Ponniyin Selvan
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''Ponniyin Selvan'' () is a
historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...
novel by Indian author
Kalki Krishnamurthy , birth_name = Ramasamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy , birth_date = , birth_place = Puthamangalam, near Manalmedu , death_date = , death_place = Chennai, India , occupation = journalist, critic and writer , nationality = Indian , education = H ...
, written in
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, na ...
. It was first serialized in the weekly editions of ''Kalki'', a Tamil magazine, from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954 and later integrated into five volumes in 1955. In about 2,210 pages, it tells the story of early days of
Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...
prince
Arulmozhivarman Rajaraja I (947 CE – 1014 CE), born Arunmozhi Varman or Arulmozhi Varman and often described as Raja Raja the Great or Raja Raja Chozhan was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He was the most powerful Tamil king in South ...
. Kalki visited
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
three times to gather information and for inspiration. ''Ponniyin Selvan'' is regarded as one of the greatest novels of
Tamil literature Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from T ...
. The fan-following for the series, which was published weekly in ''Kalki'', was such that it elevated the magazine circulation to reach a figure of 71,366 copies –a vast readership in a newly independent India. The book continued to be admired in the modern era, developing a
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
and fanbase among people of all generations. ''Ponniyin Selvan'' has garnered critical acclaim for its tightly woven plot, vivid narration, wit of the dialogue, and portrayal of the intrigues and power struggle of the Chola empire in the 10th-century. A
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
of the novel, directed by Indian filmmaker
Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...
, is underway. The first part, '' Ponniyin Selvan: I'' (PS1), was released on 30 September 2022. The second part, ''Ponniyin Selvan: II'' (PS2), is expected to release in 2023, six to nine months after the theatrical release of PS1.


