# Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022) Review: Chola Court Intrigue > Ponniyin Selvan: Part I is Mani Ratnam's lavish Tamil adaptation of Kalki's Chola novel, a sprawling tale of court conspiracy that favours intrigue over battle. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/ponniyin-selvan-part-i-2022-review/ Published: 2026-07-23 Last updated: 2026-09-24 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 4/5 ## Verdict Yes. It is a handsome, intelligent historical epic, best for patient viewers who enjoy political drama and can keep track of a large cast of characters. ## Is Ponniyin Selvan: Part I worth watching? **Yes. Ponniyin Selvan: Part I is a gorgeous, grown-up historical epic that finally brings one of Tamil literature's best-loved novels to the screen with the scale it deserves.** Mani Ratnam trades the chest-thumping of most Indian period spectacles for palace plotting, shifting loyalties and a wry sense of humour. The reservation is density: the first hour throws names, kingdoms and alliances at the audience at speed, and this is explicitly half a story. ## What is Ponniyin Selvan: Part I about? The film is set in the 10th century, when the Chola empire of south India looks powerful but is quietly rotting from within. The ageing emperor Sundara Chola (Prakash Raj) is ill. His elder son, the crown prince Aditha Karikalan (Vikram), is away on campaign in the north, and his younger son, Arunmozhi Varman (Ravi Mohan, credited at the time as Jayam Ravi), is fighting in Lanka. Meanwhile, powerful nobles at court are scheming to change the line of succession, and at the centre of the web sits Nandini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), a woman with a history with Karikalan and ambitions of her own. The thread that ties it together is Vandiyathevan (Karthi), a charming, reckless messenger sent by Karikalan with secret letters, who stumbles into the conspiracy and must carry news between the royal siblings, including the shrewd princess Kundavai (Trisha Krishnan). [Ponniyin Selvan: Part I](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/ponniyin-selvan-part-i-2022/) is directed by Ratnam and adapted from Kalki Krishnamurthy's serialised novel. It is an Indian production in Tamil, runs 167 minutes, and is the first of two films; the story continues directly in the second. ## Mani Ratnam makes intrigue the spectacle Where many recent Indian epics measure ambition in explosions, Ratnam measures it in conversations. The most gripping scenes here are whispered deals in torchlit halls, glances exchanged across a royal assembly and messages passed hand to hand. The camera, under cinematographer Ravi Varman, makes palaces, temples, rivers and forests look opulent without drowning the actors in digital scenery. A. R. Rahman's music gives the film its pulse. The songs are woven into the storytelling rather than stopping it, and the score leans on percussion and chant to give the period a sense of ceremony. When battles come, they are staged with clarity, though they are rarely the point. ## Karthi steals it, and the cast of stars holds The film's secret weapon is Karthi. Vandiyathevan is a rogue, a flirt and a reluctant hero, and his sly energy gives a stately film its charm and much of its comedy. He is the audience's guide through the maze, and he makes the exposition go down easily. Vikram brings a haunted intensity to Karikalan, a warrior eaten up by his past. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plays Nandini with icy poise, all stillness and calculation, and Trisha is quietly commanding as Kundavai, whose scenes with Rai Bachchan crackle with unspoken rivalry. Jayaram adds comic colour as a spy moving between factions. ## The cost of compressing a vast novel Kalki's book runs across thousands of pages, and the strain shows. A narrated prologue and brisk early scenes rush through the political map, and viewers unfamiliar with the source may feel lost until the second hour settles. Some characters get little more than an introduction, and the film's structure means it builds to a pause rather than a resolution. Anyone expecting a self-contained epic should know that going in. ## Who should watch Ponniyin Selvan: Part I? It suits viewers who enjoy [historical](https://celluloidscore.com/genres/history/) drama, court politics and old-fashioned [adventure](https://celluloidscore.com/genres/adventure/), and it is essential for anyone who grew up with the novel. Plan for nearly three hours and, ideally, a second evening for the conclusion. Violence is limited to battle scenes and a few sword fights, with little gore, so it works for families with older children, though younger ones may struggle with the plot. What to watch next: - [Ponniyin Selvan: Part II](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/ponniyin-selvan-part-ii-2023-review/), the direct continuation, which is essential to complete the story. - [K.G.F: Chapter 2](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/k-g-f-chapter-2-2022-review/), if you want the louder, more stylised side of the 2022 pan-Indian epic boom by way of contrast. ## The verdict Ponniyin Selvan: Part I is an elegant, absorbing historical epic that values intrigue and character over noise. Its dense opening and unfinished structure make it demanding, but Ratnam's craft, Rahman's music and a starry cast, led by a scene-stealing Karthi, make it well worth the commitment. **Rating: 4/5** ## Related title - [Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/ponniyin-selvan-part-i-2022/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)