Shalini Dore Features News Editor Filmmaker Mani Ratnam has taken on the epic task of adapting Tamil bestseller “Ponniyin Selvan” into two parts, the first of which released to excellent box office in India and overseas on Sept.
29. The film, with screenplay by Ratnam, Jayamohan and Kumaravel, is mostly faithful to Kalki Krishnamurthy’s five novels, the trio has streamlined the historical fiction first serialized in the 1950s in the Tamil magazine Kalki before being translated into multiple other languages, including English.
They were based on the great ruler Raja Raja Chola (Chola, king of kings), who expanded his empire from modern-day Tamilnadu all the way north to the Ganges.
The end result is epic with great battles on land and sea, accompanied by the music of Oscar winner A.R. Rahman (“Slumdog Millionaire”).
Read more on variety.com