Varanasi Effect: Kamal Set to Revive His Unfinished Epic Movie?

Marudhanayagam is a grand yet unfinished dream for Kamal fans and movie lovers. The project carries a huge legacy. After the massive success of Indian in 1996, Kamal began this ambitious pan India film under his own direction, with Ilaiyaraaja composing the music. The launch was grand in Madras Film City, attended by Queen Elizabeth and then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi. The event itself became a sensation in the media.

The film ran into trouble after two years of shooting. A Hollywood production partner withdrew from the project, and the required funding could not be secured. At that time, the estimated budget was around fifty crore rupees, which was considered extremely high. Recovering such a budget with ten or twenty rupee ticket prices meant the film had to become a global blockbuster.

Marudhanayagam had an impressive cast that included Vishnuvardhan, Sathyaraj, Naasar, Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Pasupathy and Gautami. There were even strong rumours that Kamal approached Aishwarya Rai and Kate Winslet during the early stages. Kamal spent a significant amount of money on research and pre production after travelling across India and abroad.

Despite his efforts, the project could not move forward and in 1999. He officially announced that the film had been shelved. Over the years he tried reviving it several times but nothing materialised. Fans eventually accepted that the film might never return.

Now, after more than two decades, Kamal has hinted that the film could be revived using today’s advanced technology. He recently responded to a journalist’s question and suggested that completing the film is possible.

With old footage resurfacing online, including a clip of Kamal riding a real bull for the film which fans are posting as a counter to Mahesh Babu’s Varanasi glimpse, saying Kamal did it long ago fans are once again excited and hopeful.