Ponniyin Selvan: Part II (2023) Review: Heartbreak at Court

Is Ponniyin Selvan: Part II worth watching?

Yes. Ponniyin Selvan: Part II is a worthy conclusion to Mani Ratnam’s Chola saga, and in its best scenes it is more moving than the first film. Where Part One was about setting pieces on the board, this chapter is about what the characters have lost, and the central performances rise to that. The reservations are a climactic battle that feels rushed after so much careful build-up, and a resolution that departs from the novel in ways some readers will resent.

What is Ponniyin Selvan: Part II about?

The story picks up directly after Part One. It is the late 10th century, and the Chola empire is more fragile than ever. Rumours are spreading about the fate of prince Arunmozhi Varman (Ravi Mohan), Pandya loyalists sworn to revenge are moving against the royal family, and rival kingdoms are gathering on the borders. At court, the nobles who plotted to redirect the succession are still manoeuvring.

At the heart of it all is the unfinished history between the crown prince Aditha Karikalan (Vikram) and Nandini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), now married into the powerful Pazhuvettaraiyar family and pursuing her own agenda. The messenger Vandiyathevan (Karthi) and princess Kundavai (Trisha Krishnan) try to hold the dynasty together as the pressure builds.

Ponniyin Selvan: Part II is directed by Ratnam, adapted from Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel, and made in Tamil. It runs 164 minutes and is not designed to stand alone: watch Part One first.

A sequel that finds its emotional centre

Part One often felt like an elegant map of alliances. Part II gives that map a heart. Ratnam slows down for the relationships that drive the politics, and the film is at its strongest when it lets two people sit in a room and talk about what might have been. The mood is darker and more mournful, and the conspiracy feels less like a game and more like a slow-moving tragedy.

Ravi Varman’s photography remains lush, with firelit interiors and river scenes that match the first film’s opulence, and A. R. Rahman’s score leans into longing. The music is more sparing here, and it lands harder for it.

Vikram and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan carry the weight

Vikram’s Karikalan, a man haunted by his youth, finally gets the room to become the saga’s tragic figure. He plays rage and regret together, and it is the most complete performance in either film. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan matches him, giving Nandini a stillness that hides great depths of pain. Their long-awaited scenes together are the reason this sequel exists, and they are superb.

Karthi’s Vandiyathevan remains a welcome source of lightness, though he has less to do this time. Trisha keeps Kundavai sharp and intelligent, and Ravi Mohan brings calm authority to the title character, even if Arunmozhi remains the least developed of the major figures.

Where the grand finale falls short

The final stretch is the weakest part of the two-film project. After hours of careful plotting, the military climax is staged quickly and conventionally, and several threads are tied off in a rush. Ratnam also makes choices about how the story resolves that differ from Kalki’s book. Newcomers will not notice, but readers of the novel have debated them, and some of the payoff feels less inevitable than the build-up promised.

Who should watch Ponniyin Selvan: Part II?

It is essential for anyone who watched Part One, and a fine choice for viewers who enjoy historical epics with more interest in character than carnage. Plan for close to three hours. Violence includes battle scenes, sword fights and assassination plots, with little graphic gore, and the themes of betrayal and grief suit teenagers and adults better than young children.

Before or after:

• Ponniyin Selvan: Part I, which is required viewing first rather than an optional prequel.
• Chhaava, a Hindi historical drama about another Indian dynasty under siege, with a far more battle-driven approach.

The verdict

Ponniyin Selvan: Part II gives Mani Ratnam’s Chola epic the emotional weight it needed, thanks above all to Vikram and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The rushed ending and liberties with the novel keep it from being definitive, but as the second half of one long film, it completes an ambitious, handsome and often moving piece of Tamil cinema.

Rating: 4/5