Book volumes


Overview


Characters

*
Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan was a commander of the Chola Army. He was one among the famous chieftains of the Chola emperors Rajaraja I and Rajendra I and chief of the Samanthas of North Arcot and also the husband of Rajaraja's elder sister Kunth ...
: The brave, adventurous and sarcastic warrior prince of the Vaanar clan, who later becomes the Commander for Southern Troops under the reign of Utthama Chola. He is the bodyguard and close friend of Karikalan,who sends him as a messenger to Sundara Chola in Thanjavur to invite him to the newly built golden palace in Kanchi. His impulsive actions put himself and others in danger but he comes out of them with trickery and luck. He is the lover of Princess Kundavai. He is loved one-sidedly by Manimekalai, the sister of Kandanmaran. * Nandhini: Pazhuvoor Princess and wife of Periya Pazhuvettraraiyar whose birth and origin was doubtful in the beginning. The main antagonist of the story. She was born in Madurai and grew up in a priest family along with royal children in Pazhayarai until her youth. She is the foster-sister of Azhwarkadiyan Nambi. She hated Kundavai as Kundavai was jealous of Nandini's beauty. She and Prince Karikalan developed a liking for each other in their childhood which nobody in the royalty liked. She was forced to flee Pazhaiyarai and live in Madurai. After beheaded the injured Veerapandiyan, she joined Pandya conspirators and vowed to take revenge on him by killing him and destroying the Chola dynasty. By marrying Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar who had lusted for her and by using him, she helped the Pandya conspirators. She had a deep hatred towards the royalty for their ill-treatment and also had a desire for the throne. She had a terrible childhood that affected her badly and wanted to be with her mother Mandakini. Parthibendra Pallava and Kandanmaran fell for her beauty and she used them for her plot too. [Mandakini Devi went to Tanjore (while she was pregnant), Sembiyan Maadevi was pregnant too, so she took care of Mandakini during her pregnancy. During child birth Sembiyan Maadevi gave birth to a still born son but Mandakini gave birth twins to a boy (Madurantaka) and a girl (Nandhini). Sembiyan Maadevi swapped her still born son with Mandakini's son. She asked Vaani Ammal (she was a maid in the place at that time) to bury her still born son and gave the daughter to Azhvarkadiyan's parents . Vaani Ammal after leaving the palace notices that Sembiyan Maadevi's son (Senthan Amuthan) is alive, she fosters him and raises him as her own son.] * Azhwarkadiyan Nambi (alias Thirumalaiappan): A Veera Vaishnavism, Vaishnavite spy who works for the Prime Minister and Queen Mother Sembiyan Mahadevi. He is the foster-brother of Nandhini and also a close friend of Vandiyathevan. He works closely with him and saves him from many dangers. He was a loyal trustful servant for the Chola royal government. He often does many religious word battles with Veera
Shaivites Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...
and Advaitis. * Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar: The chancellor and treasurer of the Chola kingdom from the
Paluvettaraiyar The Pazhuvettaraiyar were feudatories of the medieval Cholas. They ruled over the areas of Kila-Paluvur, Mela-Paluvur and Keezhaiyur in the Udaiyarpalayam taluk of the Ariyalur district. They were responsible for a number of benefactions to t ...
clan who was respected for his valor, as demonstrated by the 64 scars he got in battles. The second most powerful man in the empire. Enamoured by her beauty, he marries a much younger Nandini, and gets scapegoated by her. He was the leader of the conspirators who tried to make Madurantakan the next emperor. * Ilaya Piraati Kundhavai Devi'':'' The Chola princess. Second child and only daughter of Sundara Chola. Lover of Vandiyathevan. She was respected much by her father and the people for her intelligence and wit. Unlike other princesses of those times, she had an ambition of making Chola empire wide and great and took a vow to never leave her motherland. She used her brother Arulmozhivarman and his son to achieve her ambition. She raised and taught Arulmozhivarman to be an intelligent prince and wished to make him the Chola emperor. She sent Vandiyathevan to bring back Arulmozhivarman from Sri Lanka to guard him. *
Rajaraja I Rajaraja I (947 CE – 1014 CE), born Arunmozhi Varman or Arulmozhi Varman and often described as Raja Raja the Great or Raja Raja Chozhan was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He was the most powerful Tamil king in South ...
