fabrics, jewellery and everything about this movie is sure to take you back to the Raja Raja Chola times. Its a marvel. I would suggest people read the book or know a little about the Tamil history to feel the depth of this movie. Today I felt i time traveled to the 9th - 11th centuries and witnessed the great kings and queens of ancient Tamils. Feels like a dream that came into life. Kudos to Mani Rathnam, ARR and the whole team behind PS I. Looking forward to PS II.

Honest Review

[best-review · 6/10 · 30 September 2022]

There are three types of audiences for this film in the country: those who have read the books, those who haven't, and those who are familiar with the history of the Chola Kings.

The books were written 70 years ago as a serialised format for a magazine, based on the characters and events of the Chola kingdom. They include fictional characters and dramatic elements for intrigue.

The movie's screenplay is adapted from the books, with necessary changes to appeal to today's audience, similar to adaptations like "Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter," and "Game of Thrones." However, the mentioned books take place in a fantasy world with miracles and non-human characters, while "Ponniyin Selvan" is a historical fiction set in reality.

The screenplay, written by Mani Ratnam, Jaya Mohan, and Kumaravel, feels flat and confusing for a two-part movie. It gives the impression of a rushed eight-episode TV show re-edited into a two-part film, which is very different from "Baahubali."

Vikram's portrayal of Aditha Karikalan is flawed, with overacting.

Trisha's performance as Kundavai is unbelievably phenomenal. Her look and acting are terrific.

Aishwarya Rai and Karthi get to play the most interesting characters in the movie. Aishwarya looks convincing as Nandini, albeit slightly older, and her performance is okay, but it could have been extraordinary.

Karthi doesn't meet my expectations as Vanthiyadevan.

Jayam Ravi's portrayal of Arun Moli Varman is a surprise. His performance is very good, and although I was initially disappointed with his appearance, by the end of the movie, I accepted him.

The same goes for Aishwarya Lakshmi. Many of her scenes from the book are missing, and Prakash Raj as Sundara Chola doesn't fit the role.

Jayaram as Nambi is fantastic.

Sharath Kumar, Parthiban, Kishore, Mohan Raman, Prabhu, Rahman, and Jayachitra are perfectly cast.

Shobitha as Vanathi appears very artificial, but her dancing skills are commendable.

Manimeghalai is absent from the film.

The locations feel real and exotic, while the sets and props transport us back to the 10th century. The costumes, accessories, and makeup are so well done that we forget the actors and see the real Cholas. The visual effects blend seamlessly with reality in many scenes.

The sound effects are of high quality.

The music sets the mood of the film, and the songs flow well, except for "Chola Chola." However, "Ponni Nadhi" and "Alai Kadal" are great additions to your playlist.

The Devaralanatam sequence is perfectly shot and choreographed, but "Sol" is cut out.

The cinematography by Ravi Varman is outstanding, creating world-class visuals, with only a few shots falling short.

It would be better if both movies were re-edited and released on an OTT platform as a mini-series with eight one-hour episodes.

Masterpiece !!!

[savithakris · 10/10 · 1 October 2022]

Such a well made movie!! Could not even feel that it was a 2:45 min movie. Unlike bahubaali, movie is very realistically shot and not loud and over exaggerated. Music and background score takes the movie to the next level!! Haven't seen such a good movie in a long time . Also, all the actors have done a fantastic job and would believe it is their best performance so far. Aishwarya Rai has given a top notch performance. I was looking forward to her scenes! Trisha s character was well played and the scene where they meet is spectacular !! Vikram, Ravi and Karthi, each of them have given superlative performances for their career!!

Wasted opportunity

[akhil027 · 6/10 · 8 October 2022]

Ponniyin Selvan could've been India's GOT except for the VFX part. But it is not due to the convoluted screenplay, jerky camerawork and poor action choreography.

The lack of developments for character and conflicts are too obvious. If there were some conflict and challenge during the war scenes, it would've been more interesting. Instead, we get to see Aditha Karikalan just easily defeating his enemies.

Vikram doesn't have much screen time but leaves an impact with his performance. Karthi is charming as Vandiyathevan but the dialogues are poorly written. Jayam Ravi did the role with great control and didn't fall apart like I thought while watching the trailer.

I love Aiswarya but she's such a miscast for this role. First of all, her face isn't what it used to be. Botox is evident and her cheeks below her eyes doesn't move at all. There's so much make up on her face and it makes it difficult to think she's someone from such an ancient time. Same with Trisha minus the botox part.

They're both there for their beauty. Nandini should've been written better.

The political aspect was only good in one scene where Trisha walks into a meeting and proposes some marriages.

