Daily Quiz | On ‘Ponniyin Selvan’
Vikram as Aditha Karikalan in a still from ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2’
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Two personalities acquired the movie rights for ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, but things did not fructify. It was finally left to Maniratnam to execute his vision of the epic, in two parts. Who were the two famous personalities who attempted to make a movie of the book?
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There is much debate about the sources Kalki used to craft his pacy historical fiction based on the assassination of the Crown Prince of the Chola Empire. It is believed he relied on historical accounts, travelled to certain locations that figure in the novel, inscriptions, and ancient copper plates that had survived, to then render as fiction the tale of conspiracy and regicide. He made three trips to a particular country, to study the environs there, we are told. Which country did Kalki travel to, to research for Ponniyin Selvan?
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The character of Azhwarkadiyan Nambi in the novel is a stark representation of a particular undercurrent that sometimes disrupted harmony in the Tamil Nadu of yore. Some of Nambi’s outbursts in the novel stand testimony to this conflict that was historically noted as prevalent during the Chola period.
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The centenary of a key person involved in the ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ serialisation in Kalki in the 1950s is coming up in 2024. This very talented individual was considered the perfect foil for Kalki Krishnamurthy, enhancing the novel’s charm and adding to its popularity. Who was it?
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Kalki’s descriptive style, whether he is describing Vandhiya Thevan trotting on his horse on the banks of the Veeranarayanan lake, or his evocative introduction of characters. “There was constant war between —A— and —B—-. They fought using verbal arrows and sharp, spear-like looks. Sparks flew in that struggle as swords clashed and sharpened lances attacked each other.” Who were A and B, their rivalry notorious in the book? (English translation by C.V. Karthik Narayanan)
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In 1998, the Tamil Nadu Government, then headed by DMK’s M. Karunanidhi did something that meant much for Kalki’s works, including ‘Ponniyin Selvan’. What was this act, and what did it result in?
