''Ponnar Shankar'' is a 2011 Indian
epic historical drama film
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and sw ...
produced and directed by
Thiagarajan
Thiagarajan Sivanandam (born 21 June 1946) is an Indian actor, director and producer in Tamil cinema. Beside Tamil, he has also acted in several Malayalam and Kannada films and a few Telugu films. He is the father of Tamil actor Prashanth and t ...
. It is a fictionalised account of the
Ponnar Shankar epic, adapted from
M. Karunanidhis novel of the same name. It features Thiagarajan's son
Prashanth
Prashanth Thiagarajan (born 6 April 1973), known professionally as Prashanth, is an Indian actor and businessman, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in few Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam ...
in lead dual roles as warrior princes, portraying the title characters, with actresses
Pooja Chopra
Pooja Chopra is an Indian actress. She won the title of Femina Miss India World 2009. She is the first Indian to win the "Beauty with a Purpose" title at the Miss World competition for India. As an actress, Chopra was awarded the Times Most Po ...
and
Divya Parameshwaran making their film debut as princesses and
Prakash Raj as the main antagonist. The film also features an extensive cast of supporting actors with
Prabhu
''Prabhu'' means master or the Prince in Sanskrit and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to God. The term is also used by devotees of the Hindu God Lord Krishna/Vishnu as a title and form of address. It is also appended ...
,
Jayaram
Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasional ...
,
Khushbu Sundar
Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
,
Sneha,
Vijayakumar,
Nassar
Nassar ( ar, نصار, lit=helper, protector, supporter, victory-maker), is a given name and surname, commonly found in the Arabic language. Alternative spellings of this name, possibly due to transliteration include Naser, Nasser, Nasir, Naseer ...
,
Rajkiran
J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar, known by his stage name Rajkiran, is an Indian actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 30 Tamil films.
Early life
Rajkiran was born as J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar on 16 March 1959 at Keelakarai into a Mu ...
,
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, and
Ponvannan
Ponvannan (born Shanmugam; 23 September 1963) is an Indian actor and director who has worked in Tamil cinema and television. After beginning his career as an artist (painter), Ponvannan apprenticed as a director and writer under Bharathiraja. H ...
, amongst others. The background score and soundtrack of the film, composed by
Ilaiyaraaja, with cinematography handled by
Shaji Kumar
Shaji Kumar is an Indian cinematographer, who has worked in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries.
Career
Shaji Kumar began his career as a cinematographer for Malayalam films, He has frequently collaborated with leading Indian filmmakers l ...
and editing done by
Don Max.
Filming, although significantly delayed, began in August 2009 at
Valluvar Kottam
Valluvar Kottam ( ta, வள்ளுவர் கோட்டம்) is a monument in Chennai, dedicated to the classical Tamil poet philosopher Valluvar. It is the city’s biggest Tamil cultural centre.
Location
Valluvar Kottam is located a ...
in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, where an ancient township film set with temples, forts, a lake and palaces had been built. The film's producers encountered difficulties in making prompt payments to its crew that consisted of more than 1000 members during the filming in the forests of
Pollachi
Pollachi is a town and a taluk headquarters in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu state, India. Located about to the south of Coimbatore, it is the second largest town in the district after Coimbatore. Pollachi is a popular Marketplace for jag ...
. The filming then shifted to
Guindy National Park
Guindy National Park is a protected area of Tamil Nadu, located in Chennai, India, is the 8th-smallest National Park of India and one of the very few national parks situated inside a city. The park is an extension of the grounds surrounding R ...
in Chennai, with the battle sequences shot in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
and
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
.
Prior to its release, the film drew criticism from the
Kongu Nadu Munnetra Kazhagam
Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam (KMK) is a caste based political party representing the Kongu Vellala Gounders, a backward caste in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The party's vote base is mainly concentrated in the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu.
...
(KMK) Party with an unsuccessful petition filed at
Madras High Court seeking a ban on the film, claiming that it portrayed the traditional deities of the
gounder
Gounder is a title used by various communities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It may refer to communities such as the , Kongu Vellalars , Kurumbas, Tuluva Vellalars, Uralis, Vanniyars, Vettuvars and Vokkaligas.
Etymology
There are number ...
community in a bad light. The film was released on 9 April 2011 to a mixed response from critics. Although praised for its cinematography and art direction, it was criticised for having a weak plot and character deficiencies.
