Mani Ratnam’s Real Problem Is Rajamouli

The teaser of Mani Ratnam’s upcoming big-budget historical drama Ponniyin Selvan -1 (PS-1) was unveiled yesterday, and the response has been mixed. The Tamil cinema fans tried to elevate the movie as the next big thing coming from India, but most were left unimpressed.

Many on social media are commenting that Mani Ratnam has become over-ambitious and has attempted something which he is not capable of. Some are saying that Mani Ratnam should stick to making love stories which are his forte.

Netizens also commented that Mani Ratnam fell into the trap of dominating SS Rajamouli. Mani Ratnam considers himself the first pan-Indian director after films like Roja and Bombay. But SS Rajamouli has become the biggest director of all time from India after Baahubali and RRR. Now Mani Ratnam wants to surpass him, and Ponniyin Selvan is an effort in that direction.

But going by the teaser, many felt that Mani lacks the understanding of making a contemporary magnum opus. Many also pointed out that he also doesn’t have the knowledge about the use of VFX or choreography of war scenes. His execution looks outdated and doesn’t match the standards set by Baahubali or RRR.

Ponniyin Selvan is a two-part film based on the epic book authored by Kalki. The first part is all set to release in multi-languages on Sep 30.