# Ponniyin Selvan: Part I
**Ponniyin Selvan: Part I** (பொன்னியின் செல்வன், பாகம் 1), often shortened to PS-1, is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language epic historical action film directed by [Mani Ratnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/mani-ratnam), who wrote the screenplay with Elango Kumaravel and [B. Jeyamohan](https://www.edgepedia.org/b-jeyamohan) from [Kalki Krishnamurthy](https://www.edgepedia.org/kalki-krishnamurthy)'s novel *Ponniyin Selvan*. It is the first of two cinematic parts and was produced by Ratnam and Allirajah Subaskaran under the banners Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions.[1](https://lycaproductions.in/movies/ponniyin-selvan-i/) Set in the 10th-century Chola empire, it dramatizes the early life of the Chola prince Arulmozhi Varman, who would become the emperor Rajaraja I (947–1014).[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Ponniyin_Selvan_2022) The film was released in theaters on 30 September 2022 in Tamil with Hindi, Malayalam, and Telugu versions, and became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films.[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Ponniyin_Selvan_2022)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 30 September 2022, Tamil with Hindi, Malayalam, and Telugu versions; runtime 2h 47m[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponniyin_selvan_part_i) |
| Source | First of two parts adapting Kalki Krishnamurthy's novel; Part I covers about two-and-a-half of the novel's five books[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/ponniyin-selvan-1-movie-review-mani-ratnams-aishwarya-rai-8182366/) |
| Principal cast | Vikram as Aditha Karikalan, Karthi as Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan, Jayam Ravi as Arulmozhivarman, Aishwarya Rai as Nandini, Trisha as Kundavai Pirattiyar[5](https://wwe.rfhthjmb.dns-dynamic.net/m/ponniyin_selvan_part_i) |
| Key crew | Music A. R. Rahman, cinematography Ravi Varman, editing A. Sreekar Prasad, production design Thota Tharani[1](https://lycaproductions.in/movies/ponniyin-selvan-i/) |
| Box office | ₹4.884 billion (₹488.36 crore) worldwide gross on a reported ₹2.5 billion (₹250 crore) budget, including ₹3.134 billion (₹313.36 crore) from India and ₹1.75 billion (₹175 crore) overseas (Sacnilk estimates)[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Ponniyin_Selvan_2022) |
| Critical reception | 87% Tomatometer (15 reviews) and 78% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; Metacritic score 70 from one review; IMDb 7.5/10 from about 39,000 votes[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponniyin_selvan_part_i) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ponniyin-selvan-part-i/) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10701074/) |
| National Film Awards | Three wins at the 70th National Film Awards (for 2022): Best Cinematography (Ravi Varman), Best Sound Design (Anand Krishnamoorthi), and Best Music Direction, Background Score (A. R. Rahman)[8](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024108411901.pdf) |
## Spoilers
### Story and setting
The film is set in 968 AD in the [Chola Empire](https://www.edgepedia.org/chola-empire), a period the production company's synopsis describes as one of conspiracies, mysteries, political turmoil, and impending war, with Pandiya rebels taking an oath to spill royal blood and Chola chieftains planning a mutiny. The succession question drives the plot: will the next king be the prince Aditya Karikalan, the hermit prince Arunmozhi Varman, their estranged uncle Madhuranthakan, or the Pandiya rebel Amarabujanga?[1](https://lycaproductions.in/movies/ponniyin-selvan-i/)
In the film, the warrior Vandiyathevan crosses the Chola land to deliver a message from the crown prince Aditha Karikalan, while the princess Kundavai attempts to establish political peace as vassals and petty chieftains plot against the throne.[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Ponniyin_Selvan_2022) The ailing emperor Sundara Chozhar, played by [Prakash Raj](https://www.edgepedia.org/prakash-raj), lies bedridden while his sons Aditha Karikalan and Arulmozhi Varman head the empire's conquests of Kanchi and Lanka respectively.[9](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/6761/2022-ponniyin-selvan-1) Nandini, who has married the elder statesman Periya Pazhuvettarayar, comes to the Chola country intending to kill Aditha Karikalan, who killed her father Veerapandiyan.[10](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/reviews/ponniyin-selvan-1-movie-review-in-tamil-101015.html) • [22](https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kalki-s-ponniyin-selvan-vs-mani-ratnam-s-adaptation-5-crucial-differences-176687)
The first part ends on a cliffhanger: Vandiyathevan and Arulmozhi Varman are struck down in Lanka and apparently swallowed by the sea, and the character Mandakini, known as Oomai Rani (the mute queen), is introduced.[11](https://bbc.com.im/tamil/articles/c84r8v09rw4o)
