Review of PS-1: Brain Teasing Narrative by Venkat Arikatla on Updated: 30 Sep 2022 13:58 IST
PS-1 Review: Brain Teasing Narrative
Movie: PS-1 Ponniyan Selvan
Rating: 2.25/5
Banner: Madras Talkies, Lyca Productions
Starring: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Prabhu, R Sarathkumar, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman and Radhakrishnan Parthiban
Dialogues: Tanikella Bharani
Music by AR Rahman
Cinematography: Ravi Varman
Editing: Sreekar Prasad
Scenography: Thota Tharrani
Events: Kecha Khampakdee & Shyam Kaushal
Producers: Mani Ratnam and Subaskaran
Directed by Mani Ratnam
Release date: September 30, 2022
After Baahubali, RRR and KGF, Mani Ratnam's 'PS1' is the only period drama that has grabbed everyone's attention. The hype around the film was huge. The $1 million bookings in the US alone prove how much of a buzz the film has created.
Let's see if the movie lives up to the expectations.
Story:
Pallavatturyar (Sarath Kumar) and his wife Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) plan to make Madhurantakudu (Rahman) the next king instead of Aditya Karikaludu (Vikram).
Based on this information, Kundavi (Trisha) sends a spy Vanthiyadevuda (Karthi) to bring her brother Arunmozhi aka Ponniyan Selvan (Jayam Ravi) from Srilanka to Tanjore.
Meanwhile, another batch sets out to kill Ponniyan Selvan. The rest of the film is all about Ponniyan Selvan trying to return to his birthplace.
Performances by artists:
The film has many characters, but only some of them are important. Among them, Karthi as Vandiyadevudu takes the lead.
The film begins with his journey from one place to another. The first half of the film is dominated by Karthi. He also tries comedy.
Vikram as Aditya Karikaludu appears in only three episodes. His acting gives a sense of déjà vu.
Jayam Ravi as Arunmozhi Varma aka Ponniyan is neat.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plays a dual role. She has amazing screen presence as Nandini. She has limited space to show off her performance, but she keeps the attention with her charm and grace. Trisha as Princess Kundavi is beautiful. She looks much younger than her actual age.
Prakash Raj and Sarath Kumar play their roles well. Sobhita Dhulipala and Aishwarya Lekshmi get smaller roles.
Technical excellence:
The best thing about the film is Thot Tarani's excellent production design. The sets are classy. It renews the Chola period. Ravi Varman's cinematography further enhanced the production design. The VFX work is impressive in some places, not up to the mark in others. AR Rahman's songs didn't work in the movie but his background score is captivating.
Telugu dialogue writing (by Tanikella Bharani) is fine.
The most important:
Production design
Twists and turns
Aishwarya Rai and Trisha
Disadvantage:
Hard to understand the first half
Leisure pace
No goosebumps
Analysis
The makers have declared 'PS1' as 'the story of India's greatest empire'. Based on a Tamil novel titled 'Ponniyan Selvan', Mani Ratnam has made a film in two parts and the first part is here. There have been comparisons between 'PS1' and Rajamouli's 'Baahubali' before its release, but both are completely different, neither of them match in any way, be it the war sequences or the grandeur of the visuals.
"PS-1" is a story based on true history, and many characters with hard-to-remember names keep coming. Getting an overview of the names and characters themselves is a cumbersome task. For those unfamiliar with the novel and history, like this reviewer, it is difficult to understand the plot and get the characters.
The film begins with Vandhiyadevudu's journey. Karthi as Vandhiyadevudu flirts with women, dances, does comedy stunts, plays with a Brahmin (played by Jayaram) and indulges in brawls. Through him we meet all the characters, first Aditya Karikaludu, then Nandini and then Kundavi and finally Ponniyan Selvan. His long journey and many side plots occupy the story of this first part.
However, the film is structured in such a way that much of the action takes place in the first half, which is very difficult to understand. Before we get to the story, the film goes into an interval bang. When we focus so much on many characters and their backgrounds, we don't get any great moments. In the entire first half, the only interesting moment is when Vikram killed a person when Aishwarya Rai begged him to spare her.
The second half of the film shifts the drama to Sri Lanka, where Ponniyan Selvan resides. The visual side of the second half is great. The action sequence on the ship is a major highlight. This is where the film comes into its own. But then it quickly ends with a twist that in no way lives up to the 'Kattappa' twist.
The film's greatest strength is the production design and camerawork. The locations are another highlight. They are made for the big screen experience. But the narrative is not strong enough to enjoy them. For the Tamil audience, the film can work well because they are familiar with the story and characters. It is a cumbersome experience for us.
Overall, the 'PS-1', despite its magnificence and high-value values, is far from impressive. You need a lot of patience to watch the slow-moving drama that lasts almost 2 hours and 45 minutes.
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