Ponniyin Selvan: II—The Heart Says Dil Se..

In Ponniyin Selvan: I, Mani Ratnam brought to life the epic 1955 novel of Kalki Krishnamurthy. The story revolved around the succession battle in the Chola kingdom and the threat from the Pandyan rebels who wanted revenge against the Cholas. Vandiyathevan (Karthi), a young soldier, set out across the Chola land to deliver a message from the Crown Prince, Aditha Karikalan (Vikram), to his father, Emperor Sundara Chola (Prakash Raj), and his sister, Princess Kundavai Devi (Trisha), about a conspiracy. The film ended when the other son of Sundara Chola, Arulmozhi Varman (Jayam Ravi), also known as Ponniyin Selvan, was ambushed at sea by the Pandyan rebels. He was saved by the mysterious Oomai Rani (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), who looked like Nandini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), Aditha's ex-lover and the wife of Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar (R. Sarathkumar), the chancellor of the Chola Empire. 

In Ponniyin Selvan: II, Ratnam concludes the story with grandeur and aplomb. There is action and emotion. What struck me about the second film's story is how all the characters have been given shades of grey. No one really comes across as a perfect villain or a perfect hero. The loyalties and tensions of the first film seem to have been mellowed down. Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar, who hatched a conspiracy against Aditha in the first film, comes to protect the same person. Parthibendran (Vikram Prabhu), Aditha's friend, conspires with Nandini to get him to the palace. However, the most fascinating character in both films remains Nandini. Whenever she comes on the screen, there was an altogether different energy. For me, the film ended after her death. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has delivered one of her career-best performances in the film.

There are also quite a few romantic moments in Ponniyin Selvan: II, which again prove Ratnam's ability to craft beautiful love stories that are both tender and violent. In one heartwarming moment, Kundavai comes to an island where Vandiyathevan is kept tied and captured while blindfolded. She takes his sword and puts it on his neck. He thinks he might be punished but soon realizes it is Kundavai. He then gradually starts moving closer to her using his hands, covering the distance between the two till he reaches the end of her arm. It is a charming moment that exudes chemistry, even when one of the characters cannot see the other. She then reminds him of the promise that he had made to her, where he said that his life belonged to her. This is a throwback to a similar scene in Ponniyin Selvan: I, where it was Vandiyathevan who had traveled over the waters to meet Kundavai in the middle of a lake. Then, she had flirtatiously asked him to jump in the water (like Shakthi in Alai Payuthey had asked Karthik to jump from the train). The scene in Ponniyin Selvan: II complements the one in the earlier film. The lilting Aga Naga plays in the background in both films. 

"Aganaga aganaga muganagaiye ho,

Muganaga muganaga murunagaiye ho,

Murunaga murunaga tharunagaiye ho,

Tharunaga tharunaga varunanaiye."

"When my heart smiles, my face smiles as well.

Flowers grin when my face cracks a smile.

When flowers smile, trees smile as well.

Buds grin when trees burst into a smile."

On the other end of the romance spectrum is the story of Nandini and Aditha. There is no love lost between the two exes. At one point, Aditha refers to Nandini as a snake. Ponniyin Selvan: II takes us to the origins of their love story. The initial bits of the film depict the events that led them to fall in love. We learn that Nandini was forcibly moved out of the kingdom as she was not deemed of the right heritage befitting for the queen. Their love story begins when Kundavai meets Nandini and befriends her. At one stage, Kundavai takes Nandini to the palace and gives her jewelry to try on. At that point, the young Aditha walks in. Nandini, feeling shy, just runs away. This moment is reminiscent of the scene in Ratnam's Dil Se.. when Moina (Manisha Koirala) tries on the jewelry given by the relatives of Amar (Shah Rukh Khan), who then walks in and sees her in the mirror. From this point in Ponniyin Selvan: II, the story of Nandini and Aditha kept reminding me of Amar and Moina in Dil Se...