, also known as Ponniyin Selvan: The titular protagonist. The youngest son of Sundara Chola. He was raised in Pazhayarai by Periya Piratti and Ilaya Piratti. He was taught well by his sister was sent to Sri Lanka at the age of 19 for battle. He was said to be saved by the Mother Kaveri herself from drowning in the river when he was 5. This gave him the title "Ponniyin Selvan" or "Son of Kaveri". * Aditya Karikalan: Eldest son of Sundara Chola, the crown prince and the commander of Northern troops in Sundara Chola's reign. He was a distinguished warrior who began fighting at the age of 12. He was known all over the empire for his valiant acts. His haste and irascibility alienated many, and resulted in a conspiracy against him. * Poonguzhali: A boat woman, she was born and raised in Kodikkarai. She was adventurous and fearless and hates other men and civilisation. She holds great affection for her aunt Mandakini Devi. She also has immense love for Arulmozhi Varman. She saves the life of Arulmozhivarman when he drowns and secretly takes him to Nagapattinam. She was named "Samudrakumari" (The Maiden of the Ocean) by the Prince Arulmozhi Varman himself. * Senthan Amuthan: A flower seller. He is a close friend of Vandiyathevan. He helped him many times in his missions when he was still the son of Vaani and a calm, humble and honest Shaivite devotee. * Vaani Ammal: The deaf and mute foster mother of Senthan Amuthan, sister of Mandakini and aunt of Poonkuzhali. She was good in practising traditional medicine. * Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar: alias Kaalandhakandar. The chief in-charge of Thanjavur fort. Younger brother of Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar to whom he had huge respect and love. He is the father-in-law of Mathuranthakar. Both brothers hated Vandiyathevan at first. He constantly warns his brother about Nandini and her conspiracy to no avail. * Sundara Chola alias
Parantaka II Parantaka Chola II (Tamil: இரண்டாம் பராந்தக சோழன்) (r. 958 – 973 CE) was a Chola emperor. He is also known as Sundara Chola as he was considered an epitome of male beauty.''Early Chola temples:Parantak ...
: The emperor of Chola empire. He was known for his facial beauty which gave him his name 'Sundara'. After his health became poor, his legs paralysed and was expecting his death, he was moved from Pazhayarai to Thanjavur by Pazhuvettaraiyars for his protection. This sparked the debate for the next rightful heir. His wish was to appoint his uncle's son as his successor. There was a rumor that the emperor was kept as a prisoner by them. * Vanavan Mahadevi: Empress of the Chola empire. Chief queen, wife and caretaker of Sundara Chola. Mother of all his children. Daughter of Thirukovalur Malaiyamaan. * Sembiyan Maadevi alias Periya Piratti: Wife of Kandrn and mother of Utthama Chola. A Shaivite devotee who donates a lot to build many temples for Lord Shiva across the Chola empire. She was very strict in not making her son the emperor, which was also the dying wish of her husband. [Mandakini Devi went to Tanjore (while she was pregnant), Sembiyan Maadevi was pregnant too, so she took care of Mandakini during her pregnancy. During child birth Sembiyan Maadevi gave birth to a still born son but Mandakini gave birth to twins – a boy (Madurantaka) and a girl (Nandhini). Sembiyan Maadevi swapped her still born son with Mandakini's son. She asked Vaani Ammal (she was a maid in the place at that time) to bury her still born son and gave the daughter to Azhvarkadiyan's parents . Vaani Ammal after leaving the palace notices that Sembiyan Maadevi's son (Senthan Amuthan) is alive, she fosters him and raises him as her own son.] * Pinaagapani: Son of the traditional healer in Pazhayarai. He was narrow-minded and ambitious and always considered Vandiyathevan as his enemy but gets beaten by him all throughout the story. He was sent by Kundavai with Vandiyathevan to show his way from Pazhaiyarai to Kodikkarai where he lusts over Poonkuzhali but fails in attracting her. His desire to gain high positions in the empire make him prey to Nandini's plans. * Thirukovalur Malaiyaman alias Milaadudaiyar: Father-in-law of Sundara Chola and maternal grandfather for his children. He was a well-wisher and advisor for Karikalan and lived with him in Kanchi. He was a rival of the Kadamboor ruler. * Parthibendra Pallava: Friend of Karikalan, who comes from the lineage of
Pallavas The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as f ...
. He fought along with in his battles. He lusts after Nandini and hates Vandiyathevan from the beginning. * Thiyaaga Vidankar: Father of Poonkuzhali and in-charge of the light house at Kodikkarai. He is the younger brother of Mandakini Devi and Vaani Ammal. * Rakkammaal: Sister-in-law of Poonkuzhali. She joined the Pandiyan conspirators due to her greed for money. Revadasa Kiramavithan was her father. * Anbil Aniruddha Brahmarayar: The Prime Minister of Sundara Chola's Court and a trustful intimate close friend of him. He was very much respected by the people for his wit and intelligence. On the request of Sundara Chola, he became the minister and assisted Sundara Chola in administration apart from being a teacher. He knew the personal secrets of his friends and many royal secrets. He had many spies across the Chola empire that almost nothing could happen out of his knowledge. One of the best of them is Azhwarkadiyan. *
Boothi Vikramakesari Boothi Vikramakesari was a Velir Irukkuvel commander of the Chola Empire. He is best remembered for building the Moovar Koil temple complex, a collection of "Three temples" in the village of Kodumbalur, 36 kilometres from Pudukkottai in Tamil ...
