PS2 Review: Aishwarya Rai steals the show in the second half

PS2 is a must-watch theatrical experience for its visuals, crafted so beautifully by Mani Ratnam in his dream project.

Hyderabad: Ponniyin Selvan is Mani Ratnam’s dream project, as we all know. The film is made in two parts. The first part was a blockbuster at the box office, collecting 500 crores. Today, the sequel, PS2, was released in theatres worldwide. Is the sequel better than the first part? Continue to read this review from Telangana Today to know more.

PS2 starts with the teenage love story between Aditya Karikalan and Nandini, which is the main plot of the film. It also shows how Nandini is driven away from the Chola kingdom. This forms the basic structure for the next revenge drama.

---

Mani Ratnam got the events of PS1 recalled to his audience through the flash cuts of the first part and the narration in Chiranjeevi’s vocals.

The first half of PS2 shows us the plans made by Nandini and the Pandyas to finish off the family of Sundara Chola. So the characters Aditya Karikalan (Vikram), Kundavi (Trisha), and Ponniyin Selvan (Jayam Ravi) are the prime focus here. Karthi, who played Vallavaraya, a messenger and friend to Aditya, gets the most screen time in this film. Karthi’s scenes with Jayaram are fun. The romantic touch of Mani Ratnam can be seen in the scenes between Karthi-Aishwarya Rai and Karthi-Trisha. Mani Ratnam presented his female leads so beautifully. The interval episode and the heroics of Ponniyin Selvan (Jayam Ravi) are nicely placed.

The second half of PS2 is completely about revenge. Aishwarya Rai steals the show in the second half. Her scenes with Karthi and Vikram play a major role in the film’s screenplay. Also, Mani Ratnam nicely revealed two major things about Nandini and her mother, Mandakini, from the past. Mani Ratnam needs to be appreciated for strictly sticking to the novel’s story. He masterfully crafted this sequel. He also made good use of the top-notch technical strengths of cinematographer Ravi Varman and music composer AR Rahman.

There are two scenes in the film that show Mani Ratnam’s magical romantic mark: the one between Karthi and Trisha during the Aaganandhe song and the other between Vikram and Aishwarya Rai in the pre-climax.

PS2 is a must-watch theatrical experience for its visuals, crafted so beautifully by Mani Ratnam in his dream project. PS2 is a historical political drama constructed around a love story.

– Kiran