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Both Karthi and Vikram, two of the many leading stars of Mani Ratnam’s two-part Ponniyin Selvan film, recently admitted that the first part of the franchise was hard to follow for people in the North as there were too many characters introduced in a short span of time. Vikram said that it was difficult for him to remember the characters as well, and so he could relate to the problems of non-Tamil speakers. In a way, it is true that there was an information overload for people who are not aware of the work of Kalki Krishnamurthy. Compressing a five-part novel that spans about 2000 pages into two films would of course lead to a dense screenplay. Though Mani Ratnam and Sreekar Prasad had tried their best to simplify the film at the cost of making it choppy, things seem to have not been lucid for many. Hence, before the release of PS 2 this Friday, we thought of fixing that problem by listing out the characters of Ponniyin Selvan and providing a brief intro about them.
Here it goes:
Jayam Ravi as Arulmozhi Varman
The whole story is about Jayam Ravi’s Ponniyin Selvan/Arulmozhi Varman. He is the younger son of Sundara Cholar, who is currently not keeping well. Following the order of his father/king, the prince left for Sri Lanka to bring the country under Chola’s rule. He is a man of virtue and ethics, who is too righteous for his own good. The Ponniyin Selvan films are about how Ponniyin Selvan becomes the king of the Chola kingdom, and ushers in the golden period of Tamil Nadu.
Vikram as Aditya Karikalan:
Unlike his younger brother, Karikalan is impulsive and eccentric. His volatile nature coupled with his fierce war skills makes him a formidable person in the Chola kingdom. Due to his emotional baggage and post-traumatic stress of killing an armless Pandiyan king, he is a troubled soul, who keeps himself sedated with more wars and alcohol. The only reason behind his condition is Nandini.
Aishwarya Rai as Nandini:
When we are introduced to Nandini, she is the wife of Periya Pazhuvettarayar, the financier and chancellor of the Chola empire. However, no one knows about her origin. Once upon a time, a teenage Nandini was in love with Aditya Karikalan. One fine day, she just vanishes, and returns as the wife of Periya Pazhu enraging Karikalan. It is hinted that Nandini belongs to the Pandiyan kingdom in the first part, and she works with a bunch of Pandian assassins to bring down the Chola empire from within.
Karthi as Vallavarayan Vandhiyathevan:
The prince of the clan called Vaanar Kulam, which had seen better days, Vandhiyathevan is the trusted spy and warrior of Aditya Karikalan, who is sent by the Chola prince to collect information about a coup against the empire. The whole story is more or less the journey of Vandhiyathevan, who is as much a warrior as a flirt.
Trisha as Kundhavai:
The only daughter of Sundara Cholar, Kundhavai aka Ilaiyapiratti Kundavai Nachiyar more or less remains the ruler of the kingdom as her father is ill. From childhood, she doesn’t like Nandini and throughout the story, the two are in a cold war which each other. Arulmozhi Varman obeys his elder sister Kundhavai, and she is one of the reasons for his return to Chola Desam from Lanka. The princess of Cholas is also in love with Vanarkula Thilagam Vallavarayan Vandhiyathevan.
Prakash Raj as Sundara Cholar:
If he had been hale and healthy, there wouldn’t be the story of Ponniyin Selvan. Parantaka II was called Sundara Cholar because of his handsome look. In Ponniyin Selvan, Sundara Cholar takes up the role of the king reluctantly as he didn’t want to return from Lanka where his former lover was living. Currently, with his body failing him, Sundara Cholar is worried about the future of the kingdom.
Sarathkumar as Periya Pazhuvettarayar:
The old but strong feudal lord Periya Pazhuvettarayar belongs to the only family in the Chola kingdom which has their own flag (The palm tree is their sigil). The family of Pazhuverrarayar is related to Cholas through marriages. Spellbound by Nandini’s beauty, Periya Pazhu starts scheming against Sundara Cholar and his sons. As per the advice of his young wife, he wants to make Madhurandhagan the next king of the Chola empire.
Rahman as Madhurandhagan:
After the death of Chola Kandrathithar, the father of Madhurandhagan, the kingdom went to the king’s nephew Sundara Cholar as Madhurandhagan was young. He was brought up as a Shiva Bhakt without the desire for the throne. However, due to Nandini’s scheming, he develops a lust for power and starts a rebellion against Sundara Cholar and his sons.
Parthiban as Chinna Pazhuvettarayar:
The younger brother of Periya Pazhu guards the capital of the Chola kingdom, Thanjavur. Along with his elder brother, Chinna Pazhu almost controls the Chola empire as Sundara Cholar is ill and bedridden.
Shobita Dhulipala as Vaanathi:
Princess of Kodumbalur, a small part of the Chola empire, Vaanathi is a faint-hearted damsel in distress, who is in love with Arulmozhi Varman. While the Chola prince thinks she only wants to marry him to become a queen, she proves to him that her love for him is true.
Prabhu as Periya Velar Boothi Vikramakesari:
Periya Velar Boothi Vikramakesari is the commander of Kodumbalur and commander-in-chief of the Chola dynasty. He is also the uncle of Vaanathi and wants her to marry Arulmozhi Varman. In the books, he has a distaste for Poonguzhali.
Aishwarya Lekshmi as Poonguzhali:
She is a brave but depressed rower, who transports people between Sri Lanka and the Chola kingdom. She is also called Samuthirakumari, the queen of the ocean as she is well-versed in sea-faring. She is in love with Arulmozhi Varman and saves his life in the books.
Vikram Prabhu as Parthibendran Pallavan:
A prince of the Pallava kingdom and an ally of Chola, Parthibendran is a dear friend of Aditya Karikalan. He is not very fond of Vandhiyathevan and he becomes one among many men who fall for the beauty of Nandini and start working against Cholas.
Aishwarya Rai as Oomai Rani aka Mandakini Devi:
Revealing the details of the character would spoil everything about Ponniyin Selvan 2. So, watch the film soon.
Jayaram as Alwarkadiyaan:
A staunch Vaishnavaite, Alwarkadiyaan is also a talented spy, who knows more than what he lets out. His allegiance is to the Chola kingdom, but he also knows some secrets about the past of Nandini.
Ashwin Kakkamannu as Sendhen Amudhan:
Last but not the least, he is just a flower seller outside the Thanjavur fort of Cholas, but you will know why he is important by the end of the second part.
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