English translation of Ponniyin Selvan novel to release ahead of Mani Ratnam's PS-II

A new English translation of Tamil novel "Ponniyin Selvan" will be released ahead of Mani Ratnam's "PS-II", the second part of the multi-starrer film based on the 1955 historical fiction, publisher Westland Books announced on Wednesday.

Originally written by Kalki Krishnamurthy in five parts and translated into English by Nandini Krishnan, the book titled "First Blood" is the first in the multi-volume translation of the Tamil classic.

The book will hit the stands on April 24, ahead of the film's release on April 28.

Featuring a star-studded cast of Chiyaan Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha Krishnan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the Tamil historical drama chronicles the story of the early days of Arulmozhivarman, one of the most powerful kings in the south, who went on to become the great Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I.

"So many generations of Tamil-speakers and Tamil-readers have grown up with Ponniyin Selvan that it is quite incredible to think the work didn't exist seventy-five years ago. I am among a legion of women named for one of its characters. For years, I have been quietly working on the translation, hoping to capture the nuances of Kalki's writing for the English reader," Krishnan said.

The five volumes of the Tamil novel have been further divided into shorter books for ease of reading.

"Nandini's translation of Ponniyin Selvan is elegant, lyrical, energetic. It embraces the detail and expansiveness of the original text while retaining its pace and depth. I am certain that this timeless epic will find a whole new generation of readers with this translation," Karthika VK, publisher, Westland Books, said.