The Tamil cine audience is hours away from seeing a story onscreen, that Kollywood has tried for over 60 years to be made into a movie. Director Mani Ratnam has successfully turned a 5-volumed book of Kalki Krishnamurthy's into two big budget movies, the first of which is releasing in theaters worldwide tomorrow. Here are 5 reasons to watch this movie:

History/Story: Kalki Krishnamurthy's story on which Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 aka PS-I is based, is a highly regarded literary work. It is filled with interesting history [based on the real life Indian King Raja Raja Chola I], romance, angst, fictionalized villains, betrayal, power-play and lots of surprises. An adaptation of such a book should make for a good film even if it incorporates half the elements from its source.

Star Cast: It has been a while since Tamil cinema saw a multi-starrer with as illustrious a cast as Ponniyin Selvan. PS1 alone comes with names like Chiyaan Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Jayaram, R. Parthiepan, Sarathkumar, Shobita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Prakash Raj, Rahman, Nasser, Prabhu, Vikram Prabhu, Ashwin Kakumani, Kishore among others.

Mani Ratnam:  A quality film experience is a given with brand Mani Ratnam. The director admits PS1 is his biggest project yet and that alone sets the expectation-bar for Ponniyin Selvan.

AR Rahman:  One of the already proven plus about Ponniyin Selvan is its music composed by AR Rahman. Would be interesting to watch how his chartbusters have translated onscreen.

Grandeur: Be it in Ravi Varman's cinematography or the aesthetics of the 10th century time period, Ponniyin Selvan promises grandeur in every frame. If nothing, the movie warrants a watch for its rich visuals. 

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