aakhyaayikaa

[aakhyaayikaa]

What Ponniyin Selvan Means To me

Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan - the mammoth novel that has cast a spell on lakhs of tamil readers for decades, transporting them a thousand years back and beyond to the beautiful Chola world  - carried me off too in its sway to Ponni nadhi.  I have dipped, and dipped again and again in to the novel, and emerged out feeling fresh and clean only to dive back again for another splash. Amarar Kalki has immortalised the great men and women who walked our ancient land and packaged their fine history and culture after painstaking study with deep insights and expansive imagination in the most educative and entertaining fashion. The result is an enthralling and spellbinding experience for the readers. To me, Amarar Kalki is a Margadarshi (trendsetter) for history admixed with fiction.

When the PS movie announcements came, i was very skeptical and worried that the magic PS-web i thrived in would be destroyed. But the recently made PS 1&2 movies have mostly stayed true to the spirit of the original, thankfully - and have only rekindled the passion of the PS readers and hooked scores more of worldwide movie buffs for sure. It is indeed a visual treat with the grandeur, locales, impeccable performances, music and of course the soul-stirring storyline. Thanks to the crew for making a historic movie in the first place and a good one at that. I went into a frenzy for about a week after watching PS-1 and went even crazier after watching the sequel. Thanks to Amazon, i have rewatched many times to my heart’s delight but not to my content. The PS movies are definitely library-worthy material just like the PS books!

Rajaraja Chola is the pride of Tamilnadu, the greatest hero of the Chola empire no doubt and Arulmozhi Varman of PS is loved by one and all.  Kundavai, his pretty and brainy sister, mentor and pillar of strength is thoroughly admirable. To many, the skilful, fun-loving, yet loyal-to-his-royals messenger Vanthiya Thevan is their hero. But the soul of the novel and the movies is undoubtedly the Aditha Karikalan-Nandini equation, the pristine love turned to vengeful hate between the flamboyant and fiery Crown Prince and the surreally beautiful simpleton Nandini - so much so that the book could even have been titled AK or Nandini and not PS.

I wonder how many have taken Kalki’s PS based research topics in universities and what theses they have arrived at. I am sure they are as majestic and magical as the authors’ writing.

[aakhyaayikaa]

What Ponniyin Selvan Means To Me

Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan - the mammoth novel that has cast a spell on lakhs of tamil readers for decades, transporting them a thousand years back and beyond to the beautiful Chola world  - carried me off too in its sway to Ponni nadhi.  I have dipped, and dipped again and again in to the novel, and emerged out feeling fresh and clean only to dive back again for another splash. Amarar Kalki has immortalised the great men and women who walked our ancient land and packaged their fine history and culture after painstaking study with deep insights and expansive imagination in the most educative and entertaining fashion. The result is an enthralling and spellbinding experience for the readers. To me, Amarar Kalki is a Margadarshi (trendsetter) for history admixed with fiction.

When the PS movie announcements came, i was very skeptical and worried the magic PS-web i thrived in would be destroyed. But the recently made PS 1&2 movies have mostly stayed true to the spirit of the original, thankfully - and have only rekindled the passion of the PS readers and hooked scores more of worldwide movie buffs for sure. It is indeed a visual treat with the grandeur, locales, impeccable performances, music and of course the soul-stirring storyline. Thanks to the crew for making a historic movie in the first place and a good one at that. I went into a frenzy for about a week after watching PS-1 and went even crazier after watching the sequel. Thanks to Amazon, i have rewatched many times to my heart’s delight but not to my content. The PS movies are definitely library-worthy material just like the PS books!

Rajaraja Chola is the pride of Tamilnadu, the greatest hero of the Chola empire no doubt and Arulmozhi Varman of PS is loved by one and all.  Kundavai, his pretty and brainy sister, mentor and pillar of strength is thoroughly admirable. To many, the skilful, fun-loving, yet loyal-to-his-royals messenger Vanthiya Thevan is their hero. But the soul of the novel and the movies is undoubtedly the Aditha Karikalan-Nandini equation, the pristine love turned to vengeful hate between the flamboyant and fiery Crown Prince and the surreally beautiful simpleton Nandini - so much so that the book could even have been titled AK or Nandini and not PS.

I wonder how many have taken Kalki’s PS based research topics in universities and what theses they have arrived at. I am sure they are as majestic and magical as the authors’ writing.