My tryst with writer Kalki R. Krishnamurthy began at the age of 14, when I was waiting for my 10th standard results. A guest gave me the first volume of Kalki’s magnum opus, Ponniyin Selvan, asking me to read it instead of playing chess. Of course, if not for him, I would now be a chess player rather than a journalist.
With his blend of fact and fiction, Kalki enthralled me as a reader. Friendship, love, valour, intrigue, treachery—they were all there in his story. I completed volume after volume, and at the end of the 293rd chapter, when I had finished the book, its hero Arunmozhi Varman or Raja Raja Chola—a man who believed that power alone does not bring respect—had firmly enshrined himself in my imagination. Kalki led me through every nondescript place in the Delta region, which comprised the Chola empire. His lucid writing became intertwined with the Tamil identity. And now, 70 years later, filmmaker Mani Ratnam has used the same magic to alchemise the book into a two-part film. The second part released on April 28 to wide acclaim, earning over ₹200 crore globally within five days of its release. “We have retained the heart of the book,” says Ratnam. “But for those who haven’t read it, the film will take you on a new adventure.”
Ratnam decided to adapt the book into a film in 2019. “The creative impetus came from the director,” Siva Ananth, executive producer of Ponniyin Selvan, told THE WEEK during the release of PS1. “Ratnam had been wanting to make this film for a long time. If you are from the Tamil region and have read Kalki, PS1 will be a magnificent transformation of the book.”
Esta historia es de la edición May 14, 2023 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 14, 2023 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI