Vengayin Mainthan (வேங்கையின் மைந்தன்) – The Movie

It’s quite surprising that when we think about making a Tamil historical movie, we can’t think beyond Shivaji Ganesan. He was at his best in historical roles, be it Thiruvarutselvar, Appar, Raja Raja Cholan, Veerabagu or his multiple roles in Thiruvilayadal. It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen good serious Tamil historical movie. Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi came as a surprise but that was a comedy. Even when someone thinks about making a historical movie, it’s quite difficult to think of a good star cast. Let’s take the case of Vengayin Mainthan.

The title character Rajendra Cholan carries with itself, respect and dignity. Kamal Hassan, Prakash Raj, Sathyaraj or Parthiban can carry the role.

Elango’s character is quite difficult to cast. But I think Eeram Aathi (with a toned up body and mesmerizing voice) could pull it off. Prithviraj can be a choice but his Malayalam accent lets him down.

Arulmozhi’s character, a stubborn princess who lets her eyes speak more than her mouth, could only be done by Sneha.

Rohini’s character is the most difficult one to cast. I thought about it but could not come up with a convincing answer. My thinking is a new comer with stunning looks and acting skills. But the only person who has the looks is the girl who compeers for Super Singer Junior in Vijay TV, Divya. She has the looks, especially with such expressive eyes but can’t say anything on acting.
Vallavarayar Vanthiyathevar is another difficult one to think of. More than the age, the mere mention of his name would bring memories of Ponniyin Selvan, so that makes the casting difficult than it actually is.

Kodumbalar Periya Velalar, Elango’s father and a fierce lieutenant of Rajendra Cholan could be enacted by Nasser.

Suggestions are welcome for the characters Veeramallan, King of Rohanam Mahindar, Mahindar’s Minister Keerthi and others. Suggestions are also welcome for my choice of actors given above.

Vengayin Mainthan (வேங்கையின் மைந்தன்) – A Review

One of my biggest regrets till date was that I knew very little about Tamil history. Four magnificent rulers in Chera, Chola, Pandya and Pallava claimed stronger hand in South India at various periods. They built such marvelous structures like the Brahadeesvarar Temple in Tanjavur, Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, The Shore Temples of Mahabalipuram to name a few. Tamil language and culture attained its peak at their time through times like the Tamil Sangam. Yet I had very little knowledge about them compared to what I knew about the Mughals or the British. It prompted me to start reading Tamil historical novels. Though essentially they are a work of fiction, the facts in them are taken from history books which add to their credibility. Ponniyin Selvan was the choice of so many people. I have heard so much about the book. But I settled down with Akilan’s Vengayin Mainthan. Generally this is read after Ponniyin Selvan but I kind of zeroed in on this.

The title character is Rajendra Cholan, son of Raja Raja Cholan. In his time Tamil Culture attained its peak when he conquered land up to the Ganges in the north to distant islands like Indonesia. He also built a new city, Gangai Konda Chola Puram to celebrate his victories. The novel’s central character however is not Rajendra Cholan, but one of his lieutenants, Elangovel. Elango, as he is called belongs to a small country under the Chola dynasty, Kodumbalur. His family has matrimonial exchange with the Cholas. Chola princess, Arulmozhi is in love with Elango, though she never shows it out. The novel starts with Rajendra Cholan’s quest to recapture Tamil Crown belongings from southern Ceylon, known as Rohanam. The novel revolves around the explosive love affair between Elango and Rohanam’s princess, Rohini. Each gives up secrets about their country in different circumstances which becomes both good and bad for Elango and Cholas. On the good side he is able to retrieve the lost property, able to know enemy’s plan and traps beforehand. On the other side, he almost leads his enemy destroy their new city and burn his Kodumbalur fort. How Elango thwarts their plan and marries both the beautiful ladies forms the climax.

The novel is expertly written with loads of history facts and imaginary characters which make us believe each and every part of it. The constant on off love affair between Elango and Rohini is the backbone of the novel. Rohini, though she belongs to the enemy camp, cannot ignore Elango because of her love. She is caught between her own loyalty towards her county & brother and saving her love, so many times in the novel. Elango is caught between his love and his duty, though for him, duty always comes first. The emotions that love can cause in a short period of time are beautifully imagined. On the other hand Arulmozhi’s character was scripted as an opposite of Rohini. Arulmozhi is very quiet woman, who hides her mind from others despite being in love with Elango, while Rohini is very expressive about her feelings.

Apart from the love triangle, what I loved the most in the novel is the way Akilan describes Tamil culture. Rajendra Cholan shows his broader side when he wants to make friends with his enemy kings, though he is never afraid of wars. In fact all his wars end in victories for him. Such was his army’s force and his command. Though his liberal policies were seen as a weakness, he has enough power and intelligence to overcome his enemies’ plan to use it. His and Vallavarayar Vanthiyathevar’s plan to allow Elango romance Rohini proves to be master strategy. The Tamil spirit prevails throughout the movie. Sundara Pandiyan who was defeated by Rajendra Cholan even goes as far to compliment his rival’s bravery and policies.

Vanthiyathevar, the hero of Ponniyin Selvan and arguably the most beloved Tamil fictional character, plays a smaller but significant character. He plays an elderly minister who is by the king’s side most of the times and takes care of Elango whenever Elango slips emotionally. Akilan created Elango’s character complimentary to Vanthiyathevar’s character in Ponniyin Selvan.

On the flip side, Rohini double sided loyalty baffled me at times. She repeatedly asks Elango for forgiveness after she had done things against him. It was understandable in the beginning, but in the later stages it bores the reader a bit. Also, the number of times a conversation was overheard by another person was a bit too much. I mean, coincidence doesn’t happen every day. Elango’s friend Veeramallan’s constant double crossing is also not so convincing.

But overall, a very enjoyable read. It was a valuable insight on the life of our great ancestors. It was a celebration of Tamil culture which arguably attained its peak during the reign of Rajendra Cholan.