The screenplay is well written, with all the character dialogues and mannerisms imitating those from the 10th and 11th centuries. Though there are many characters, Mani Ratnam and Elango Kumaravel take the time to introduce each character so that the viewer doesn’t feel lost. A majority of the movie is narrated from the viewpoint of Vanthiyathevan (Karthi), a loyal friend of Aditha Karikalan sent on a mission to learn and report the power struggles in the Chola kingdom. Due to his light-hearted nature, Vanthiyathevan has fun along the way, especially with Thirumalaiappan (Jayaram), which provides periodic comic relief to an otherwise packed tale of greed, honesty, and treachery. 

Mani Ratnam smashes it out of the park in this movie, with scenes effortlessly flowing together and even the smallest historical details beautifully captured. Thota Tarani’s production design is top-notch, capturing the beauty of the ancient Chola empire, and Ravi Varman’s cinematography transports the viewer into the scenes and makes them feel as if they’re standing alongside the characters. AR Rahman as usual captures the emotion of each scene with beautiful and fitting background music. Rahman’s three songs are melodious and well-placed. However, the transitions to two of the three songs (excluding Ponni Nadhi) seem a little rushed. Despite the rushed transitions though, these songs end up having instrumental value to the plot.