AR Rahman's score is great in some scenes and lame at some. Nandini has the best BGM and Kundavai has the worst. Songs aren't that great or suitable. Ponni Nadhi is so good though. Rest of the songs was unnecessary and felt out of place.

I liked the last ship scenes but then again, the action should've been better.

Must watch in Theatres - Experience the History

[chinchunikhil · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

Magnum Opus, Brilliant Cast ,Engaging Screenplay,Lovely Presentation,Visual Treat,Justice to the Novel, Best Way to present it, Maniratnam THE MASTER Book the tickets, Watch it in Theatres with Family and Enjoy

Vikram and Aishwarya Prove yet again as to why they are best in Indian Cinema

Trisha and Karthi Are Brilliant Jayam Ravi is THE APT face in and as Ponniyin Selvan Pooonguzhali Will stole everyone's heart

When Maniratnam and ARR unites You can always experience the Best Cinema

Kundavai Nandini Face off scene Vandhiyadevan Kundavai Boat scene and the Ending Frame by Maniratnam Wah Wah Wah

Can't wait to see the Next part that's due next year.

A bit of a miss for Mani sir

[PimpinAinttEasy · 6/10 · 1 October 2022]

I am the biggest fan of Maniratnam. I was so eagerly waiting for this film. I watched it on the first day itself. This film needed a better hero than Karthi. It was hard to take him seriously as a picaresque swashbuckling warrior. He lacked the physical frame and the acting chops to pull it off. Trisha looked gorgeous. The sets and visuals were also lavish. Songs and background score were unremarkable at best. Has Rehman declined this badly? He used to bring his A game for Manirathnam movies. I wouldn't really recommend this film.

So what really went wrong? A lack of narrative punctuation. It lacks those memorable and spectacular scenes that ties it all together. The narration is quite flat and only the occasional beautiful visual spruced me up as a viewer. Remember the Udal Mannukku monologue in Iruvar? That 3 minute 24 second clip on Youtube was more innovative and had more swag than this whole film.

But I am so glad the film is a big hit and it is a pleasure to see your favorite director smiling and celebrating. Mani sir really stuck his neck out with Iruvar and Kannathil Muthamitaal. He deserves this success. Bravo, Mani sir.

Don't shoot yourself in the foot, dear Tamil friends.

[drjineesh · 3/10 · 2 October 2022]

As one who keenly follows Tamil films and being a die hard fan of both ARR and Mani Rathnam, I wasn't going to let go of the opportunity to watch PS1 on day one.

Having read the original story, I was indeed curious and eager to behold how the master film maker would unveil this masterpiece on the big screen. And boy oh boy; wasn't I disappointed?

The first half did hold the promise, the screenplay (with some crunchy dialogues borrowed from the original) was savoury, the casting was alright (if you are prepared to ignore the small matter of the age of the characters - obviously it's just a number), the music held its own and the cinematography shone through at least in parts.

But does the movie hold together? No. And that's a big no. It's a pack of cards flying all over the place, the makers trying to hold onto them together, sadly to no avail.

Disappointingly disengaging (for those who have read the original, just try and remember how engaging that was) unless you stimulate and force yourself to focus hard, outdated war sequences (incredible that such a stellar crew has stuck to the fossilized non methodical sword-spear-hand combat sequences) and a dismally sub par VFX (the climax fight was the worst of the sufferers, I believe) take off a big bit of sheen of what was supposedly a magnum opus.

Continuity errors and goofs galore, unexpected and unacceptable for the scale of the movie and the credentials of the team furthers the downslide.

Too lackadaisical an effort perhaps? Not deprecating whatever the effort has gone into the making of the movie, but yet given the magnitude of the task at hand, this was unpardonable.

A few frames here and there do stay in your mind, but for an adaptation of one of the greatest novels in Tamil history, regarding the movie as a masterpiece is belittling the original and the language itself.

It's an average movie if you are being too generous, nothing more.

A Great Historical Movie

[MehdiRizvi-7867 · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

Very nice movie. Decent adaption of such a complex intrinsic energetic novel. Appreciate the right portrayel as kalki portrayed of true leads Nandini and Kundavai ( smart women who runs the show in a patriarchal era and industry. Are there opportunities yes alot but this novel is impossible to be visualized thru any medium except readers own mind so thanks to captian and all others for reviving interest of ponniyin selvan reading in our generation. I would request every one of who watches to read or hear the original novel thru podcast. Awaiting for the second part. This Is The Best Historical Movie Must Watch.

Petfect

[imdb-ikysmoviedatabase · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

This is a masterpiece all the way. The story is taken from a novel and the film adaptation has been on and of for decades sins cause of the financial side of it.