alias Kodumbalur Periya Velar: Irunkovel chieftain and uncle of Vaanathi. The Commander of the southern troops during Sundara Chola's reign. He fights along with Arulmozhi against Mahindan's troops in Sri-Lanka. He had a desire to marry Vaanathi to Arulmozhi and thus make her the Queen. He and Thirukovalur Malaiyaman opposed the proposition of making Mathuranthakar the heir to the throne. Kodumbalur Velars and Pazhuvettaraiyars were rivals though they were both loyal to the Cholas. * Theveraalan (alias Parameswaran), Idumbankkari, Ravidasan, Soman Sambavan, Revadasa Kiramavithan: Antagonists of the novel. Bodyguards of the late Veerapandiyan. They conspirate to kill the members of the Chola family. Ravidasan and Parameswaran were once ministers in
Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...
court. Ravidasan and Revadasa Kiramavithan were acting as wizards. Idumbankkari was acting as a guard in Kadambur palace. * Madurantakan alias Amarabhujangan Nedunchezhiyan'':'' Foster Son of Chembiyan Maadevi who was raised as a Shaivite also known as Uttama Chola. He was raised a calm and humble Shaivite and taught not to desire on the throne. He was brainwashed by his twin sister Nandini so that he developed a greed over the throne. Kundavai and others thought that he was untalented and lacked the basic characters and skills for being an emperor. People of Chola country did not want him to become the ruler. * Mandakini Devi aka Singala Naachiyaar aka Oomai Rani ("The Mute Queen"): The deaf and mute mother of Nandini and Madurantakan. Love interest of Sundara Chola. She had great affection towards his children and her niece, Poonguzhali. She is always around Arulmozhivarman and saves him from many dangers. [Mandakini Devi went to Tanjore (while she was pregnant), Sembiyan Maadevi was pregnant too, so she took care of Mandakini during her pregnancy. During child birth Sembiyan Maadevi gave birth to a still born son but Mandakini gave birth twins to a boy (Madurantaka) and a girl (Nandhini). Sembiyan Maadevi swapped her still born son with Mandakini's son. She asked Vaani Ammal (she was a maid in the place at that time) to bury her still born son and gave the daughter to Azhvarkadiyan's parents . Vaani Ammal after leaving the palace notices that Sembiyan Maadevi's son (Senthan Amuthan) is alive, she fosters him and raises him as her own son.] * Sambuvaraiyar: The petty ruler of Melakadambur, Kadamboor from the Sambuvaraya family. * Kandhamaaran alias Chinna Sambuvaraiyar: Prince of Melakadambur, Kadamboor. Son of Sambuvaraiyar and close friend of Vandiyathevan. He is the one who arranges the conspiracy meeting of petty rulers to be taken in Kadamboor. He then assumes Vandiyathevan tried to kill him and starts to think of him as his worst enemy. * Murugaiyan: Elder brother of Poonkuzhali. Husband of Rakkammal. He rowed the Pandiyan conspirators to Sri-Lanka from Kodikkarai. But later compensated his unknowing wrongdoing by helping Arulmozhivarman reach Thanjavur. * Manimekalai: Innocent and shy princess of Kadamboor. Younger sister of Kandan Maran and daughter of Kadamboor Sambuvaraiyar. She had a deep, immense one-sided love on Vandiyathevan. * Karuthiruman aka Paithiyakaran (The Madman): An assistant of Veerapandian and prisoner in the dungeons of Thanjavur. Claims to know the location of Pandyan crown and scepter hidden in Sri-Lanka. Other characters in the novel are: * Kudanthai Jothidar: (jothidar–astrologer) The astrologer in the town of Kudanthai (present day
Kumbakonam Kumbakonam (formerly spelt as Coombaconum or Combaconum) or Kudanthai is a city municipal corporation in the Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Chennai and is the headquarters of the ...
) who predicts that Arulmozhivarman will become a great emperor. He also mentions that Vanathi will marry Arulmozhi and bear a great king who will take the Chola dynasty to its glory. He later moves to
Thiruvaiyaru Thiruvaiyaru (also spelled as Tiruvaiyaru or Tiruvayyaru) is a panchayat town in Thanjavur District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Etymology Thiruvaiyaru means ''Five Rivers around the city''. The Five Rivers are Vadavaar, Vennaar, Vet ...
since his house was destructed by the Kaveri floods. * Kalyani: Mother of Sundara Chola. Wife of Arinjaya Chola. * Paranthakan Devi: Another wife of Sundara Chola. * Eesaana Sivabattar: The priest of the Shiva temple in Pazhayarai. Elder brother of Azhwarkadiyan and foster brother of Nandini. He helps Vandiyathevan to meet Kundavai secretly in Pazhayarai when Pazhuvettararaiyars were searching for him there. * Aacharya
Bhikku A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics ("nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist c ...
: The head monk in Chudamani Vihara of
Nagapattinam Nagapattinam (''nākappaṭṭinam'', previously spelt Nagapatnam or Negapatam) is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District. The town came to prominence during the period of Medieval ...
who saves Arulmozhivarman when he was affected by a lethal flu. * The Pandyan Prince whom the Pandyan conspirators made the successor of Veerapandiyan at Thirupurambiyam Pallipadai. * Chandramathi: Maid and companion of Manimekalai in Kadambur palace. * Kayalvizhi: Pandiyan prince, son of Veerapandiyan and his queen raised by Nandini.


