Mani Ratnam's adaptation of Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan is spectacular

The Chola kingdom is under threat from forces both internal and external, and with crown prince Aaditha Karikalan, his younger brother Arunmozhi Varman and the emperor, Sundara Cholar separated by situations, it is up to a messenger to ensure the safety of the kingdom. Can he succeed in his mission, especially with Karikalan's former girlfriend, Nandhini, plotting to bring down the entire Chola empire?

- M Suganth 

CINEMA OF THE WEEK

Ponniyin Selvan - Part 1 (Action/Drama)

1/2 Cast: Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Prakash Raj, Jayaram, Sarath Kumar, Radhakrishnan Parthiban, Shobita Dhulipala, Kishore

Direction: Mani Ratnam

Duration: 2 hours 47 minutes

Language: Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam (UA)

Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan is a sprawling epic that has so far remained elusive to film for many a Tamil filmmaker, and Mani Ratnam finally brings the dream alive with this spectacular adaptation that superbly captures the intrigue, thrills and page-turning quality of the books. In this first of a two-part franchise, the director and his writers-Jeyamohan and Ilango Kumaravel-rise up to the challenge. The manner in which they have condensed the novel is admirable, with the changes adding to the momentum of the narrative.