Plot
A love affair between Thamarai Nachiyar (
Khushbu
Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
) and her maternal cousin Nellian Kodan (
Jayaram
Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasional ...
) is poorly received by their family, especially since he is not financially well off. Thamarai's father, King Periyamalai Kozhundhu Gounder (
Vijayakumar), arranges for her marriage to Mandhiyappan (
Prakash Raj), the ruler of a neighbouring country. Thamarai rejects the arranged marriage, angering Mandhiyappan. She later marries her lover, who had come to see her marry Mandhiyappan, and challenges her brother Chinnamalai Kozhundhu (
Ponvannan
Ponvannan (born Shanmugam; 23 September 1963) is an Indian actor and director who has worked in Tamil cinema and television. After beginning his career as an artist (painter), Ponvannan apprenticed as a director and writer under Bharathiraja. H ...
) to marry his daughters off to her sons (the marriage of
cousins
Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, ...
is a
gounder
Gounder is a title used by various communities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It may refer to communities such as the , Kongu Vellalars , Kurumbas, Tuluva Vellalars, Uralis, Vanniyars, Vettuvars and Vokkaligas.
Etymology
There are number ...
custom). Periyamalai Kozhundhu disowns his daughter for choosing Nellaiyankondan and banishes them from his kingdom.
Many years later, Mayavar (
Nassar
Nassar ( ar, نصار, lit=helper, protector, supporter, victory-maker), is a given name and surname, commonly found in the Arabic language. Alternative spellings of this name, possibly due to transliteration include Naser, Nasser, Nasir, Naseer ...
), a chieftain of a village in Periyamalai Kozhundhu's kingdom, encounters twin brothers Ponnar and Shankar (both played by
Prashanth
Prashanth Thiagarajan (born 6 April 1973), known professionally as Prashanth, is an Indian actor and businessman, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in few Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam ...
), who are being tutored in
martial arts by Rakki Annan (
Rajkiran
J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar, known by his stage name Rajkiran, is an Indian actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 30 Tamil films.
Early life
Rajkiran was born as J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar on 16 March 1959 at Keelakarai into a Mu ...
). Ponnar and Shankar are valorous and compassionate to the sufferings of the poor. One day, the twins save two sisters, Muthaayi (
Pooja Chopra
Pooja Chopra is an Indian actress. She won the title of Femina Miss India World 2009. She is the first Indian to win the "Beauty with a Purpose" title at the Miss World competition for India. As an actress, Chopra was awarded the Times Most Po ...
) and Pavalaayi (
Divya Parameshwaran), from death. The girls are later revealed to be daughters of Chinnamalai Kozhundhu. Impressed with Ponnar and Shankar's valour, Chinnamalai Kozhundhu agrees to marry his daughters off to them.
A flashback reveals that Ponnar and Sankar are actually Thamarai's sons and that Rakki, who was then a servant of Nellian Kondan, had saved the twins as small children from Mandhiyappan. Mandhiyappan had attempted to avenge himself on Thamarai for rejecting his hand in marriage. He learns that the twins are still alive and hatches a conspiracy to kill them. He tricks Kali Mannan (
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
) and Periyamalai Kozhundhu into helping him. This leads to an intense battle which ends with good prevailing over evil.
Cast
*
Prashanth
Prashanth Thiagarajan (born 6 April 1973), known professionally as Prashanth, is an Indian actor and businessman, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in few Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam ...
as Ponnar and Shankar, the twin brothers from Kongu Nadu
*
Pooja Chopra
Pooja Chopra is an Indian actress. She won the title of Femina Miss India World 2009. She is the first Indian to win the "Beauty with a Purpose" title at the Miss World competition for India. As an actress, Chopra was awarded the Times Most Po ...
as Muthaayi, Shankar's love interest
*
Divya Parameshwaran as Pavalaayi, Ponnar's love interest
*
Prakash Raj as Manthiappan, the rival king who schemes to bring down Ponnar and Shankar
*
Prabhu
''Prabhu'' means master or the Prince in Sanskrit and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to God. The term is also used by devotees of the Hindu God Lord Krishna/Vishnu as a title and form of address. It is also appended ...
as the Chola King, an ally to Ponnar and Shankar
*
Jayaram
Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasional ...
as Nellian Kodan / Massasamy, Ponnar and Shankar's father
*
Khushbu Sundar
Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
as Thamarai Nachiyar, Ponnar and Shankar's mother
*
Sneha as Arukkaani Thangam, Ponnar and Shankar's sister
*
Vijayakumar as King Periyamalai Kozhundu, Thamarai's father
*
Nassar
Nassar ( ar, نصار, lit=helper, protector, supporter, victory-maker), is a given name and surname, commonly found in the Arabic language. Alternative spellings of this name, possibly due to transliteration include Naser, Nasser, Nasir, Naseer ...
as Mayavar, village chieftain in Periyamalai Kozhundhu's kingdom
*
Rajkiran
J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar, known by his stage name Rajkiran, is an Indian actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 30 Tamil films.