Plot summary

The story revolves around Vandiyathevan, a charming, brave and courageous young man who sets out across the Chola land to deliver a message from the Crowned Prince, Aditya Karikalan, to the King and the Princess. The story shuttles between Vandiyathevan's travels in Chola country and the young Prince Arulmozhivarman's (later known as Raja Raja Chola) travels in Sri-Lanka. The narrative deals with attempts by his sister Kundavai to bring back Arulmozhivarman to establish political peace in a land seemingly beset with unrest and civil war plotted by vassals and petty chieftains. Parantaka Chola was succeeded by his second son Gandaraditya as the eldest son Rajaditya had died in a battle. At the time of Gandaraditya's death, his son Maduranthaka was a two-year-old child and hence Gandaraditya's brother Arinjaya ascended the throne. After Arinjaya's death, his son Parantaka II (Sundara Chola) was crowned. He had two sons, Adithya Karikalan, Arulmozhivarman, and a daughter named Kundavai. The story begins as the emperor Sundara Chola is ill and bedridden. His son Aditya Karikalan is the general of the Northern Command and lives in Kanchi. The younger son Arulmozhivarman is in Sri Lanka on a military campaign. Their sister Kundavai lives in the Chola royal household at Pazhayarai. The story advances when rumors abound that there is a conspiracy against Sundara Chola and his sons. Vallavarayan Vandiyathevan confirms these suspicions by eavesdropping on a secret meeting at the palace of his friend Kandhamaaran. In his youth, Aditya Karikalan had fallen in love with Nandhini, but she turned vengeful and vowed to destroy the Chola dynasty after Aditya Karikalan killed Veerapandiyan. We also meet Kundavai Piratti, who after hearing the news of the conspiracy sends Vandiyathevan to Sri Lanka to give a message to Arulmozhivarman to come back immediately. Besides these, there are other characters like Maduranthaka Thevar (the man whom the conspirators want to crown king), the son of Gandaraditya and Aniruddha Brahmarayar, Sundara Cholar's Prime Minister and the man who has eyes and ears everywhere. He also meets Brahmarayar's spy Azhwarkadiyan Nambi, a man who roams around the country challenging for debates. He collects information for the Prime Minister and is always around Vandiyathevan, rescuing him during trouble. Other characters include Vanathi, a Kodumbalur princess (the woman who becomes Arulmozhi's wife later) who is in love with Arulmozhi; Poonkuzhali, the boat woman who rows the future king to Lanka; Mandakini, the deaf and mute mother of the original Maduranthaka Chola and the aunt of Poonkuzhali. Most memorable among the female characters is Nandhini, whose beauty is said to have the power to influence any man. Manimegalai, the sister of Kandhamaran (the Kadamboor prince) who helps Nandhini without any knowledge that she herself is the conspirator and also he turns against Vandhiyathevan, his best friend. Meanwhile, with Poonkuzhali's help, Vandiyathevan reaches Sri-Lanka, meets Arulmozhivarman, and becomes his close friend. In Sri-Lanka, Arulmozhivarman realizes that his father had spent some time in an island near Sri-Lanka and had been with a girl born deaf and mute. He meets her and realizes from her drawing that she and his father have had two children. Who are those children and do they have the right to the throne? Later one day in Thirupurambayam forest Vandiyathevan sees Nandhini and the Pandya conspirators place a small boy on a throne and take a vow in front of him. Who is this boy and what right does he have to the throne? While coming back from Sri-Lanka, Arulmozhivarman is caught in a cyclone and goes missing. Rumor spreads that he is dead, but he survives and stays at Choodamani Viharam, a Buddhist monastery in. Then slowly the dispersed family starts assembling. The conspirators meanwhile choose one day in which both the king and both of his sons would be assassinated. Nandhini in the meantime calls Aditya Karikalan to Kadambur Palace to discuss about the future of kingdom. Though Karikalan knows that his life is in utter danger, he travels to Kadambur palace to meet with Nandhini. Aditya Karikalan is then assassinated at Kadambur palace. Meanwhile, Arulmozhivarman recovers and returns to Tanjore, where he was forced initially to accept being crowned. Later, he tricks everyone and crowns his uncle Uthama Chola. Thus the fifth part of the book is named as Tyaga Sigaram, pinnacle of sacrifice.


