Ponniyin Selvan 2: Mani Ratnam film could have been a heartbreaking masterpiece, but for its ludicrous last hour

Mani Ratnam directorial Ponniyin Selvan II could have been a soaring, heart-wringing love saga, thanks to Vikram and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's lovely performances. Instead, it ruins the experience with its last 40-50 minutes.

Vikram and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a still from Ponniyin Selvan.

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At the heart of all great Mani Ratnam films are love stories, irrespective of the larger issue they are dealing with. From his directorial debut with the 1983 feature Pallavi Anu Pallavi, which starred Hindi film actor Anil Kapoor in the lead role along with Lakshmi and Kiran Vairale, to Ponniyin Selvan II, the director’s films thrive when he focuses on love and its transformative power. PS II — a period epic — is at its finest when the director focuses on its love story.

As someone who has not read the books, I went into both the films blind, with zero expectations, except perhaps to be regaled and delighted with Ratnam’s use of camera, actors and dialogues. He did not disappoint the first time around; the first chapter felt like an introduction to a vast universe of battles and unrequited loves, and it felt only natural to expect the director to unravel the chaotic parts in its sequel, which he managed to do, somewhat.

Up until its last hour, I was on board the PS-2 train. I believed in the characters, their thirst for power and I definitely bought into the heartbreaking love story of Nandini (a stellar Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) and Aditha Karikalan (Vikram). The action, which finds its way into a good chunk of the film, was not up to the mark. All Ratnam needed to do was hire a good action choreographer and explain him his vision, but there clearly were some gaps which they both failed to fill. Ponniyin Selvan II is as much about love as it is about war and power struggle within the Chola dynasty. But the action just did not seem credible enough — they were neither fluid, nor fun to watch. However, what the film lacked in action, Ratnam made up with his aching storyline and beautiful performances, especially of Karthi, Aishwarya and Vikram.

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Nandini in the Mani Ratnam movie.

However, it is tough to forgive the last 40-50 minutes of the movie, because until then Ratnam had been taking us inside this world so deeply, at such a leisurely pace that you forgot all about its duration. Things get even more incredulous once you realise that Karthi’s smart, loyal and funny Vanthiyathevan has been accused of a grievous crime, an accusation which would be more fitting of a melodramatic landscape, certainly not what you would expect to find in a Ratnam feature. Since I have not read the book, maybe this is how it happened in the source material as well, but to say that the turn of events was a disappointing one henceforth would be an understatement.

Next ludicrous thing takes place when you see that the war which finally happens towards the end of the movie is due to a misunderstanding. Everybody has misplaced anger and fear which could have been easily avoided. The fact that Parthibendra Pallavan felt it was his responsibility to avenge the ‘murder’ of his friend was not at all believable. And even if it is to be argued that the filmmaker was merely following Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novels, Ratnam could have taken more time and added layers to make it palatable. After all, it is impossible to translate a book into a film as it was originally; might as well take a little more liberty to make the final product better.

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The core of the feature was the Nandini-Aditha story, which was rendered with such care and kindness onto the screen that it wringed the heart. Vikram said so much with eyes and so did Aishwarya, their silence speaking of the all-encompassing love their characters had borne for each other since their youth. Their last fatal meeting in the palace was something else, a larger-than-life tragic few minutes birthed from an average period drama. It had impact, it inspired and it touched. Alas, the same cannot be said about the entirety of Ponniyin Selvan II.

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