If you liked Ponniyin Selvan and want to watch something like that, I have the exact thing for you - Yaathisai (2023)
Non-spolier review
The film is set in the 7th century (around 270-250 years before Ponniyin Selvan) and tells the fictional story of a small tribe (Einar) that fought against the famous Pandiyan king Ranadheera Pandiyan aka Kochchadaiyan. Remember Rajinikanth's old film? The protagonist is named after this historical King.
The film was written and directed by debutant director Dharani Rajendran. The film's dialogues are in Old Tamil, which are subtitled for viewers in modern Tamil and English. The cast and crew, comprising mostly of debutants, deserve high praise for making such a good film on a shoestring budget (7-10 crores, according to various online sources).
Revolving around the theme of the hunger for power and the thirst for authority, Yaathisai doesn't sing the glories of the emperors or the goodness of their heart. It is a raw, visceral, gripping tale about the corrupting influence of power and the people who are caught up in it.
Newcomers Shakthi Mithran, Seyon Rajalakshmi, Samar and Vaidhegi Amarnat play the main roles and they are amply supported by actors like Guru Somasundaram (the only name I could recognise), Chandrakumar, Semmalar Annam, Subathra and Vijay Seyon.
Cons of the film would be shoddy CGI in some parts and the lack of budget which is reflected in the technical side of the film. That doesn't mean that the film is bad or unwatchable. There are some glitches in some parts, that's it.
If you loved Ponniyin Selvan and wants to watch something like that, this is a very interesting choice. On the surface level, it is a historical fiction, period movie set in a similar period. On the deeper level, it questions and scrutinises everything monarchist narratives like Ponniyin Selvan stands for.
7/10
The movie is available for streaming online and you can watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
A war between Cheras and Pandiyas restarted during the reign of Pandiyan King Arikesari. When Arikesari partially retires, his son Ranadheer