Early life
Rajkiran was born as J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar on 16 March 1959 at Keelakarai into a Mu ...
as Raaki Annan, Nellian's servant
*
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
as King of Kongu Nadu Thalaiyoor Kaali, an ally to Mandhiyappan
*
Ponvannan
Ponvannan (born Shanmugam; 23 September 1963) is an Indian actor and director who has worked in Tamil cinema and television. After beginning his career as an artist (painter), Ponvannan apprenticed as a director and writer under Bharathiraja. H ...
as Chinnamalai Kozhundu, Thamarai's brother
*
Riyaz Khan
Riyaz Khan is an Indian actor and bodybuilder. He predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil films and television series, besides acting in a few Telugu and Kannada films, as well as two Hindi films. Riyaz debuted in Malayalam through the 199 ...
as Vaiyamperumal, Chinnamalai's son
*
Lakshmi Ramakrishnan
Lakshmy Ramakrishnan is an Indian actress, director and philanthropist. She made her debut in the Malayalam film ''Chakkara Muthu'' (2006), and has since appeared primarily in supporting roles in Tamil films.
Personal life
Lakshmy was born an ...
as Silambayi, Chinnamalai's wife
*
Sukumari as Vaanayi, an old lady
*
Seetha as Azhagu Nachiyar
*
Captain Raju as Chellatha Gounder, Manthiappan's father
*
Ponnambalam as Thalapathi
*
Bose Venkat
Bose Venkat is an Indian actor, director and dubbing artist who appears in Tamil films and television serials.
Personal life
Venkat is married to actress Sonia in 2003. The couple have a son Tejaswin and a daughter Bavadarani
Career
Venkat c ...
as Veerannan
* Bharat Dabholkar as Thirumalai
*
Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of th ...
as King's Minister
*
Delhi Ganesh
Delhi Ganesh is an Indian actor who mostly acts in supporting roles in Tamil cinema and serials. He has acted in more than 400 films from 1976 to present. Before films, he was a member of the Delhi-based theatre troupe, ''Dakshina Bharata Natak ...
*
Santhana Bharathi
*
Shanmugarajan
Shanmugarajan is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films.
He is an alumnus of The American College in Madurai and National School of Drama.
Filmography
Television
References
External links
*
*
Living people
Male actor ...
*
Mahanadi Shankar
Mahanadi Shankar is an Indian stage, film and television actor, who has appeared in Tamil language films and serials as supporting actor and negative roles. He has appeared in films including ''Mahanadi'' (1994), '' Baashha'' (1995), ''Ratchaga ...
*
Besant Ravi
Besant Ravi (born R. Ravi Kumar; 1 June 1970) is an Indian actor and stunt choreographer. He has played antagonistic supporting roles in Tamil, Hindi and several other Indian language films.
Early life
Besant Ravi, who was born and brought up ...
* Bharathi Kannan
* Geetha Babu
*
Bhanu Bhanu may be:
* an epithet of the deity Surya
*Eldest son of the Hindu deities-Shri Krishna and Devi Satyabhama
* the name of a place in Nepal:
** Bhanu Municipality, the current municipality
** Bhanu, Nepal, the former VDC
**
* a given name; nota ...
in a special appearance
Production
Development
![Karunanidhi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Karunanidhi.jpg)
In early 2007,
Thiagarajan
Thiagarajan Sivanandam (born 21 June 1946) is an Indian actor, director and producer in Tamil cinema. Beside Tamil, he has also acted in several Malayalam and Kannada films and a few Telugu films. He is the father of Tamil actor Prashanth and t ...
approached M. Karunanidhi with the intention of making a film on his adaptation of the
Ponnar Shankar epic
Ponnar Shankar is a historical story (990–1020 CE) as part of the post-Sangam history of the Tamil country. This period saw the rise and fall of many kingdoms, some of which were empires that exerted influence far and wide.