Set against the backdrop of insurgency in Assam, Dil Se.. was the story of a journalist Amar who falls for Moina, a mysterious woman on an assignment, but she does not reciprocate his feelings. However, when Amar is about to get married, she arrives at his doorstep asking for help. It is soon revealed that Moina is part of an insurgent group planning to carry out suicide bomb attacks during the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi. There are parallels between Dil Se.. and Ponniyin Selvan: II as to how both films depict rebels fighting for their independence.

The stories of Nandini and Moina seem more similar. They are pawns used by others to carry out dangerous tasks (though they do differ in their respective sense of agency). The women—Nandini and Moina—are constantly reminded of their mission. Love is a distraction, and they must focus on the larger goals. Early in Ponniyin Selvan: II, a woman accomplice sees Nandini playing with the ring Aditha gave her. She reminds Nandini that it was Aditha who had left her and thrown her out, and it was Veera Pandiyan who saved her. Thus, she should not forget his contribution to her life and continue to focus on their mission to overthrow the Cholas. Likewise, in Dil Se.., there is a scene when Moina starts to waver in her commitment to her mission. She develops sympathy toward Amar and his family. She starts doubting that many innocent people will die because of her mission. Her friend and partner, Mita (Mita Vashisht), sees her internal vacillation and takes her out in the rain. She reminds her of the pledge of complete revolution and independence for their nation.

In Ponniyin Selvan: I, there is a conversation between Aditha and his friend Parthibendran who tells him to forget Nandini as she is married. Desiring another man's wife is a sin. Aditha says that will have to first cut his heart out from his body to forget her. He was in love with her since his childhood. One day, she suddenly disappeared, making him face the first death of his life. Since then, he has become a walking corpse. And, all the things—wine, song, blood, war—he is now doing are simply to forget her and to forget his own self. In Dil Se.., Moina, tired of Amar's pestering about her relationship status, tells him she is married to fend him off. Amar is disappointed to learn the same. He tells his manager Mrs. Burman (Arundhati Nag) that he is in love with a married woman. Like Parthibendran, she tells him to forget and move on. Amar tries to do the same but finds out Moina was not married. He then follows her to Leh and spends a few days with her. They become close. But then, like Nandini, Moina suddenly disappears, leaving him with only a message written on the sand. Like Aditha, Amar cannot forget her. He finds solace in love ballads hoping to hear from her. Aye Ajnabi, tu bhi kabhi aawaaz de kahin se. Because he is living in pieces. Because he is living an incomplete life without her. Main yahan tukdon mein jee raha hoon. Main adhura, tu adhuri jee rahi hai.

Even after all the rivers of time, distance, and bad blood that have flown between them, Aditha and Amar cannot fully move on. They are still willing to give everything up for the sake of love, for the woman they love. In the most stunning moment of Ponniyin Selvan: II, Aditha, and Nandini finally converse face-to-face. Nandini had called him to her chambers. Aditha tells her he will give up everything if she comes with her. He will sever his ties with his family. He will give away the kingdom. They will run away and start a life of their own. A similar conversation occurs in Dil Se.. when Moina starts living at Amar's house on rent. Amar has not forgotten his feelings for her even though he is soon getting married to Preeti (Preity Zinta). At one particular moment, Moina goes to the terrace to call Amar, who grabs her and puts his earphones on her. He plays an old recorded conversation when they had spent a few days together in Leh and joked about starting a family. After the conversation ends, she removes the earphones, and Amar asks her to say yes once, and they will both go far away. They will leave everything. Nandini and Moina seem moved by this proposal to start life again, and they almost acquiesce. However, their moment of vulnerability soon passes, and they come back to reality. Nandini wants to see herself on the throne, she tells Aditha. She wants to live in a palace and enjoy the privilege of royalty. Moina also realizes the importance of her mission and returns to reality. It is too late for this now because har ishq ka ek waqt hota hai. It is also worth observing how similarly and spectacularly these two moments from the two films are shot. The camera focuses on the faces of the characters. When someone speaks, their half face is seen on the screen.

