Christopher Selvarajah

I am not a Tamil historian but have gathered scattered knowledge about the period set in Ponniyin Selvan where influence extended to Southeast Asia of the mighty Cholas. I am not a movie-theatre goer (1st movie in 4 years) but was excited about this period movie. It may be 'factual' as depicted in the Kalki series but for the general public, it was too much to take in. I was resorting to English subtitles to get the gist of the story which distracted from the movie but was a necessity. The Pandian and Chola rivalry and the Saivite-Vishnavite rivalry was in the background but was clearly subsumed in the overly done battle scenes. The theme did not stand out. Great cast and superb acting. Not sure if I am looking forward to Part 2, but curiosity kills the cat, I will probably go.