It is also named as ...
that he had written in the late 1970s. The latter accepted Thiagarajan's offer and approved of his decision to cast his son,
Prashanth
Prashanth Thiagarajan (born 6 April 1973), known professionally as Prashanth, is an Indian actor and businessman, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in few Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam ...
, in the dual lead roles.
In July 2008, the project was officially announced in a press meet. The film subsequently began pre-production, with Thyagarajan opting to produce the film under his Sri Lakshmi Shanthi Films banner. The preliminary stages of the production took more than a year, with story-boarding, costume designs and colossal set designs all being finalized. Prashanth revealed that extensive research about the time period alone took a year and a half. Prashanth grew his hair out for his role in the film.
At the launch of the film in July 2009, Thiagarajan announced that 36 prominent actors would play lead roles with a hundred others in supporting roles.
The invitation cards for the launch had 3D holographic designs which won the
Sappi
Sappi Limited, originally incorporated as ''South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited'' in 1936, is a South African pulp and paper company with global operations.
Products and operation
South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limite ...
awards of the year 2009.
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebriti ...
and
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most po ...
were initially considered for the female lead roles,
before
Miss India Miss India may refer to:
* Femina Miss India, the most prestigious and oldest surviving national beauty pageant in India that started in 1964. It sends its winner to Miss World.
* Miss Diva, the national beauty pageant that sends its winners to Miss ...
2009
Pooja Chopra
Pooja Chopra is an Indian actress. She won the title of Femina Miss India World 2009. She is the first Indian to win the "Beauty with a Purpose" title at the Miss World competition for India. As an actress, Chopra was awarded the Times Most Po ...
and
Divya Parameshwaran accepted the roles. The producers initially listed Sathyaraj in its cast, later replaced by
Prabhu
''Prabhu'' means master or the Prince in Sanskrit and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to God. The term is also used by devotees of the Hindu God Lord Krishna/Vishnu as a title and form of address. It is also appended ...
.
Approximately 5000
junior artists and 1000 artists from the annual
Chennai Sangamam
Chennai Sangamam (Tamil: சென்னை சங்கமம்) is a large annual open Tamil cultural festival held in the city of Chennai. The festival is organized by the Tamil Maiyam and Department of Tourism and Culture of the Governmen ...
had reportedly taken part in the film.
For music, Thiagarajan approached
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
in 2008, and
Ilaiyaraaja eventually replaced him. Muthuraj was selected as the art director for the film and Shaji Kumar as cinematographer while Prashanth took care of visual effects.
The film ran into production trouble in mid 2010 and was close to being shelved, with sources reporting that Thiagarajan sold the film to Santiago Martin to revive the project. The reports proved to be untrue, and Thiagarajan maintained that he was still the producer of the film. The film had also begun to surpass its budget, due to the casual nature of shooting and difficulties in creating historical sets.
The first shots from the film and the video for three songs were unveiled publicly in March 2011, with the publicity campaign initiated after this.
Filming
Filming commenced on 12 July 2009 at
Valluvar Kottam
Valluvar Kottam ( ta, வள்ளுவர் கோட்டம்) is a monument in Chennai, dedicated to the classical Tamil poet philosopher Valluvar. It is the city’s biggest Tamil cultural centre.
Location
Valluvar Kottam is located a ...
in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, where an entire ancient township film set with temples, forts, a lake and palaces was created.
Scenes containing actor and politician
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
as the historical figure Thalaiyoor Kaali were shot there first.
Thereafter, scenes featuring
Jayaram
Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasional ...
and
Khushbu
Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
were filmed, portraying characters which were considerably younger than they are in real life. Prashanth revealed that portraying a dual role meant that he was forced to change his costumes up to forty times a day in to order portray the twin brothers' differences correctly.
In March 2010,
Sneha was roped in to play Arukaani, sister of the warrior twins, and her scenes were filmed.
The climax scenes of the film were shot in the deserts of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
in February 2011. The final phase of filming was going on in the forests of
Pollachi
Pollachi is a town and a taluk headquarters in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu state, India. Located about to the south of Coimbatore, it is the second largest town in the district after Coimbatore. Pollachi is a popular Marketplace for jag ...
with elephants and horses resembling the region in the 1500s, when the production team couldn't make prompt payments to the onsite crew that consisted of more than 1000 members. The displeasure shown by the crew threatened to disrupt filming.
