Mani sir made the impossible, possible with Ponniyin Selvan: Jayam Ravi

Jayam Ravi, who plays the protagonist Arunmozhi Varman in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan-1, does not do the regular mainstream films with a usual love story, song and dance. His filmography bears testimony to this.

Although it is simple to mimic a personality or even an emotion, where is the depth in that? How can I continue doing or repeat what I may have discovered intuitively? Even so, am I even aware of what or how I did it? How can I make the dialogues more engaging? How do I decide which decisions to make? As Jayam Ravi entered the sets of Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan-1, these were the thoughts going through his head.

The actor was still perplexed as to why Mani Ratnam had approached him about playing the title character in Ponniyin Selvan-1. “I was glad that the film was finally being made in Tamil, but I had no idea that I would be playing Arunmozhi Varman. It took a while for me to process what was happening around me!”

Jayam Ravi felt the same enthusiasm as a student who has been accepted into his dream institution.

He emphasises how long it has been since Tamil cinema had historical fiction with numerous stars. To handle aesthetics and continuity, the team had about ten personnel for each actor. “They decided our meal breaks. Instead of using replicas, we used original ornaments. Our sweat was amplified by the leather armour we were wearing, which made the costume bulkier!”

Jayam Ravi had to practise running, swimming, and even riding a horse while wearing heavy armour. But he admitted to being afraid of horses. “Karthi inspired me to train with horses. He gave me encouragement and assurance. Being an actor with no insecurities like him is difficult.”

The pressure was immense, insists Jayam Ravi. “But Mani sir eased it by preparing us emotionally for the shoot. He offered us several ideas, such as asking me to carry myself like a king even when I wasn't shooting by keeping my head up. He discussed Raja Raja Cholan's glory in detail with me. These inputs made it easier for me to get into the skin of my character. All of us were transformed into our novel characters by Mani sir.”

Ponniyin Selvan is viewed as a pucca mass film by Jayam Ravi. “It has action, sentiments, funny lines, romantic moments, and so on. All of this was captured in Mani sir's style. The scenes featuring Karthi and Jayaram sir would no doubt be well received by the audience.”

Jayam Ravi ensures that Mani Ratnam adhered to the literature as closely as possible while making creative decisions to compress the lengthy material into a film.

“What other way is there to introduce it to a crowd, 90% of whom haven't read the book yet? Mani sir's talent is in combining all of the episodes after clearly simplifying them and picking those parts to focus with stunning visual effects. Unlike previous historical fiction films, the majority of Ponniyin Selvan, was filmed outdoors in actual locales. Both parts of the novel will transport you right into the centre of the setting's town and time.”

Jayam Ravi continues that everything on the sets was as real as possible. “It was perfect how everything was set up in a frame, or mise en scene. For example, if potatoes were being stored in the marketplace during a scene, Mani sir would see them and take them out, explaining that this was not a vegetable that was popular at the time.”

Working with elephants was a unique experience, acknowledges Jayam Ravi. “It was unusual but nice. They taught me how to be patient. But, I had to connect with them, and vibe accordingly. Sometimes, elephants get moody. I didn't have ropes to hold onto when riding them; neither did Aishwarya Lekshmi. We were forced to rely solely on the stability of our hands.”

The book by Kalki is “remarkable,” states Jayam Ravi, as it offers a comprehensive history lesson mixed with music and poetry. The actor considers himself fortunate to have been a part of a venture that many notable figures from the Tamil film industry, such as MGR, Sivaji Ganesan, and Kamal Haasan, had dreamed of but did not carry through. “Mani sir made the impossible possible with this one,” grins Jayam Ravi.

Chandralekha, a 1948 film that established Tamil cinema's standing as a significant motion picture genre, would lose to Ponniyin Selvan, adds Jayam Ravi. “I have witnessed spectators from all around the world, who applaud good songs, scenarios, and even action, but Tamil audiences are sufficiently mature to applaud excellent shots. They are knowledgeable and deserve a film like Ponniyin Selvan. This is an ode to each one of them.”

The actor asserts that every frame would be adored by the public. Also, this is Jayam Ravi's maiden venture with Mani Ratnam, in contrast to several other stars in this cast. “When I received a call from Madras Talkies, I realised I had made some good decisions. I view being accepted into the Ponniyin Selvan as payback for the years of effort I put in. Any generation of actors might have taken on this role, thus the fact that it was made at this time and that I played a significant role in it is a wonderful blessing!”