Five uncanny similarities between Ponniyin Selvan and Game of Thrones

Is Ponniyin Selvan the Tamil Game of Thrones? The maestro himself, Mani Ratnam,  was posed the identical query lately. “I think Game of Thrones is the English version of Ponniyin Selvan – I,” he replied. It isn’t just a tongue-in-cheek reply, however when you think about the timeline of the discharge of Kalki Krishnamoorthy’s books and George RR Martin’s books, it may have been.

Ponniyin Selvan began showing within the weekly journal Kalki in 1951. All the chapters of the sequence have been compiled right into a five-part novel sequence, which was printed in 1955. The sequence was translated into English by Indra Neelamegam in 1993. On the opposite hand, the primary ebook in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, A Game of Thrones, got here out in 1996. This is to not argue that GOT was impressed by PS, however to level out our innate reverence for all issues American. While we seldom entertain the chance that our works may have impressed different nations, we readily settle for that the reverse is feasible.

It is true that historic fiction and fantasy novels throughout the board share some fundamental tropes just like the struggle for the throne, the rise of a darkish lord, a selected little one, and metaphors for racial points. However, the similarities between Ponniyin Selvan and Game of Thrones are a bit extra particular. See for your self:

Omen within the sky

Red Comet in GOT and Dumaketu in PS (Screenshots of GOT and PS promo)

Both the sequence begin with a celestial forewarning of a catastrophe. In Ponniyin Selvan, the comet Dhoomketu seems within the sky, which is an indication of dangerous instances. Similarly, in Game of Thrones, a crimson comet seems within the sky of Westeros and Essos after the hatching of Daenerys’s dragon eggs. Osha, a free people from past the wall, who leads to Winterfell, says it’s the signal of dragons’ return. That turned out to be dangerous information for a lot of, didn’t it?

Heirs past the ocean

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys and Jayam Ravi as Arulmozhi Varman (Screenshots of GOT and PS promo)

The predominant portion of Ponniyin Selvan is in regards to the return of Arulmozhi Varman from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu. Arulmozhi Varman is shipped to Eelam (one other identify for Sri Lanka) to seize the nation. However, many need him to succeed his father despite the fact that he has an elder brother, Aditha Karikalan. In Game of Thrones, the journey of Daenerys Targaryen from Essos to Westeros spans many pages. She considers herself because the inheritor to the throne. So, each sequence function an inheritor to the throne, who’re distant from the capital.

Brutuses:

Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy and Vikram Prabhu as Parthiban (Screenshots of GOT and PS promo)

Remember Theon Greyjoy, who goes by an identification disaster all through the sequence about whether or not his allegiance is for Starks or his father? Well, he finally ends up betraying Starks. Well, Ponniyin Selvan encompasses a related character named Parthibendran Pallavan. He belongs to the Pallava dynasty, which has seen superb days up to now. He is launched because the loyal good friend of Aditha Karikalan, however betrays him after falling for Nandini Devi.

*Heavy Spoilers forward*

Uh-oh!

A screenshot from GOT promo

If the romance between the Dragon Queen and Jon Snow made you squirm, then there are possibilities that you simply may get anxious with the best way issues unfold between Nandini and Aditha Karikalan. Initially, Kalki portrays them as estranged lovers, however by the top of the fifth ebook, the author makes you marvel if they’re half-siblings. Though issues later change, for a big a part of the novel, Kalki makes us consider that Nandini and Karikalan are associated by blood.

Princes for slaughter

Richard Madden as Robb Stark

Does The Rains of Castamere, the ninth episode of season 3 ring a bell? Or ought to I say Red Wedding? Remember the horror with which the episode ended! Robb Stark, the previous King within the North, the younger wolf, was butchered at a time when folks within the North and the viewers began rooting for him. That episode made folks realise that something can occur in GOT, and it’s secure to not have emotions for any characters. Well, Kalki saves the demise of 1 such essential character for the final. Both characters are anticipated to develop into the following king.

Well, guess tales the world over are just about the identical. Everything that must be mentioned has been mentioned already. We are inclined to preserve repeating ourselves.