The hotly anticipated first trailer for directorMani Ratnam’sPonniyin Selvan: IIwas released at a grand, star-studded event in Chennai, India, on Wednesday.PS: IIis a follow-up to Ratnam’s blockbusterPonniyin Selvan: I, which was released to positive reviews in September. At the time, Ratnam had promised that the second part, which was shot back-to-back with the first, would arrive within nine months.
The super-sized three-and-a-half minute trailer doubles down on the palace intrigue and sword-and-sandal action that fans of the first film enjoyed so much. ThePonniyin Selvanmovies are based on the epic historical novels by writerKalki, which in turn were inspired by the stories of the Chola kingdom in 10th century India. The trailer opens with the final scene of the first film, in which the titularPonniyin Selvan(Jayam Ravi) was presumed dead after a shipwreck, but was rescued by a mysterious woman (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,probably the most recognizable cast member to Western audiences).
His grieving brotherAditha Karikalan(Vikram) resolves to avenge his death, and sets into a motion a plot to conquer rival lands with the aid of his warrior companionVallavaraiyan(Karthi), who provided comic relief in the first film. We also catch up with Aditha’s sister, the princessKundavai, who remains suspicious of Aditha’s scorned love interest Nandini (a villainous character, also played by Rai Bachchan). The trailer ends with a rather epic shot of Ponniyin Selvan and Vallavaraiyan teaming up, and is followed by a stinger of a tense face-off between former lovers Nandini and Aditha. Their doomed love story formed the emotional core of the first film, and it seems as ifPS: IIwill provide them with some long-due closure.
RELATED:‘Ponniyin Selvan: I’ Trailer Reveals Mani Ratnam’s Long-Awaited Indian Period Epic
What IsPonniyin Selvan: IIAbout?
The tone, this time around, is more serious as compared to that of the first film. For instance, we don’t really see any song-and-dance numbers, and there’s barely any room for levity, as each subplot takes a serious turn. In addition to the elaborate skullduggery, we also see glimpses of the many battles that Ratnam has filmed in his unconventional style. Normally known for his human dramas, thePonniyin Selvanmovies are a bit of a creative departure for the acclaimed filmmaker, often regarded as one of India’s finest auteurs. Ratnam has worked across industries in India, but is primarily known for his work in the Tamil language. He has the ability to attract top-tier talent on his films, andPonniyin Selvanhas been a passion project of his for decades.
It’s important to know that India hasseveral thriving film industriesthat work independently of each other. The popular Hindi film industry, for instance, should not be confused for the Telugu industry, which produced last year’s hitRRR. And neither should be confused for theTamil industry, which is home to some of the biggest stars in the country. Several of them are a part of thePonniyin Selvanfilms.
Audiences that enjoyedRRRmight want to check out thePonniyin Selvanfilms; the first one wasn’t quite as over-the-top asRRRdirectorS.S. Rajamouli’s two-partBaahubaliseries, but it was still a quintessentially maximalist South Indian film experience. Local audiences certainly lapped it up, and with interest at an all-time high for the second part, it’s looking like one of the surest bets of the year.PS: IIalso starsTrisha Krishnan,Aishwarya Lekshmi,Sobhita Dhulipala,Prabhu,Sarath Kumar,Jayaram,Prakash Raj, andRahman. The film will be released in theaters on April 28. You can watch the trailer here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
