A Ponniyin Selvan Retelling in English
"Vetri Vel! Veera Vel!"
— Battle cry of the Chozhas
Ponniyin Selvan, written by Kalki Krishnamurthy, is a historical novel set between the tenth and eleventh centuries AD. A story that revolves around the Chozha Emperor Arulmozhi Varman—later crowned as Raja Raja Chozhan I—it has all the ingredients of a political drama: espionage, vendetta, and patronage. Kalki masterfully weaves love stories into the mix as well.
The brave Vallatharasan Vandhiyathevan and his antics to escape trouble; the Veera Vaishnavar Alwarkadiyan Nambi; Princess Kundavai and her close aide Vanathi; the Chief Minister Aniruddha Brahmarayar; the fiery Parthibendra Pallavan, confidante of the elder brother Aditya Karikalan—all make the novel gripping.
This retelling focuses on the plot. While Kalki's original has exquisite scene descriptions, some readers find them exhausting. I've distilled the drama into a faster-paced narrative—in English, for those of us who didn't study Tamil in depth.
This is not a translation but a retelling. I've taken effort to make it more accessible than the original 2,400-page tome across five volumes. Let me not stay between you and this story any longer.