Karunanidhi, the writer, visited the sets of the film in a
Vadapalani
Vadapalani is a neighbourhood in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for its film studios and the Vadapalani Andavar Temple, which is an important pilgrimage centre. Situated in the western part of Chennai, Vadapalani is an i ...
studio in February 2011 to peruse over the scenes that had been shot at the time,
and filming then moved on to
Guindy National Park
Guindy National Park is a protected area of Tamil Nadu, located in Chennai, India, is the 8th-smallest National Park of India and one of the very few national parks situated inside a city. The park is an extension of the grounds surrounding R ...
in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. The four battle sequences in the movie were shot in
Perambalur, near
Trichy
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
and
Warangal
Warangal () is a city in the Indian state of Telangana and the district headquarters of Warangal district. It is the second largest city in Telangana with a population of 704,570 per 2011 Census of India, and spreading over an .
Warangal ser ...
in
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. The scene in Trichy took 28 days to complete, with 30,000 junior artists used as soldiers along with 3000 horses. Another battle scene was shot underwater.
A few scenes in the film were reshot after the criticism it received at its premiere that Prashanth's characters showed no emotions at the death of their parents.
Historical background
Ponnar and Shankar, believed to be
Chera chieftains, were rulers of the Ponni valanadu (now in the
Tiruchirappalli
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bei ...
area), in medieval Tamil Nadu. They were said to be in good terms with the
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
ruler, Vijaya Renga Chokkanathar (1706 - 1732 A. D), who was their contemporary.
The legendary
folk tale of these brothers, also known as Annamar Swamigal, has been passed down through many generations by means of village songs (known as Gramiya Padalgal) and traditional street theatre, known as Therukkoothu. Absence of reliable written historical records makes it difficult to ascertain the credibility of any of the above claims, along with the widely held legend which was popularised by M Karunanidhi's novel on the subject.
According to the legend, the brothers were born to Periyakaralanaka Mannudaiyak Kounden and Thamaraiyal of Manamadurai, belonging to the
Kongu Vellalar
Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.
Etymology
The Vellalar of the Kongu country came to be known as Kongu Vellalar. They are also known by names such as "Bupaalan", Gangavamsam, Kudiyaanavar and Vi ...
community. They had attained the kingdom with help from the then king of
Urayur
Uraiyur (also spelt Woraiyur) is a posh locality in Tiruchirapalli city in Tamil Nadu, India. Uraiyur was the ancient name of Tiruchirappalli City. Now, it became the one of the busiest area in Trichy City. It was the capital of the early Chola ...
, which was the capital of early
Cholas. Thalaiyur Kali, a neighbouring country king belonging to the rival Vettuva Gounder caste, hatched a conspiracy against the brothers which led to a war and the subsequent death of Shankar who was tricked into proving his innocence by falling over a sword. Grieving the loss of his brother, Ponnar entered the battlefield, killing Kali Mannan, before proceeding to kill himself. The brothers were then brought to life by their sister Arukaani with help from the Goddess Periyakandiamman.
The brothers, however, were told by the Gods that their earthly duties were over which led to their leaving the mortal world.
Arukaani followed suit by throwing herself along with her royal ornaments into a well in Valanadu, a village in
Trichy
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
.
A temple was later erected in the spot (which falls in the present day Veerappur) where Shankar died, with Periyakandiamman as the presiding deity.
There is also a belief that the well in Sadayandi Thoppu, near Veerappur, in which Arukaani drowned herself, still has her gold ornaments.
This story has been the subject of poems, songs and a
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
historical novel by
M. Karunanidhi. Karunanidhi's novel drew inspiration from a 1971 work written by Kavignar Sakthikanal, who had researched and documented the references to Ponnar and Shankar in the ancient palm leaves he came across at
Manapparai
Manapparai () is a town and a municipality in Tiruchirappalli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Manapparai Town is Located at 38 km Away From Trichy Headquarters, Manapparai is the headquarters of the Manapparai Taluk. Manapparai ...
.
Today the brothers are worshipped as
tutelar deities by people belonging to
Kongu Vellalar
Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.
