A Bengali's Review: ponniyin selvan movie part 1

 I had the opportunity of wathing this movie and I heard that this movie is a movie adaptation of a novel from the same name. The movie is worth watching and has a very engaging and complicated plot of trechery and shifting alliance alongside obedience and faithfulness. Moreover, it carried a strong undercurrent of being nationalistic and to rise above personal aspirations and the be part of the national missio, vision and value. Just the ingredients missing among the wokes of India presently.

Anyways!

I wouuld like to divided the the Movie into different logical segments that I identified:

1.  Equal Rights for Women

In the chola dynasty Woemn had say in affairs of politics, foreign policy and family negotiations and policy making. The Chola Emperor is seen taking advice from his daughter in the absence of his 2 sons. The same princess is seen to be coming in a room full of "male" Cheftains who were supposedly plotting to overthrow her father and breaking their plot through a counter offer of matrimonial alliance. She is also seen to be in touch with the royal secret service/spies to keep a tab on the enemies of the nation.

We also see the women shopkeepers, womens dressed in ornamets showing the properity of the the chola empire which had filtered down to the lowest level. We also see women in possession of arms (Ashwariya rai). As sailors - I found the boat womens character to be the most strongest. I dont think I have seen any other movie which shows a women in a job profile which requires physical sctrength, navigation and weather related knowledge, business accumen as she is the proprietor of her boat. Just to highlight it, she is sailing on the ocean between 2 nations - India and present day sri lanka carrying political personalities of grave importance knowingly. When she informs ponniyin selvan that a part of his army has landed in SRi Lanka to arrest him, who we see being ambushed by Pandyan rebels on the beach itself. We find that a so called low profile woman is getting direct access to the prince and the prince embarks on a solo journey basing his trust on the capabilities of a solo women sailor. I also want to commend the producer + director of this movie for the choice of this sailor woman - Strong physique with a commoner like face (she blended with other non important characters of the movie) with all emotional side -she is not a tom boy of bollywood (she dresses and puts light makeup like a woman of her age).

All women friendly or enemy side, whether being addressed officially or in a flirting manner by men are done with extreme respect and addressed as "Devi", "Mother" etc. These points go against the bolloywood and traditional portrayal of Women in indian movies.

2. Songs and dance forms

I found the songs, in fact all of them to be an extension of the story or plot. The movie starts with a song which depicts how endowed the chola empire was with natural resources and how happy the people were - people are dressed well, women had ornaments on them, markets are full of vendors and buyers which implies people had money. Then there were traditional dance forms first was about Kali and 2nd was about Krishna and Kansh. They were depicted in correct and respectible light not in the form of a sarcasm or caricature like in Bolloywood movies like Oh My God or PK of Amir Khan.

3. War Scenes and Hindu Navy (Overall Maritime travel)

You will not loose your caste if you cross the ocean. Something which we have been taught in our school history books was the norm in ancient times which prevented India to be dependent on foreign maritime service providers (Europeans) for shipping. Our history books missed the reason why Hindu empires existed up till cambodia etc is because of Hindu Navy, Hindu Navigators, etc.

There were also small time solo boat operators (Men and women) who did business by transfering people between India and Sri Lanka. Maritime travel was depicted in movie as something very normal and usual especially between India and Sri Lanka during those days.

War scenes were modest in the scene that we dont see the heroes flying in the air or villains spinning in the air after being hit by heroes.

3. Religion -Budhism and Hinduism

We see peaceful co existance of both these religions. Sri Lanka rightly depicted as Budhist area where the chola princess after conquering pays homage to the budhist monks and shrine with appropiate flowers, customs, etc.

Chola royal family is openly shown to practice hinduism -seeing dance enactment of Kali, Kansh death in the hands of krishna enactment. You also see in a scene where a Brahmin debating (a spy to the chola royalty) with a commoner between Vaishnavism and shaivism surrounded by other commoners in a market place which showed openness on religious debate. It also shows that Brahmins by birth although maintaining their traditional attire were in professions like  secret service. 

4. Portrayal of Women

I found the portrayal of women have been done with utmost decency even flirting is coated with decency. I also found the side actresses are not fair complexioned, neither are the chose with nice figures. Except Aishwariya Rai's character no other princess or queens were portrayed as fair skinned but they were decent looking fitting the character of royals.

This is true for male side artists also. This small things gave a subtle natural feel to the movie.

For all these reasons the movie is worth watching. i am eagerly waiting of the part 2 of this moview shich I understand will come next year 2023.