Publication

The novel was first serialised in the weekly editions of
Kalki Kalki ( sa, कल्कि), also called Kalkin or Karki, is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is described to appear in order to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in the endless cycle of exist ...
during period from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954 resulting the total period of development of work be 3 years, 6 months, and 18 days. The following year, Managala Noolagam released the novel in book form.


Adaptations


Film and television

There have been several attempts to create film adaptations of ''Ponniyin Selvan'', beginning with an attempt in 1958 by
M. G. Ramachandran Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...
. He bought the film rights to the novel for , and announced that he would produce, direct and star in the adaptation which would feature an
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...
including
Gemini Ganesan Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the ''Kaadhal Mannan'' (King of Romance) for his romantic roles ...
,
Vyjayanthimala Bali Vyjayanthimala (born 13 August 1936) is a former Indian actress, dancer and parliamentarian. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two BFJA Awards and five Filmfare Awards. She made her screen debut at the age of thirteen wit ...
, Savitri, and Padmini. Before shooting could begin, Ramachandran met with an accident, and the wound took six months to heal, Ramachandran was unable to continue with the film despite renewing the rights four years later. In the late 1980s, actor
Kamal Haasan Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali f ...
and
Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...
worked together on adopting the novel into a film. Ratnam revealed that he worked on a first draft of the film alongside Kamal Haasan, who had bought the rights of the novel from Ramachandran, but the pair shelved their plan as the project did not make financial sense at the time. Kamal Haasan then attempted to make the story into a forty-part television series during the early 1990s, and worked with writer Ra. Ki. Rangarajan on the screenplay, but the project was later stalled. In the 2000s, there were further attempts to make the book into television series by Makkal TV and by Kalaignar TV, through a project directed by
Naga Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Ri ...
. A 32-hour animation film was planned by Rewinda Movie Toons, a Chennai-based animation studio, in 2008 and took seven years to complete. The film was set to be released by April 2015, but remains unreleased as of October 2022. In late 2010, Ratnam renewed his interest in his film project and worked alongside writer
Jeyamohan Bahuleyan Jeyamohan (born 22 April 1962) is an Indian Tamil and Malayalam language writer and literary critic from Nagercoil in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. His best-known and most critically acclaimed work is ''Vishnupuram'', a fantas ...
to finalise the script for the film adaptation of ''Ponniyin Selvan''. The film was later shelved before the start of the filming stage, as the expected cost of production escalated. Jeyamohan stated that the film did not materialise as the team struggled to find available locations to shoot the film. He revealed that temple officials in Tamil Nadu refused to allow the team to film scenes on the premises and that the expensive cost of producing replica sets meant that it would not be a viable solution. In 2016,
Eros International Eros International Media Ltd (also known as Eros India) is an Indian motion picture production and distribution company, based and originated in Mumbai, India. Founded by Arjun Lulla in 1977, it is one of the leading production and distribut ...
engaged Jeyamohan and
Soundarya Rajinikanth Soundarya Rajinikanth (born Shaku Bai Rao Gaikwad; 20 September 1984) is an Indian graphic designer, film producer and director who primarily works in the Tamil film industry. She is the founder and owner of Ocher Picture Productions. Sounda ...
, as a creative producer, to make the book into a web-series but the project did not develop into production. In early 2019, Soundarya Rajinikanth associated with another production house, May 6 Entertainment, and director Sooriyaprathap to make a web-series of the novel for
MX Player MX Player is an Indian video streaming and video on demand platform developed by MX Media & Entertainment (formerly J2 Interactive). It has over 280 million users globally. The platform currently operates on an ad-supported model and has a stre ...
. After years of little promotion, Soundarya announced that the project was still under the planning phase during September 2021. In January 2021, a further adapted web series produced by Eternitee Motion Krafte and directed by Ajay Pratheeb titled ''Chiranjeevi Ponniyin Selvan'' was announced. The makers announced that the series would have 125 episodes, with technicians such as
Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one o ...
and
Sabu Cyril Sabu Cyril is an Indian film production designer. Having worked in 116 feature films and 2500 add films. He has won four National Film Award for Best Production Design, four state awards, six Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction (including so ...
joining the team.