Similar Shots

Finally, we see how Aditha and Amar willingly walk toward their death. Aditha knew that Nandini wanted to kill him, yet he decided to go to her chambers without hesitation. When he meets her, he says he values her more than his life. He is already a living corpse, as he does not have a soul. He is ashamed of himself that he became so heartless. He was prepared to die. When Nandini refuses his proposal, he gives her his dagger and embraces her so that it inserts into him. And, then, he goes away from this world forever. In Dil Se.., Amar, too, walks toward his own death. He runs to the same route that Moina planned to take to complete her suicide mission. He knew she was a human bomb and confronts her. He keeps questioning her if she loves him. She finally relents. They both embrace each other and escape to some other world as in the commotion, her bomb had got activated. He wanted her to take him along wherever she goes. And she did to a place away from this entire world. In Dil Se.., Ratnam showed the seven stages of love as defined in Arabic literature. The seventh and final stage of love is maut—death. Aditha and Amar successfully reach the last stage of love. Their wish to die in the arms of their lovers was finally fulfilled. Mujhe maut ki goad mein sone de. Teri rooh mein jism dubone de. Death comes to Aditha through the hands of his Nandini in the arms of his Nandini. Death comes to Amar through the hands of his Moina in the arms of his Moina. Thus, we see that the heart of Ponniyin Selvan: II says Dil Se...

Trivia:

1. Raavan and Ponniyin Selvan:II.

2. Iruvar and Ponniyin Selvan:II.

Other Reading:

1. The Wonder Women of Ponniyin Selvan: I—Link

2. Satrangi Re—The Seven Stages of Love—Link

Dialogue of the Day:

"When my heart smiles, my face smiles as well.

Flowers grin when my face cracks a smile.

When flowers smile, trees smile as well.

Buds grin when trees burst into a smile."

—Ponniyin Selvan: II

Weekend Blues

When I am happy, I keep quiet. When I am sad, I feel like writing. And I am feeling sad today. That may be why they say great art comes from sadness. Take your broken heart, make it into art.

• Every child is special, they say. But the same child, when he turns an adult, becomes average, following the principles of normal distribution. I do not want to be average. I want to be special even as an adult. 
• The advice we often get is to never compare yourself with others; compare yourself with your own self. The only competition is your own self. But this is the problem. I want to be better than my current self. I want to be at the top. I want to know everything.   
• I miss having genuine friends nearby with whom I can share heart-to-heart talks. I have a lot of formal friends, but I don't share much with them. I hesitate a bit. I keep things to myself. You cannot tell these things to virtual friends.
• I hate when people copy my pictures and notes from here, put them on Instagram or elsewhere, and get millions of views.
• I don't feel like being at home during weekends. I don't feel inner satisfaction anywhere. I don't feel that sense of belongingness anywhere. This feeling never goes away.
• When I read some old posts of mine, I disagree with some of them now. It is what they call growing up.
• I feel left behind all the time. Like time is passing by quickly, and I am not reaching where I want to be.
• I feel jealous of people who write well with a literary flair. That part cannot be learned.
• I miss my old me. I used to be so much fun.
• All my hair has turned grey. I have started coloring it. Even facial hair is grey. I don't want to look old. 
• I don't feel like watching any new stuff. I keep watching and rewatching the old stuff. It is comforting.
• Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar is a terrible film. Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway is a good film. I really want to watch Satya Prem Ki Katha and feel like going to the theater to watch it. I have watched only one film in the theater in the last three years. All the other films for the rest of the year don't seem theater-worthy yet.
• I keep wondering if this is how my life will be from now? I want to find something that gives me a purpose.
• I will be fine in some days. Happiness and sadness are phases of life.

