PS-1: Not a postscript

PS-1: Not a postscript

(an edited version of this review appeared in Tabla! 14-Oct-22 Page 8; screen grab at the end of the post)

Four of us watched PS-1 last weekend.

My mom, who got more up to-date through the incessant promotion on social media; a Telugu-speaking friend, who was curious about all the hullabaloos; wifey who came with a blank mind ready to absorb what is thrown at her; and finally, myself – a two-time PS reader with a decent idea of what to expect and of course extremely curious on how the book has been adapted to screen.

At the end of the movie, the reactions were:

Mom: Nice. They have worked hard and well.

Friend: PS-1 means ‘Pothumda Sami – 1’ roughly translated to ‘Enough dude – 1’

Wife: I liked it; but Baahubali was catchier. The movie ran in a jerky fashion.

And then yours-truly: I loved the movie. 

As usual, here is listicle of five thoughts:

How could a movie look so understatedly grand?

The comparison is inevitable. With Baahubali still fresh in people’s minds, PS-1 will be a let-down for people who were looking for CGI-produced huge palaces, mountains, waterfalls, weird animals etc. PS-1 scores so beautifully by focusing on giving the right amount the grandeur that is necessary for the scene, and it looked so real – which they were. #AuthenticArtPS

How could the female characters look so gorgeous?

The female leads Kundavai (Trisha), Nandini (Aishwarya Rai), Poonguzhali (Aishwarya Lakshmi), Vanathi (Sobhita Dhulipala) – each of them looked like million bucks with those fabulous hairdos, real gold/diamond jewellery, pleasing costumes… #SplendidSartorialPS

How could the dialogues be so insipid?

While the faithful-to-the-book screenplay worked for me despite its jumpy nature, the lines were… sorry Mani and Jeyamohan. Didn’t work. Movies are a visual medium. But to move the story, one needs dialogues that are strong and sharp. Unfortunately, Mani Ratnam resorted to his staccato style of dialogues; it worked partly as it did in the scene where Vanthiyathevan (Karthi) meets Kundavai. But to colloquialize the dialogues in the name of making the frontbenchers understand? Sigh! #DepletedDialoguePS

How could so many stars be assembled under one roof and yet not enough light?

If one were to look at the cast of PS-1 (and 2), the sheer number, as Wodehouse would put it, boggles the mind! Yet, only a few stick to mind. Vikram as Aditha Karikalan lives the character, Karthi rides, jumps, flirts, fights, carries the movie with elan, Trisha, despite her anglicized-Tamil diction (dubbed by Krithika Nelson I understand - then why not make it a bit cleaner!) sways in and out efficiently, Aishwarya Rai with a smouldering mind behind that serene visage… Again, no over-the-top histrionics. Just what is needed to move the story. (The acupuncture scene gets a special mention where Prakash Raj tolerates the pain of both the needles and his ministers' treachery!)  #SubduedThespianPS

How could the music be so sublime – well, for most part?

AR Rahman devotes special attention to Mani Ratnam’s movies. PS-1 is no different. The background music here is outstanding: scenes of Nandini, Trisha-Karthi combo; the action blocks etc., are just a scream. 

Yet the songs are a bit of a damp-squib except the peppy Ponni Nadhi; and a different Devaralan Aattam (the choreo for this was on point and reminded me of Veera Pandi Koettaiyile from Thiruda Thiruda!) #NearPitchPerfectPS

***

Ponniyin Selvan as a novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy is a tome of more than 2500 pages. Some people compare it to Game of Thrones – in terms of complexity, number of characters, the intrigue, the tension and what not – all for the sake of attaining the throne. It is a meandering story – much akin to the Ponni aka Cauvery River, with so many key characters that vie for one’s mind space.

To bring it all together; make it into a cogent screenplay; assemble an almost-right cast and crew; work through the pandemic; shoulder the extra-ordinary expectations of the legions of readers; and fight the nay-sayers who were cross with Mani Ratnam for interpreting the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata in a different manner – it is a fantastic achievement.

But for a few shortcomings, PS-1 is a worthy watch for bringing a much-beloved classic to screen beautifully. I am confident that this and the second part scheduled for 2023 will not be delegated to the PS of Indian movie history.

Go watch!

#sriGINthoughts #reviews #PS1

(From Tabla! 14-Oct-22)