It’s undeniable that Aayarathil Oruvan is perhaps one of the greatest production in the Kollywood industry. This epic film was not recognised back then but as years go by, many are starting to appreciate this film.
This historic, adventurous and mysterious film was directed by Selvaraghavan, the fame of 7G Rainbow Colony.
After the fall of the Chola dynasty in 1279 A.D. To escape his followers and save the life of his successor, the Chola emperor sends his son, his Royal Advisor and the remaining Chola people to a secret territory along with an idol sacred to the Pandyas.
In 2008, Indian archaeologists continue searching for the existence of the lost Chola group based on clues left by the ancient Pandyan warriors. Archaeologist Chandramouli, the father of Andrea, is the most recent person to have gone missing suddenly.
So the Indian government had organised a search expedition which was led by Anitha with the help of the Indian Army. Anitha employs a group of porters headed by Muthu, whom she and the army continually ill-treat and see as inferior, to transport baggage throughout the Chola empire journey.
The crew embarked on their voyage leading them to an island, Min-gua, near Vietnam. The island borders three countries: Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. It’s not easy to reach the Cholas because they have set dangerous traps during the journey.
Let’s look at some of the traps:
Manta Rays
The first trap was set at Min-gua Island in Vietnam, which is in the form of a glowing fish. This is not an imagination, it really exists. As you see in the movie, the fish depicts the shape of a stingray. There is a variant of stingray that is called Manta Rays also known as devilfish. Why did Selvaraghavan choose Manta Rays out of every fish? Its because Manta Rays are highly intelligent and the level of intelligence can be compared with elephants. Other than that, these Manta Rays can mark their territories. This could be the reason why Cholas set a trap with this.
Red Indians
Before going to the warrior’s border trap, a shot of a tree with a Red Indian face were shown eventually. We can connect this to Poniyin Selvan. This Red Indian warrior resembles ‘Velaikaran Padai’. They are the defence warriors who devotee themselves to protect the king. The one who created this ‘Velaikaran Padai’ is Pandyas and following that every king started to have their own padai. If they fail to protect the king, they will apologise and commit suicide. In this movie, we witness a Red Indian will come face-to-face with the Chola King’s place and will apologise before cutting his throat.
Snake Island
This scene was based on true events. Ilha da Queimada Grande is an island located on the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean. Before the crew entered the snake island, there were statues of 2 snakes sculpted in the main entrance, so metaphorically we know that this place is owned by snakes. The real island is considered as one of the dangerous places on earth and to date, no one has stayed there. This could be the reason why Selvaraghavan choose this island as a trap.
Nadarajan Shadow at Quicksand Land
In this scene, the shadow of Nadarajan appears only when the sun rises and the sun sets. The light of the sun will be turned into the form of Nadarajan from where they can cross the land without falling into quicksand. We can also indirectly connect this scene to the Virupaksha temple that was built back in the 17th century where we can witness the inverted shadow of the Raja Gopuram falls more than 300 feet away on the wall of the Saalu Mantapa. It can be called advanced engineering by Lakkana Dandesha, a chieftain under the ruler Deva Raya II of the Vijayanagara Empire.
These are some of the traps that I find to be fascinating on how director Selvaraghavan has successfully brought up on the big screen.
The film did not garner positive reviews when it was released in 2010, but over the years, Aayarathil Oruvan has been considered as one of the best creations in the Kollywood industry. With tremendous anticipation for the sequel, filmmaker Selvaraghavan presented the first-look poster for his forthcoming film, Aayirathil Oruvan 2, on January 1st of this year. The film is a sequel to the director’s previous blockbuster of the same name.
இது வரை கேட்டிருந்த ,காத்திருந்த என் அன்பு உள்ளங்களுக்கு
இதோ உங்கள் முன்னால் @dhanushkraja #a.o2 pic.twitter.com/4siF01hiJL— selvaraghavan (@selvaraghavan) January 1, 2021
Selvaraghavan announced the project on social media by sharing the first-look poster. The film, which stars Dhanush in the lead role, will be released in 2024. Aayirathil Oruvan 2’s pre-production will work nearly a year.
Can’t wait for 2024!
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