George RR Martin's incredible epic A Game of Thrones has caught the imagination of viewers all around the world. Tamil Nadu is no exception and there are several dedicated GoT fans in the state.
"But how about celebrating epics from your own place, too?" asks this Put Chutney video.
Calling the Kalki epic Ponniyin Selvan "one of the most engaging and intriguing novels in any language", the video claims that the plot is bigger than the one which unfolds in King's Landing (GoT).
Ponniyin Selvan was written over a period of three years. For the uninitiated, the video goes on introduce some of the protagonists from novel, like Arulmozhivarman, Vandhiya Thevan, Nandhini, Kundavai, and Azhwarkadiyan.
The video also compares Ponniyin Selvan to The Lord of the Rings, stating that the latter will find it difficult to compete with the former. Whether the video's comparisons to GoT and LOTR are valid or not (several fans who've read all the books have disputed this), it makes a relevant point about literature and film adaptations.
Noting that epics like LOTR and GoT have been made into films, the video says that Ponniyin Selvan is yet to see light on the big screen although the Tamil film industry has periodically been interested in doing it.
There is a serious dearth of good writing in the Tamil film industry, with most directors doubling up as script writers for their own films. A project of this magnitude needs a talented writer who can capture the essence of the novel while it makes a transition to celluloid.
While we've had innumerable adaptations of the Ramayana and Mahabharatha, modern day epics haven't received as much attention. The tremendous success of Baahubali has shown that the public loves grandeur and stories of epic proportions as long as they are told well.
So, who will take up the challenge of bringing Ponniyin Selvan to the big screen? Film buffs and fans of the novel have been clamouring for this to happen for long and hopefully, in an era of big budget filmmaking, a talented team will come together and do it at last.
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