The sequel to Mani Ratnam's epic Ponniyin Selvan is now playing in theatres. In the second part of the epic drama that tells the narrative of the Chola Dynasty, actors Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prakash Raj, Jayaram Prabhu, R Sarathkumar, Parthiban, Rahman, and Vikram Prabhu reprise their parts. The five-part book series of the exact same name by Kalki Krishnamurthy is the basis for the movie. One-third of the book series was covered in Ponniyin Selvan Part 1, with the remaining material covered in Part 2.
Ponniyin Selvan 2's trailer has previously shown that Vikram's Karikalan is offered the chance to govern over half of the Chola empire, while a new crown prince has been named for the other half following Ponniyin Selvan's alleged demise. The main character's actor, Jayam Ravi, is nonetheless depicted as being alive.
Mixed reviews were given to Ponniyin Selvan 1. However, the movie did extremely well at the box office, grossing over Rs. 480 crore worldwide. After Iruvar, Ravan, Guru, and Ponniyin Selvan 1, Ponniyin Selvan 2 is Mani Ratnam and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's sixth joint project.
During a press conference, the director was asked if Aishwarya was his lucky charm. He responded, "Filmmakers are very self-centered individuals. They are utterly ruthless and self-centered, caring solely about the movie. I only ask her if I believe she is the proper fit for the job, no matter how much I adore her. She has been gracious enough to say yes every time I have asked because I have felt she is the perfect fit for the part. She is therefore more than simply a fortunate charm for me; her ability and charisma made her the ideal choice to play this part.”
Ponniyin Selvan 2 is excellent in terms of technology. Thota Tharrani performed an incredible job, and the production style is stunning. Although AR Rahman's songs aren't bad, some of the scenes really benefit from his background music. Ravi Varma's cinematography is passable. The production qualities are outstanding, and the visual effects work is also superb. The film should have been trimmed by a minimum of fifteen minutes during the editing process.
Mani Ratnam, the filmmaker, did a passable job with the follow-up. The slow-moving plot lessens the overall effect of the film, despite the fact that there is an acceptable level of drama and solid performers. In spite of this, Ponniyin Selvan 2 is unquestionably an improvement over the first. Better than the first hour, the second hour features some fascinating interactions among the main characters.
Ponniyin Selvan 2 is a generally good sequel with some intriguing and well-done passages. Its strengths are the compelling plot, decent drama, and excellent acting. PS 2 is undoubtedly an improvement over the first part; however, watching the film requires patience due to its sluggish pacing. Each character may be developed more in the second half. More screen time is given to Arunmozhi Varman, which enables Jayam Ravi to give a strong performance. Karthi, as Vandhiyathevan, succeeds in making the same impression he did in the previous section with his performance.
Aishwarya Rai as Nandini and Vikram as Aditya Karikalan particularly stand out in PS 2 for the roles that they portray so successfully. Given that this is Aishwarya Rai's major return to Tamil film after a long absence, she is incredibly talented and gives an unquestionably career-best performance. It's difficult to imagine anybody else in Aishwarya's position because of how well she plays it and how compelling her character is. Aishwarya offers so much in the film, whether it's through her enraged eyes or the prolonged silence. If you enjoy watching historical dramas, you should not miss this movie.