Bhediya—Man vs. Wolf

In Sriram Raghavan's Badlapur, Varun Dhawan plays Raghu, a troubled man seeking revenge from a bunch of criminals who killed his family. His quest for revenge consumes him so much that he undergoes a badla, becoming a stone-cold monster like the very men from whom he seeks revenge. The hero has transformed into a villain. In Amar Kaushik's Bhediya, Dhawan undergoes another transformation, becoming a bhediya from a man. Like Badlapur, he undergoes another (symbolic) transformation where he realizes that he is not the hero; rather, the wolf, whom everybody calls the villain, is the hero.

Dhawan plays Bhaskar, also known as Bhaski, who travels to Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh to get approval for the construction of roads in the area for his firm. He is joined by his cousin Janardhan (Abhishek Banerjee), also known as Jana, who is preparing for his Indian Administrative Service (IAS) exams. Bhaskar's friend Jobin (Palin Kabaak), a local, helps him navigate the area. Bhaski pitches his idea to the town's young people that they need Netflix more than nature and Starbucks more than Blackbucks. The conflict arises when a mysterious vishanu, a protector of the jungle, bites Bhaskar. After that happens, Bhaskar himself becomes a vishanu and turns into a werewolf on full moon nights, acting as a protector of the jungle.

The film's overarching theme is 'prakriti hai toh pragati hai.' There is development only if there is nature. Like Amit Masurkar's Sherni, Bhediya also makes the point that it is the humans who are outsiders and intruders in the jungle. For animals, the jungle is their only home. Only mutual respect between man and animal can lead to development. Bhediya also depicts the discrimination faced by people in northeastern India, who are treated as outsiders in their own country. Jana frequently makes racist jibes at Jobin. A look at Kaushik's oeuvre depicts his penchant for using humor to tackle serious issues. Stree depicted a feminist ghost with laughs and chills. Bala tackled the issue of people being discriminated against because of lack of hair and the color of their skin. Both films received praise for some themes and criticism for some elements (item numbers, brownface). It is the same with Bhediya. The humor in the film is often hilarious. The scene related to Tera Surroor was one of the best scenes in films last year. It came so unexpectedly that I squealed. But some of the humor is also discomfiting and perpetuates the same stereotypes. I was also put off by its scatological humor.

For all its humor, Bhediya does succeed in bringing some nuance to its story. There were two tracks where it came across. All through the film, Jana keeps making fun of Jobin. He is mocked and made fun of with racist comments. Jobin, after a while, had it. He bursts out at Jana. At this point, Jana realizes that he has become a bully, just like the kids in school who used to bully him. Now, the thing to note is that Jobin behaves the same way with Panda (Deepak Dobiryal), like the way Jana behaved with him. Jobin never missed an opportunity to call Panda an outsider, even though he has lived there almost all his life. Even in normal discussions, Jobin calls him out as an outsider repeatedly. This also reminds me of the scene in Anubhav Sinha's Article 15, where all the policemen discussed the castes and sub-castes and their hierarchies. At one point, one of the Dalit policemen says that he is a Chamar and he will not touch the food by Pasis. Everyone becomes a bully by virtue of their power or privilege.

The other theme that the film brings out is the nature of wild animals. The film opens with a dog barking, and Bhaski looks terrified of it. Later, he says that he dislikes dogs. It is also shown that Bhaski is a vegetarian. After he turns into a werewolf, Bhaski undergoes a change. He builds muscles in his body. His sense of smell gets heightened. He can smell prey from miles away. He develops affection toward dogs. He starts eating meat. His role as protector of the jungle does not conflict with his love for animals because it is in the wolf's nature to eat meat. It is the cycle of nature, the relation between hunter and prey. Likewise, when Bhaskar turns back to a human after mauling some men, his friends do understand that it is in the nature of a wolf to kill. So, he is not punished for the same. This is again seen in the end when he is fed meat and tied so that he does not run away to hunt. We often forget this aspect while dealing with wild animals, and Bhediya makes the point beautifully. 