### Sequel
The story concluded in *Ponniyin Selvan: Part II*, released in 2023. Ratnam described the first film as "an introduction" and the second as "the actual film."[20](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2023/Apr/24/mani-ratnam-ponniyin-selvan-1-was-an-introduction-ps-2-is-the-actual-film-42645.html) Trade reporting noted that Part II underperformed compared to its prequel while still grossing a remarkable ₹1.28 billion (₹128 crore) in 2023.[21](https://tfapa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/trade-guide-jan-2025_07.01.25_compressed-1.pdf)
## The source novel
Kalki Krishnamurthy's novel centers on events during the reign of Sundara Chozhar, who ruled from [Thanjavur](https://www.edgepedia.org/thanjavur) as capital between 957 and 970 AD. The story was serialized in the magazine *Kalki* from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954 and first published as books in five parts in the same year.[12](https://tamilcinetalk.com/ponniyien-selvan-1-cinema-review/) It is reported as the largest-selling book in Tamil, with annual sales of close to 100,000 copies, and sales rose further after the teaser for Ratnam's film launched on 8 July 2022. As part of Kalki's birth centenary celebrations, the [Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-nadu) government headed by M Karunanidhi "nationalised" his works, including *Ponniyin Selvan*, in 1998.[13](https://hopesoftwares.com/app/webroot/uploads/file/mofigebukol_vefikotatire.pdf)
The novel had long resisted filming. Lyca Productions promoted the release as bringing to the screen a project that had been a dream for more than 50 years, with many actors and directors from the Tamil industry having aspired to it.[1](https://lycaproductions.in/movies/ponniyin-selvan-i/)
## Adaptation choices
The central problem was compression. [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) reviewer framed it as condensing a magnum opus spanning about 2,000 pages into a film of this length, and credited Ratnam with cutting everything that does not move the story forward while staging battle sequences that look real and authentic rather than decorative.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/ponniyin-selvan-1-movie-review-mani-ratnams-aishwarya-rai-8182366/) A dissenting column in the same paper argued that Ratnam "forcibly condenses the 2,210 pages from Kalki's work, and refuses to interpret the story or make it his own."[14](https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mani-ratnam-ponniyin-selvani-stenographer-shorthand-of-a-fascinating-speech-8189815/) Co-writer Elango Kumaravel explained that adapting the novel to the visual medium meant conveying many elements through the cinematography, music, and edit, with some elaborate scenes and important emotional points in the characters' arcs visualized through songs.[15](https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-did-they-condense-pentalogy-two-films-writers-ponniyin-selvan-speak-169974)
Ratnam also chose modern, accessible Tamil for the dialogue rather than the older form of the language, saying that archaic diction could appear very stage-y on screen, while the poetry of the period was preserved in the lyrics.[16](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/exclusive-none-of-us-doubted-that-we-wouldnt-be-able-to-finish-ponniyin-selan-mani-ratnam/articleshow/94542143.cms) He shot the film during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/exclusive-none-of-us-doubted-that-we-wouldnt-be-able-to-finish-ponniyin-selan-mani-ratnam/articleshow/94542143.cms)
## Reception and box office
Critical response was broadly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an 87% Tomatometer from 15 reviews, with 13 fresh and 2 rotten, an average of 7.40/10 among critics who gave ratings, and a 78% audience Popcornmeter from more than 100 ratings.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponniyin_selvan_part_i) Variety's Shalini Dore wrote that Ratnam keeps the different strands moving at a fast pace so that you do not notice the nearly three-hour running time, and Metacritic's single review, also from Variety, described the story's spy-versus-spy nature as suggesting "a 12th-century Bourne movie, interspersed with song and dance."[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponniyin_selvan_part_i) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ponniyin-selvan-part-i/) Anupama Chopra of Film Companion found the many jostling factions hard to keep track of but the film impossible to look away from.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponniyin_selvan_part_i) The Times of India called it a spectacular adaptation that superbly captures the intrigue, thrills, and page-turning quality of Kalki's books.[17](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/ponniyin-selvan-part-1/etmoviereview/94548001.cms)
