பொன்னியின் செல்வன் - கல்கி

 
After completing a great Choza experience with Udayar, this is the next novel I have started reading for three reasons. 1. I have heard a lot about this novel since my school days and wanted to read this. 2. After Udayar I wanted to live in Choza dynasty again, I didn't want to go out. 3. There was some rumors that Maniratnam is making a movie based on this novel. I had enough reasons to start reading this epic novel. This novel also, as usual bought by my uncle many years back.

This novel is highly praised by whoever have read it. So, I had a lot of expectation before reading. It lives up to all the hype and expectations and gave me even more than I expected. Kalki brings that time period in front of your eyes right from the first page, which will make you fall in love with those beautiful places. This book is like a prequel to Udayar, before my hero, Raja Raja Chozan, becomes a king, when he was still called as Arul Mozhi Varman.

The main characters of this book are Vallavarayan Vanthiyathevan (hero), Arul Mozhi Varman (Raja Raja Chozan), Kunthavai (Arul Mozhi's sister), Aazhwarkadiyan, Poongulazhi, Pazhuvettairs and Nandhini. And, many more character plays some important roles.

This book is a real thriller. It's basic plot is how Arul Mozhi got the throne after beating all the odds against him and also Karikalan's murder. And, it was very difficult to find out the assassin. It's up to the reader to decide the killer after reading the explanations of that incident. Each and every scene was like a screenplay of a movie. I had many Goosebumps while reading this novel, like when Arul Mozhi Varman's character was first introduced in Sri Lanka, then a boat getting caught in a cyclone in mid sea, etc. 

Nandhini is the negative character in this novel. You will love her as much as you hate her. She is my favorite character from the novel. I had imagined a beautiful lady in my mind while reading her part, beauty with a brain. Vanthiyathevan, even though he is the hero, most of times he will do stupid things and get caught. He takes life simple and doesn't complicate things much.

It has little love stories of, Vanthiyathevan and Kunthavai, Vanathi and Arul Mozhi Varman, Karikalan and Nandhini, Poonkuzhali and Sendhan Amuthan. Sendhan Amuthan character was a real surprise at the end.

My love to Arul Mozhi Varman increased further after finishing this. And, book reading has become a habit when I finished this. This is the absolute bestsellers of Tamil Novel even now. It was written some sixty years ago and it's still considered one of the best novels of all time and remains as a favorite novel for people of many generations.

You may not have the habit of reading books, but you must try reading this in your lifetime. You must live with Kalki's Vanthiyathevan, Kunthavai, Arul Mozhi, Nandhini once. I don't think anyone will make this as a movie. Right from MGR its every filmmakers dream. In my opinion, making Ponniyin Selvan as a movie and to satisfy all the people who have read it of all the generation is not only difficult, it's impossible ;). I hope someone proves me wrong.

I wish I could time travel and go to Raja Raja Chozan's period.