Etymology
The Vellalar of the Kongu country came to be known as Kongu Vellalar. They are also known by names such as "Bupaalan", Gangavamsam, Kudiyaanavar and Vi ...
community as a tribute to the brave way the brothers defended their kingdom.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film was composed by
Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics written by
Vaali,
Na. Muthukumar,
Snehan
Snehan (born Sivaselvam) is a Tamil poet, politician, lyricist, and actor who has worked in the Tamil film industry. In the year 2018 he entered politics with Makkal Needhi Maiam and contested in the Lok Sabha election. In 2021 Tamil Nadu Legi ...
and Ilaiyaraaja. The album was released on 7 March 2011 at the
Prasad Studios
Prasad Studios & Prasad Film Labs are motion picture post-production studios headquartered in Hyderabad, India, founded by Prasad Group in 1956. The production house has produced over 150 movies in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.
...
in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
with
Karunanidhi presiding over the event. The soundtrack album consists of six tracks, with four of them sung by
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
. The film initially had a track about the glories of
Kongu Vellalar
Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.
Etymology
The Vellalar of the Kongu country came to be known as Kongu Vellalar. They are also known by names such as "Bupaalan", Gangavamsam, Kudiyaanavar and Vi ...
which was removed later during the editing process. One of its tracks, "Annanmaar Kathai" belongs to the Tamil
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
genre. The song "Kannai Padithaen" received a special mention in ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' newspaper where it was cited as "simply melodious and rings in ones ears for long".
The soundtrack received a negative review by ''
Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
'', which stated that the "tunes were all generic" and that the operatic background score did not gel well with the film's subject. It summed that "Ilaiyaraja had just skimmed the bare bones of his usually fulfilling musical compositions".
There was also a review in ''
Dinakaran
Dinakaran is a Tamil daily newspaper distributed in Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded by K. P. Kandasamy in 1977 and is currently owned by media conglomerate Sun Group's- Sun Network.''Dinakaran'' is the second largest circulated Tamil daily ...
'' on the inappropriateness of the film's tracks as the reviewer felt they were ill-suited to the film's historical themes.
Release
The film began its publicity campaign in February 2011 with the goal of releasing the film during the period of the
2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
The Fourteenth Legislative Assembly Election was held on 13 April 2011 to elect members from 234 constituencies in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Results were released on 13 May 2011. Two major parties Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All In ...
s to raise support of the
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
(DMK) Party, led by the film's writer, M. Karunanidhi. Criticism mounted against Karunanidhi for being more involved in his artistic pursuits than in his Chief Ministerial duties as the elections approached.
Prior to release, the film also drew criticism from the
Kongu Nadu Munnetra Kazhagam
Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam (KMK) is a caste based political party representing the Kongu Vellala Gounders, a backward caste in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The party's vote base is mainly concentrated in the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu.
...
(KMK) Party claiming that the film portrayed the traditional deities of the
gounder
Gounder is a title used by various communities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It may refer to communities such as the , Kongu Vellalars , Kurumbas, Tuluva Vellalars, Uralis, Vanniyars, Vettuvars and Vokkaligas.
Etymology
There are number ...
community in a bad light, showing them dancing with semi-nude women. Leading figures from the party wrote to the
Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provision ...
(CBFC) to ban the film,
holding the promotional material used for the movie as evidence. When they received no response from CBFC, a petition was filed at
Madras High Court, seeking its ban under
Article 226 of the Indian constitution. The petition was dismissed, given that Article 226 can only be used by a court on a body that falls within its jurisdiction.
The film was released on 9 April 2011, four days before the election.
It received a lukewarm response at the box office, opening at 14 theatres in Chennai where it collected in the first three days.
After a two-week run it collected from Chennai, and was declared "average" by trade pundits.
Reception
The film received a mixed reception from critics. The film was praised for its technical merit and art direction,
Shaji Kumar
Shaji Kumar is an Indian cinematographer, who has worked in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries.
Career
Shaji Kumar began his career as a cinematographer for Malayalam films, He has frequently collaborated with leading Indian filmmakers l ...
's cinematography, Ilayaraja's re-recording, crisp editing and predominantly colloquial dialogues (unusual for Karunanidhi's films), but criticised for its weak storyline and continuity problems.
''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' praised the "terrific" art direction and Shaji Kumar's cinematography but stated that there were far "too many gaps in the story to ensure that the movie never rises above its mediocrity and ends up being an epic disappointment", giving it two-and-a-half out of five stars.
''Thinakaran'' and ''Nakkheeeran'' compared the grandeur of the film to that of
S. Shankar
Shankar Shanmugam (born 17 August 1963), credited as S. Shankar or his mononym Shankar, is an Indian filmmaker who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He is one of the most prolific and highest paid film directors in India. His films typicall ...