Now that the film has been made I have to say it is worth the weight. People who have read the novel should love the film is well. Every scene is on grand scale and the actors have given it there all to the movie.

I've heard this might be mani ratnams last project. That will be shame cause he is one the best talents out there.

This film is fantastic from start to finish I'll have to watch it at least once more in cinema. And I will be looking forward to the sequel.

I would really recommend people to watch this movie in cinema cause that's what it's made for and that's where you will get the most enjoyable experience.

The Main Ingredient for a Understated dish

[n-43922-14176 · 9/10 · 30 September 2022]

Actually, this is a movie on its own league. Everything including screenplay, actors, performances, and music are top notch. I really enjoyed the movie.

The first half had great character introductions and some whistle worthy moments, and some great set of songs. We get to witness the (She- Cobra) Nandini and the charming vandhiyathevan. Vandhiyathevan's role really suits Karthi due to his accurate comicness. And Vikram's presence in the theatre really steals the show even though he does not have a plethora of scope, and the story is very beautifully told and Ravi Varman's Cinematography is the icing on the cake. The first have was very productive and classy. But all the greatness starts for the 2nd half which is just out of the world. The introduction of Jayam ravi is mass and Jayam Ravi does great justice to his role and is one of my favorite characters. The war sequences are very realistic and fresh, it is very real and very less cgi is used. Overall the final scene is the main ingredient of this undrestated dish. So the reason why i'm not giving this full is that, according to me there is always room for improvement...

Celebrating History n Ponniyin Selvan

[mmmeenameenu · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

One of the must watch movies. Maniratnam sir's wonderful justification to our Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan. The dialogs and screenplay ruled the movie. The most important movie in Kollywood to depict our tamil history and we are here to celebrate it. The visual treat with perfect casting. Every actors justified their roles and did a fantastic job. Every reaction, expression n body language speaks thousand words as expected out of any maniratnam sir's movie which makes it so natural and unique unlike rest of the movies. BGM is one of the perfect crown to the movie. Songs are perfectly placed and suites so well. Waiting to watch it for the second time. Celebrating tamil history and Ponniyin Selvan. Hats off to the whole team.

Purists may be upset..

[kaya_natarajan · 6/10 · 30 September 2022]

Ponniyin Selvan : Part One is director Maniratnam's vision of the epic Tamil novel by Kalki. True to the poster the movie is based on the novel but is purely Maniratnam's movie. It does have some minor deviations in plot narrative which might upset purists.

The good part about this movie is one does not have to have read the book. Viewers can experience a version of director Maniratnam's PS:1. It does feel a little bit rushed, however those uninitiated to the PS landscape will be able to catch up. The entire cast and crew deserve a major round of applause and kudos. The visuals, cinematography and performances are the highlights of the movie.

Dare I say, but the parts that annoyed me were that I found the movie highly rushed. I'm no one to judge casting decisions but somehow Lal as Thirukovilur Malayamaan and Mohan Raman as Anirudha Bhramayar didn't quite cut it. Personally, some of the scenes could be a tad brighter and action at times shorter. And Yes, someone else could've played Vanathi.

But above all, this is a wonderful movie. Director Maniratnam's effort has to be appreciated. I gave the movie an 8 based on cast, cinematography, costume and art but have changed it to a 6 for being fragmented.

The book trumps the movie and I'm sure viewers have ample time to read the epic before the next release.

Historical

[virekaeximpvtltd · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

The kind of work done for this movie is tremendous and has a lot of tiny details. I have read the book ponniyin Selvan, but went with a bank canvas and yes it gave me goosebumps . Each every character have lived in there own characters. Kudos to mani ratnam sir and the whole cast and crew. Two special mention is the art director thota tharani and Ravi varman , they literally have sculpted scenes , and was so realistic. I felt i was taken to the days of the great cholas. And it was all one man's vision and the whole team effort. Waiting to experience the movie in IMAX. Forget all the comparisons with Bahubali and etc. Just go watch the movie with no expectations and you will love it . And don't miss this one of a kind experience in theatres.

PS - this is my first ever review on IMDb.

Mani's Selvan

[kathiravanvj · 6/10 · 30 September 2022]

This one is again an usual Maniratnam movie. Nothing special. From an ordinary world cinema fanboy's point of view I should say that this movie lacks the cinematic grammar what a historical/period film should have. Director Maniratnam claims that he had tried to capture the essence of Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan, but what I feel is he failed. For example, the way Aditya Karikalan's character portrayed in the film is absolute non sense. Do a war general like Aditya Karikalan drink alcohol, dance and regret a love failure. No. History says he was a disciplined warrior, intelligent and brave and not a barbarian fool. In fact many think that Kalki's book is a history book. But it is not and Ponniyin Selvan is a historical fiction. Kalki scrutinised the history and makes readers think that Raja Raja Cholan was also one of the suspects of the murder of Aditya Karikalan. No proof from history. Coming to this movie, I humbly request director Maniratnam to watch historical movies like Spartacus, Gladiator, Braveheart, TROY or atleast movies like Jodha Akbar, Padmaavat and then direct a historical film or else please don't.

