Ilaiyaraaja opens up about Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan': 'It did not feel like the novel at all'

Music prodigy Ilaiyaraaja recently made a comment about Mani Ratnam’s successful movie Ponniyin Selvan. The movie boasted an ensemble cast, including Vikram, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sobhita Dhulipala, Trisha Krishna, and Jayam Ravi. The movie had two parts, and the second part was released in 2023, becoming a box office success.
While attending a recent art exhibition in Chennai, the musician Ilaiyaraaja shared some of his thoughts related to the complexity of Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan.He said that the film did not give him the exact feel of reading the book.
Ilaiyaraaja was attending the late artist and illustrator Maniam’s art exhibition in Chennai. The artist Maniam is known for the illustrations and works he has done for Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan, which was published seven years ago in Kalki Magazine as a series.

Ilaiyaraaja recounted how he and his friends, including director Bharathiraja, were avid fans of the books. They often borrowed them from a nearby lending library. The composer highlighted the impact of Kalki's words and Maniam's illustrations, particularly those of characters Kundhavai and Vandhiyathevan, on his imagination. Ilaiyaraaja emphasized that the novels had a profound effect on him, transporting him into a world that Mani Ratnam’s cinematic adaptations couldn't fully capture.

Further, Ilaiyaraaja commended the preservation of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ over the years, drawing a parallel with his own struggle to locate and protect his musical notes spanning 46 years since Annakili (1976). He noted the challenges of archiving his works and praised the publication for safeguarding the literary masterpiece for more than seventy years.
Ilaiyaraaja is currently composing music for Vetri Maaran’s Viduthalai Part 2 starring Vijay Sethupathi and Soori in lead roles.