Ponniyin Selvan 2.0: Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus is a tipping point to take the Tamil classic to different generations in contemporary forms 

Will Ponniyin Selvan, hailed as a classic, and written in the 1950s as a serialised novel in the Tamil magazine Kalki, find a new audience in the 21st century?

This festive season, the slew of big-screen releases will be led by Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus  Ponniyin  Selvan: I. A cinematic adaptation of an epic Tamil historical fiction, perhaps it will also join the ranks of serialised fiction across the globe that have turned into movie franchises.

Will  Ponniyin  Selvan, hailed as a classic, and written in the 1950s as a serialised novel in the Tamil magazine  Kalki, find a new audience in the 21 st century that is used to OTT platforms and not given so much to reading? I won’t be surprised if this enthusiasm leads to epic war gaming apps for protagonists Vandhiyathevan and Arulmozhi Varman!

ALSO READ From novels to the big screen: Why Tamil film makers are drawn to literary texts

There was a roaring response to the teaser of  Ponniyin Selvan: I, which dropped on social media platforms on July 8, with visuals of swashbuckling warriors, scheming queens, majestic emperors and clever princesses, set against the backdrop of the mighty Chola empire of the 10 th century.

History on screen is a tricky subject, fictionalised or otherwise. The days when a  Mughal-e-Azam or a  Thiruvarutchelvar or a  Kannagi were received with rousing interest seem long gone. Legal objections over the  Ponniyin Selvan: I teaser, and protests against Padmaavat,  Bajirao Mastani and  Jodha Akbar have turned the job of making a historical in a politicised India rife with cancel culture and social media warriors, challenging.

Authenticity in terms of language, style, cultural appropriation and creative freedom, all need to be navigated today while making historical movies.

However, as new generations of Anglicised Tamils, reared on gaming, OTT and stand-up comic nights, want to know about their literary heroes and historical figures,  Ponniyin Selvan is ripe for a revival.