Faithful to book with mass and class scenes ...

[m-ramanan · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

RATED 10/10 Language: Tamil Media Partner: Amazon Prime Source: Nil RECOMMENDED

Movie is faithful to the book and author. They made the real classic with enough class and mass moments. If you read the book, you can enjoy every hidden things, if not still you can enjoy this epic with its majestic presentation.

The songs are choreographed very well and most of the songs over in the first half itself. The placement of the songs are so good and they didnt break the flow.

The camera work is so good, whether war scene or horse race, everything is captured so well and each and every frame is so class even with difficult angles. The best example is Karkalan forgiving the Rashtrakoodan scene from his horse.

This is real milestone in Tamil cinema, Mani Ratnam did it without any compromise.

The Pazhuvettaiyar anger towards Kundavai, Nandini interaction with other characters, Kundavai Vanthiyathevan first love are not shown...They omitted all this because of Movie and its timing.

The only disappointment was Poonkulali character intro missing.

My biggest worry while watching the movie was, "it is going to end" why why it is ending....they should have added another 30 minutes.

The cast and their roles are perfectly fit. The production values and CG work are top notch.

Spoilers ahead: They reduced Alvarkkadiyan role and Vanthiyathevan did all his work by own No Manimegalai role and they used her name, thats it No Kudanthai Jothidar and the complete Kundavai-Vanthiyathevan initial intro scenes.

Sol Song is not there in first part Poonkulali character intro was so abrupt and not detailed in the movie. Real disappointment.

The Pinnacle of Great Storytelling

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 7/10 · 12 November 2022]

I have not yet read the original novel, nor do I claim to have any familiarity with the stories they are said to possess, therefore, I shall not pass any remarks on Mani Ratnam's take and how loyal (or disloyal, for that matter) he has been to the source material. As a novice who has just been introduced to this world, all I can say is that this is the pinnacle of extraordinary storytelling which pushes the viewers to learn more about the narrative.

I am someone who was not expecting anything in the vicinity of Baahubali or its mainstream, commercialized traits, hence, my expectations were fairly in check. I was counting on Drama, which will comprise the likes of power politics revenge, and betrayal, trust me, I fetched those aplenty. Now add astonishing visual works, neat dialogues, and some fine performances to that equation and I seemed to be quite content with it.

Average movie

[devnair · 1/10 · 3 October 2022]

Very bad screenplay. So much confusions. Took hours to understand who is who. Failed to introduce characters which is the 1st step of movie. Just content is part of history so saying average movie. Or else it would hv counted worst. Actor vikram's character ate the title character ponniyin selvan. The Screenplay should have more focused on the character ponniyin selvan. Dialogues were more confusing failed to show the intentions of every characters. It was like understand by your own. Screenplay and editing made so many mistakes that audiences have to watch the movie again and if they do they will say that they misunderstood things earlier.

Lifetime experience..

[aakashravi-13168 · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

Perfectly fulfilled my expectations... I love the making, screenplay, VFX, colours, Production design and most importantly Story. No words to express my gratitude for making the novel into a wonderful movie 🍿🎥... Want to watch the movie one more time in the theatre. Especially, the performance of actors Vikram as Aditya karikalan, Karthi as Vallavarayan Vandiyadevan and Jayam Ravi as Arun Mozhi varman as known as The great Raja raja cholan are lit... The performance of actress Trisha as kundavai and Aishwarya Rai as Nandini Devi are extraordinary. Every actors act in the movie have given their best.

Marvelous!!!

[sarahswa · 10/10 · 1 October 2022]

One word to say!!! You will not be able take off your eyes from the screen even for a second I Love the screenplay..music..direction..costumes..casting..evry inch..A must watch..It's not a pride to Tamil cinema...It's a pride to world cinema.

ARR deserves national award for his musical contribution in this movie..The scene between Ash nd Trish is killing along with the bgm..Vikram..Karthi..Jayam ravi..who not? You can't take ur eyes off from anyone..Evry character including a pillar in the sets has done its contribution in the right way.. Don't expect this to be like a commercial hero entry..or don't compare this to other movies.. Infact bahubali was inspired by Ponniyin selvan which acknowledged by SSR itself.. So this is the historical fiction..where you can't change the plot or add some unwanted masala.