Ponniyin Selvan

Published on 7th October, 2022, in Times of India. Nobody will admit this, out of respect for the venerable filmmakers, I suspect. But, I found, many non-Tamilians were rather bored with Ponniyin Selvan: I , the new Tamil epic period action drama film directed by Mani Ratnam. People complained it was dull, despite the grandeur of the posters, spectacular trailer and the fawning critics. The reason, I fathom, is rather simple: Most were unfamiliar with Chola history, and clueless about Kalki’s famous historical novels that inspired this film. There was no emotional connection. Few know that the Cholas were the kings who changed the Hindu ..