2022 film

In early 2019,
Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...
officially restarted production on his film project. His two-film adaptation featured an ensemble cast consisting of
Vikram Vikram may refer to: * Vikram (name), a male name in the Hindu community * ''Vikram'' (1986 Tamil film) * ''Vikram'' (1986 Telugu film) * ''Vikram'' (2022 Tamil film) * Vikram (actor) (born 1966), Indian actor * Vikram (spacecraft), an Indian M ...
,
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 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 ...
,
Jayam Ravi Mohan Ravi (born 10 September 1980), better known by his stage name Jayam Ravi, is an Indian actor who works in the Tamil film industry. He has won a Filmfare Award and three SIIMA Awards. The son of veteran film editor A. Mohan, Ravi made his ...
,
Karthi Karthik Sivakumar (born 25 May 1977), better known by his stage name Karthi, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. He has won three Filmfare Awards South, an Edison Award, a SIIMA Award and a Tamil Nadu State Film Aw ...
and Trisha. In September 2021, the filming for both the parts got completed. The film was released on 30 September 2022 in five Indian languages.


Stage play

Avvai Shanmugam was the first to organise a conference on Tamil drama in Erode, and the first to organise a drama contest, in 1945. One of the prize winning scripts was 'Raja Raja Chozhan,’ which was staged in 1955 with Shanmugam as prince Rajendra. 'Raja Raja Chozhan' was also presented at the Motilal Nehru Centenary celebrations in Delhi in 1961, earning compliments from Nehru for the splendid acting. In Singapore, 'Raja Raja Chozhan' was also enacted 90 times. Overall it was staged 2,146 times. Avvai Shanmugam played the role of Maamallan in Kalki's 'Sivakamiyin Sabatham' and the sets were grand, befitting the story. For the scene in which Paranjothi tames an elephant that runs amok, two men inside a specially made elephant, operated levers as they walked in unison. In 1999 the book was adapted into a stage play by E. Kumaravel and was staged by Magic Lantern Theater in Buck's Theatre inside YMCA Nandanam, Chennai. The script's length was originally over nine hours long, but was shortened into a performance time of four hours and 20 minutes and featured 72 actors on a multi-level setting. Again, the book was adapted into a stage play in a very grand scale by SS International Live along with Magic Lantern theatre group 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 ...
, in June 2014. The crew includes Kumaravel, who penned the screenplay & dialogues, Thotta Tharani as art director, Preethi Athreya as costume designer and Bhanu leading the make-up and hair styling department. Pravin directed the play. Chicago Tamil Sangam staged the play in May 2013 with over 40 volunteers in cast and crew.