, noted for making high budget films in Tamil.
''Eelam Press'' gave it a positive review, lauding on all aspects of the film, particularly the film's war scenes, highlighting that by using contemporary Tamil, instead of its ancient counterpart in its dialogues, the audience could better relate to it.
Malathi Rangarajan's review (''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'') was fair, labelling the film an "alluring canvas", praising the opulent sets, locations, rich costumes and imposing cast, yet noted that it was "too short to negate the many loopholes".
Divya Parameshwaran was appreciated in her debut role, while
Pooja Chopra
Pooja Chopra is an Indian actress. She won the title of Femina Miss India World 2009. She is the first Indian to win the "Beauty with a Purpose" title at the Miss World competition for India. As an actress, Chopra was awarded the Times Most Po ...
was credited as being "attractive too, but
erexpressions needed some honing".
Though
Prashanth
Prashanth Thiagarajan (born 6 April 1973), known professionally as Prashanth, is an Indian actor and businessman, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in few Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam ...
's stunt acts were appreciated, Rangarajan pointed out his character flaws, such as minimal expressions which were "barely a smirk" in the initial scenes, and the distinct lack of distinguishable traits between the twin characters he depicted.
He also highlighted the lack of logic in Periyamalai Gounder's (
Vijayakumar) animosity towards his daughter Thamarai (
Khushbu
Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
) and the cheerful appearance of Thamarai when she must have been sad and heartbroken in the wedding scene with Prakashraj.
''
Vikatan'' stated that the only good aspects of the movie were its expensive sets and its avoidance of boring archaic Tamil dialogues, common in other period films in Tamil, giving it a rating of 41 points out of 100.
Historical inaccuracies
''Rediff'' declared that "there is nothing even remotely historical about the movie".
It added that though the film is said to be based on Karunanidhi's novel, the film's commercialised look, along with "half clad women prancing around", made it resemble
Ashutosh Gowariker
Ashutosh Gowariker (born 15 February 1964) is an Indian film director, actor, screenwriter and producer who works in Hindi cinema. He is known for directing films "set on a huge canvas while boasting of an opulent treatment".
His is particular ...
's 2008 film ''
Jodhaa Akbar
''Jodhaa Akbar'' is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic drama film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the titular roles. Set in the 16th century, the film shows the life and ...
''.
It went on that "historical accuracy had been thrown to the winds" and that there were no references to actual places, kings or time periods.
''The Times of India'' noted the historical inconsistencies, such as the presence of a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
constructed dam in a scene while the film is set in pre-colonial period, "wire stunts of Prashanth in action sequences", revealing costumes donned by the lead actresses and also the bamboo dance sequence in the film which is actually native to
Nagaland
Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...
.
It summed that the film lacks attention to detail which is a necessary feature of historical films.
''The New Indian Express'' called it a "pseudo historical".
Kavignar Sakthikanal, whose 1971 work was the basis for Karunanidhi's novel, observed that the inaccuracies originated from the novel itself due its usage of
literary devices
A narrative technique (known for literary fictional narratives as a literary technique, literary device, or fictional device) is any of several specific methods the creator of a narrative uses to convey what they want
—in other words, a stra ...
like
exaggeration
Exaggeration is the representation of something as more extreme or dramatic than it really is. Exaggeration may occur intentionally or unintentionally.
Exaggeration can be a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke stron ...
. He further stated that Ponnar and Shankar remained celibate throughout their lives while in the movie they were shown romancing with immodestly dressed women. They married only to avenge the ill treatment meted out to their mother and promptly sent their newly wed wives to prison denying coital relations with them, he added. Also, in the film the title characters were not shown committing suicide as in Sakthikanal and Karunanidhi's version, but rather were depicted emerging victorious from the war unscathed.
References
External links
*
* {{IMDb title, 1931513
2010s Tamil-language films
2011 films
Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja
History of India on film
Indian biographical drama films
Indian epic films
Twins in Indian films
2011 biographical drama films
2010s historical drama films
War epic films
Films set in ancient India
Films based on Indian novels
Films with screenplays by M. Karunanidhi
Films shot in Rajasthan
Films shot in Telangana
Films shot in Tiruchirappalli
Indian historical drama films
Films shot in Pollachi
2011 drama films