Let’s be clear. This one deserved to be watched on the large screen. But if for some reason one did not, a home theatre is the next best option.
For, as The Hindu’s Srinivasa Ramanujam wrote: “Ponniyin Selvan: 1 is 167 minutes of powerful storytelling backed by visual splendour.”
For the uninitiated, the magnum opus based on Kalki’s serialised columns (and subsequently books) of the same name takes us back centuries into the world of the famed Chola dynasty.
The film has managed to evoke interest beyond the Tamil version. Period dramas and war sagas have managed to attract audiences across languages, leading to conversations on ‘South cinema going pan-India’ and the like.
Baahubali, RRR and now PS1 have created a space for the genre, if one can call it that.
Directed by Mani Ratnam with music by AR Rahman, the movie features a varied and vast star cast. The director has drawn praise from several quarters for the film.
For those who were waiting patiently, Ponniyin Selvan: 1 dropped on Amazon Prime on 4 November 2022, more than a month after its theatrical release.