Novels and Comic books

The Tiger Throne by Preetha Rajah Kannan is a retelling of this novel. In 2017, Nila comics started releasing series of
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s where every comic book is an adaptation of two chapters from the novel. It is available in Tamil and English. As of January 2019, There have been 18 comic books released in Tamil and 10 in English.


English and other translations

There are at least five different translations of Ponniyin Selvan available in English by Indra Neelamegam, Pavithra Srinivasan, CV Karthik Narayanan, Varalotti Rengasamy and Sumeetha Manikandan. On 21 February 2015, a Sanskrit translation by Rajalakshmi Srinivasan was released at a public function 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 ...
.


English translations


Malayalam translations


See also

*
Sivagamiyin Sapatham ''Sivagamiyin Sapatham'' ( ta, சிவகாமியின் சபதம், ', , literally 'The vow of Sivagami') is a Tamil historical novel written by Kalki, first serialized in kalki during January 1944 June 1946, and published as a ...
*
Parthiban Kanavu '' Parthiban Kanavu '' ( ta, பார்த்திபன் கனவு, , lit. Parthiban's dream) is a Tamil novel written by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Details Adapted in 1960 into a film of the same name, starring Gemini Ganesan and Vyjaya ...


References


Bibliography

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External links


Ponniyin Selvan Tamil Audio Book by Nandhini – Nandhiniyin Kuralகல்கியின் பொன்னியின் செல்வன் 2D வடிவில் - Ponniyin Selvan Tamil Book Narrated by Satheeshraj (Bioscope) – 150 EpisodesKalki's பொன்னியின்_செல்வன் தமிழ் ஒலிப் புத்தகம் (Ponniyin Selvan Tamil Audio Book Narrated by Sri Srinivasa (Spotify) – 77 hours (all 5 Bagams/ Parts) Story in TamilPonniyin Selvan Audio & Video Story in TamilPonniyin Selvan Audio Books / Ponniyin Selvan Story in Tamil by Music Box Tamil
nbsp;– Ponniyin Selvan Full Story details Audio Book.
Ponniyin Selvan – Complete Novel in Tamil Wikisource (Unicode)

Ponniyin Selvan in Google Books
*
Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai
' – Discussed extensively about Ponniyin Selvan novel, characters, facts and fiction. Also discuss other history related topics related to India. *
Ponniyin Selvan with Original Maniam Pictures
' – Ponniyin Selvan published with Original Pictures of Artist Maniam by Vikatan.
Kalki's Novel as Tamil Audio Books by Sri Srinivasa
nbsp;– details on Kalki's novel Ponniyin Selvan, Sivagamiyn Sabatham, Parthiban Kanavu in Audio Book Mp3 format *
Ponniyin Selvan Novel epub Free work
' – details on Kalki's novel Ponniyin Selvan, Sivagamiyn Sabatham, Parthiban Kanavu in Epub and Kindle format *Balasubramanian, Kudavoil
"Udaiyarkugi Inscription"

Varalaaru
' *Indra Neelameggham, English translation, free link
Ponni's Beloved
' *Indra Neelameggham, English translation, part 3B

' {{Authority control Tamil history Tamil novels Novels first published in serial form Indian romance novels Historical romance novels Works originally published in Kalki (magazine) Novels set in the Chola Empire Indian historical novels Indian historical novels in Tamil Novels set in Tamil Nadu Indian novels adapted into films