Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two
Prime Video
72
Synopsis
Imdb Rating7.3

Arulmozhi Varman continues on his journey to become Rajaraja I, the greatest ruler of the historic Chola empire of south India.

Cast
Vikram
Karthi
Jayam Ravi
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Trisha Krishnan
Sobhita Dhulipala
Aishwarya Lekshmi
Jayaram
Sarath Kumar
Parthiban

Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two

2023 Malayalam Movie
Drama Adventure Action
Veer K
Veer K

I was having a tough phase in life and then I watched PS2.I realized how sad I was. For me, since I watched PS1, the whole story was about two lovers at war with each other. And for most of the sequel, this conception holds up, satisfying me. There is no other way to describe this movie than calling it a tragedy. But, barring my limited perspective, this movie is built on realism. The movie is not just a love story; staying honest to its material, it's a tale of a real kingdom: as is often the case with them, it's about the people and the throne(as was with Bahubali.) The quietness of this movie is not just a testament to the actors’ talents, the inspired editing, and stellar music, but also to why the movie is so lush and lavish. It seems easy to weave a grand cataclysm against the backdrop of the evil (cruelty and greed) embedded in power and politics. But to ignore the politics, so as to make you feel so much other than a saga or an opus is rare. You are up close and personal with every character or the few you might find relatable or amusing. For me they were, obviously, Karikalan and Nandini. The film begins with a flashback of their story, but it is not a detailed analysis of what went wrong as you would expect from a historic outing. It is shy, impulsive, and small in its sequence of events, as young love would be. The emotion is captured more profoundly than in the prequel because this time every character owns the movie and is not just a part of it or a pawn in the picture. One would expect for there to be themes tying varying plotlines together. Instead, what remains consistent is the nuance in every frame, every direction. This makes PS2 seductive, as was the case in Dil Se. There are key scenes of romance and love that you’re almost bound to take away with you. The monumental scene between the two lovers shows you the adventure that Mani Ratman and Kalki have taken and faced: it is lived, and not at all predictable.(I would want to write an essay just on this scene once the film comes on prime).And it is the extent of exploration that gives the characters a conclusion. The camera meanders, lingers, scrambles, is stoic, is poised, and scares as the narrative switches characters. There are moments that might puzzle you for your lack of comprehension, but the film does not stop. This and the aforementioned unpredictability belong to and add to the realism: things don’t add up, you can’t figure out outcomes, you may not find redemption or satisfaction, because this is not just a story. The production design achieves this magnificently, opulently, blunt storytelling in the tricky waters of scale and splendor. Here is where the sadness germinates from. You may not feel heart-stricken that everything added up to nothing, you may not feel for the Cholas in general, you may not leave getting what you wanted, but who did and still who does in politics? Coming back to the romance now, it is still and alive in every frame, either because you know it’s just begun or you know it is already rotten. There is a certain ambiguity in every line, reminding you to feel. In the love scenes, the frames and the character’s minds are as contaminated with love as you are made to feel: it’s there, not leaving. The leaping sense of adventure and myth in the first part, is cut down by the strokes of motives that rely on the character building in the first part. This progression caught me unawares; I went in expecting a storytelling as sleek, loud, and crafted as the last movie. Because of the settledness, there are no blows or reveals like last time. This may even be a response to PS1’s editing feedback. I would mention that an action scene towards the end of the film felt staged, but maybe it was essential for a smooth end. Although I want to flex my memory of every character’s name this time, I believe the places of translation of written characters that the film went to is what is going to stay with me from this film.

11 Jun’23 09:52