Commercially, Sacnilk's compiled figures put the worldwide gross at ₹4.884 billion (₹488.36 crore), with ₹3.134 billion (₹313.36 crore) from India and ₹1.75 billion (₹175 crore) overseas, against a reported budget of ₹2.5 billion (₹250 crore), and give the film an "all time blockbuster" verdict.[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Ponniyin_Selvan_2022) [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) records $21,888,295 worldwide, of which $4,282,000 came from the domestic (United States) market and $12,427,965 from India.[18](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr3397538309/) Sacnilk separately reported that the film recorded the biggest opening for a Tamil movie at the worldwide box office in 2022,[19](https://www.sacnilk.com/news/Box_Office_PS1_Becomes_Biggest_Tamil_Opener_Worldwide_In_2022) and trade reporting at the time described it as the highest-grossing Tamil film yet, with more than ₹4 billion (₹400 crore) worldwide.[15](https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-did-they-condense-pentalogy-two-films-writers-ponniyin-selvan-speak-169974)
## Awards
At the 70th [National Film Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-awards), covering films of 2022 and announced on 16 August 2024, the film won three craft awards: Ravi Varman for Best Cinematography, Anand Krishnamoorthi for Best Sound Design, and A. R. Rahman for Best Music Direction (Background Score), each carrying the Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of ₹200,000.[8](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024108411901.pdf) IMDb lists 18 wins and 31 nominations for the film in total.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10701074/)
## References
1. [Ponniyin Selvan: I, Lyca Productions official page](https://lycaproductions.in/movies/ponniyin-selvan-i/)
2. [Ponniyin Selvan - Part 1 (2022) Box Office Collection, Sacnilk](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Ponniyin_Selvan_2022)
3. [Ponniyin Selvan: Part I, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponniyin_selvan_part_i)
4. [Ponniyin Selvan 1 review: Mani Ratnam's largely faithful and brilliant adaptation has no dull moments, The Indian Express (Kirubhakar Purushothaman, 2022)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/ponniyin-selvan-1-movie-review-mani-ratnams-aishwarya-rai-8182366/)
5. [Ponniyin Selvan: Part I cast and crew, Rotten Tomatoes mirror listing](https://wwe.rfhthjmb.dns-dynamic.net/m/ponniyin_selvan_part_i)
6. [Ponniyin Selvan: Part I Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ponniyin-selvan-part-i/)
7. [Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10701074/)
8. [National Film Awards: Celebrating Excellence in Indian Cinema, Press Information Bureau (2024)](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024108411901.pdf)
9. [Ponniyin Selvan 1 (2022), TamilMDb](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/6761/2022-ponniyin-selvan-1)
10. [Ponniyin Selvan 1 Movie Review in Tamil, Tamil Filmibeat](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/reviews/ponniyin-selvan-1-movie-review-in-tamil-101015.html)
11. [பொன்னியின் செல்வன் - 2: சினிமா விமர்சனம், BBC News தமிழ்](https://bbc.com.im/tamil/articles/c84r8v09rw4o)
12. [பொன்னியின் செல்வன்-1 – சினிமா விமர்சனம், Tamil Cine Talk](https://tamilcinetalk.com/ponniyien-selvan-1-cinema-review/)
13. [Ponniyin Selvan's author 'Kalki' Krishnamurthi (book sales and nationalisation background)](https://hopesoftwares.com/app/webroot/uploads/file/mofigebukol_vefikotatire.pdf)
14. [Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan: I' is like a stenographer's shorthand of a fascinating speech, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mani-ratnam-ponniyin-selvani-stenographer-shorthand-of-a-fascinating-speech-8189815/)
15. [How did they condense a pentalogy into two films? Writers of Ponniyin Selvan speak, The News Minute](https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-did-they-condense-pentalogy-two-films-writers-ponniyin-selvan-speak-169974)
16. [Exclusive: None of us doubted that we wouldn't be able to finish Ponniyin Selvan: Mani Ratnam, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/exclusive-none-of-us-doubted-that-we-wouldnt-be-able-to-finish-ponniyin-selan-mani-ratnam/articleshow/94542143.cms)
17. [Ponniyin Selvan 1 Movie Review, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/ponniyin-selvan-part-1/etmoviereview/94548001.cms)
18. [Ponniyin Selvan: Part I, Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr3397538309/)
19. [Box Office: PS-1 Becomes Biggest Tamil Opener Worldwide In 2022, Sacnilk](https://www.sacnilk.com/news/Box_Office_PS1_Becomes_Biggest_Tamil_Opener_Worldwide_In_2022)
20. [Mani Ratnam: Ponniyin Selvan 1 was an introduction, PS 2 is the actual film, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2023/Apr/24/mani-ratnam-ponniyin-selvan-1-was-an-introduction-ps-2-is-the-actual-film-42645.html)
21. [Tamil Films Performance, Trade Guide (TFAPA, January 2025)](https://tfapa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/trade-guide-jan-2025_07.01.25_compressed-1.pdf)
22. [Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan Vs Mani Ratnam’s adaptation: 5 crucial differences](https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kalki-s-ponniyin-selvan-vs-mani-ratnam-s-adaptation-5-crucial-differences-176687)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Tamil films of the 2020s › Tamil films of 2022 and 2023*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license