The film also incorporates elements from fables and other stories of animals in the narrative. It opens with a man telling his young daughter a story that is inspired by Little Red Riding Hood. At another point, Bhaskar channels the boy from The Boy Who Cried Wolf, where he tries to scare his friends about the wolf. Later, there is a hilarious and fitting reference to Chaddi Pehen Ke Phool Khila Hai from The Jungle Book. The visuals of the final scene seem to be recreated from The Jungle Book. Bhediya also adds references to horror films of the past. There is the mention of Jaani Dushman, where a man becomes a monster and seeks revenge by abducting and killing brides. There is the mention of Junoon, where a young man turns into a tiger every full moon night. At another point, Bhaski sings Aap Ke Pyaar Mein from Raaz, another horror film where a woman saves her husband from a ghost. Finally, Bhediya also refers to the horror film Mahal by adding its song Aayega Aanewala at a crucial point in its narrative.

Bhediya adds humor from topical memes. There is Meri koi feelings nahi hai song by Yashraj Mukhate. At another point, a character says, "Aap chronology samjhiye"—another popular meme. There is also Gangadhar hi Shaktimaan hai. The interesting part is that earlier films provided content for memes; increasingly, we see the reverse happening as well, where popular memes are ending up in films as well. There are also other interesting little details. Bhaskar is often called Bhaski, which seems similar to a husky (a dog that looks like a wolf). He also wears a fur jacket.

The suspense in the film is not hard to guess. It is quite visible that Anika (Kriti Sanon) had something to do with the vishanu as the film opens with a young girl. Also, the Ojha who comes later in the film is the same one who was there with Anika and her father when a wolf attacked them. One of the most beautiful scenes in the film is when Anika takes Bhaski to her favorite place. She makes him see a new world opening his eyes to the beauty of the jungle. It is reminiscent of the deep sea diving scene from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara where Laila (Katrina Kaif) takes Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) on a tour of the ocean, making him realize his every breath. Kabir sees a new world. It is women who lead and make the men realize the emptiness of their lives. Bhediya ends when the two wolves again go together to the same place after they escape captivity.

The music of the film is composed by Sachin-Jigar, while the lyrics are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Apna Bana Le is a wonderful composition. There is a line in the song, "Saweron ka mere, tu suraj laage." It also reminds me of the title song of Kalank that had the line, "Main gehra tamas, tu sunehra sawera." There is also the peppy Baaki Sab Theek which might be the only song that uses the word laghushanka in the lyrics. Thumkeshwari is shot on Shraddha Kapoor. In Stree, it was the opposite, where Kriti Sanon performed on a song (Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe) in a Shraddha Kapoor film. The ending title credit song in Bala also had a reference to Stree. The meta-commentary is further seen in the surprise appearance of two characters from Stree who come to visit Jana, who is also reprising his role from that film. Abhishek Banerjee is the scene stealer in Bhediya. He does the expressions of goofy Jana brilliantly.

In Shoojit Sircar's October, Dhawan played Dan, a manchild with no real purpose in life. A friend's last words before a tragic fall—"Where is Dan?"—profoundly impacted him. He started caring (perhaps, too much). He was often irritated earlier but became empathetic and mellow. By the film's end, he seems to be a completely different person as he matures and grows up. Like Badlapur and October, Bhediya is another feather in the cap of Dhawan, who shines in these life-changing roles. Bhaskar used to think of himself as the hero in the conflict between the wolf and him. By the film's end, he realized that it was actually the opposite. He was the one who was acting like a villain. He realized his mistake. He then found an alternate way to finish his project as he truly understood the meaning of prakriti hai toh pragati hai. The wolf brings a change in him. It is perhaps why the coming of age that still works wonderfully. It is propelled by an external agent but succeeds only after an internal conversation.

Other Reading:

1. On Sriram Raghavan's Badlapur—Link.

2. On Shoojit Sircar's October—Link.

Dialogue of the Day:
"Prakriti hai toh pragati hai."

—Jana, Bhediya