Kanguva

Kanguva, also known as Kanguva: A Mighty Valiant Saga is an upcoming Indian Tamil-language fantasy action film directed by Siva and produced by Studio Green and UV Creations. The film stars Suriya leading an ensemble cast that includes Bobby Deol and Disha Patani (in their Tamil debuts) with Natarajan Subramaniam, Jagapathi Babu, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley, Kovai Sarala, Anandaraj, Ravi Raghavendra, and K. S. Ravikumar.

The project between Suriya and Siva was originally announced in April 2019, but was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India and Suriya and Siva's other committments. It was relaunched in August 2022 as Suriya 42, and principal photography commenced that month and lasted for seventeen months, wrapping up in January 2024. The film was shot in Chennai, Goa, Kerala, Kodaikanal and Rajahmundry. The technical crew includes Devi Sri Prasad, Vetri Palanisamy and Nishadh Yusuf, as music composer, cinematographer and editor, respectively. Made on a budget of around ₹300 crore, Kanguva is one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.

Kanguva is scheduled to be released on 10 October 2024, coinciding with Dussehra in standard, 3D and IMAX formats.

Development
Two months after the release of Siva's Viswasam (2019), reports claimed that Suriya would collaborate with the former for a film to be produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green. The project was in talks for quite a few months and Siva had committed to do a film with Studio Green for more than a year. On 22 April 2019, the film was announced under the tentative title Suriya 39, being the 39th film of Suriya in a leading role. The project was confirmed to be bankrolled by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under the banner of Studio Green and was supposed to go on floors after Suriya had completed filming for Soorarai Pottru (2020). During May, Nayanthara was in talks to be paired opposite Suriya. According to sources, the film would be a family drama set in a village, similar to Viswasam. However, before filming could begin, Siva had gotten a chance to direct Rajinikanth’s 168th film, later titled Annaatthe (2021). Rajinikanth asked Suriya if he could postpone his film with Siva to which the latter agreed. The filming date was later pushed to November 2021 as Siva was busy with promotions of Annaatthe. Then onwards, there was no development and Suriya 39 would later become Jai Bhim (2021).

Pre-production
Siva had already begun the pre-production works of the film in January 2021 when filming of Annaatthe was suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. During that September, sets were erected in EVP Film City in Chennai. In an interview with Variety in January 2022, Suriya affirmed that his film with Siva was still underway. That March, either Anirudh Ravichander or Ravi Basrur was reported to be replacing D. Imman, who was initially announced as the music composer. However, the makers chose Devi Sri Prasad. In an interview with IndiaGlitz in July 2022, Gnanavel Raja said that he would not be producing the film due to it being the most expensive film in Suriya's career. He further added that UV Creations had taken up the project.

The film was launched on 21 August in Agaram Foundation, Chennai with a customary pooja ceremony and was tentatively titled Suriya 42, as it became Suriya's 42nd film in a leading role. On 24 August, Studio Green and UV Creations announced that they would jointly produce the film. Vetri and Richard Kevin were recruited to handle the cinematography and editing, respectively. Supreme Sundar was reported to have been chosen as the stunt choreographer. The film's motion poster was released on 9 September and revealed that it was a period action film, which would be released in 3D. Nishadh Yusuf, of Thallumaala (2022) fame, replaced Kevin as the editor. On 16 April 2023, the title was announced as Kanguva through a title announcement teaser. In an interview with Kumudam in late April, G. Dhananjayan, who is in constant communication with the film's producers, said that the film could have a sequel. He said that the film's story is quite extensive, and the producers were unwilling to shorten it. Both Siva and Gnanavel Raja have been planning to create a sequel and Suriya has already agreed to it. He further added that the decision to make a sequel will be made after filming ends.

Casting
Suriya will be seen in 13 different looks in the film. Earlier in Ayan (2009), he was seen in ten different looks and that record will be broken through this film. The makeup artist Ranjith Ambady and his team took references from Apocalypto (2006) for designing one of Suriya's looks for the periodic portions. For his role, Suriya further shed 5 kilograms for his role in the film.

In August 2022, Disha Patani was reportedly paired opposite Suriya, marking her Tamil debut. Patani's inclusion was confirmed on 9 September. Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley, Kovai Sarala and Anandaraj were reportedly cast in late-August to play supporting roles. That September, Ravi Raghavendra revealed his participation in the film, while K. S. Ravikumar was reported being part of the cast in October, after he had shot for his portions in the second schedule of the film. B. S. Avinash of KGF fame, was cast in late April 2023. It was only by late June that he announced his participation. Towards the end of July 2023, Bobby Deol was brought on board as the main antagonist, making his Tamil debut. Deol described his role to be "out of his comfort zone" as he had to be fluent in Tamil and learning it within two months was difficult which made the role even more challenging. During the same period, Natarajan Subramaniam was signed on to play one of the antagonist roles.

Filming
Filming was intended to begin in November 2021 after Siva's commitments in Annaatthe. Later, it was pushed to July 2022 after Suriya had completed the shooting schedule of Bala's Vanangaan in June and test shoot of Vetrimaaran's Vaadivaasal in July. But that too didn't happen. The film's principal photography ultimately began with the first schedule on 24 August 2022 in Chennai with a customary pooja ceremony. The first schedule was concluded in five days there.

The second schedule commenced in Goa on 20 September. Patani joined the sets the very next day. A massive set was erected in the outskirts where most portions had been shot. A stunt sequence involving more than 250 extras was also shot there. During this schedule, pictures and footage from the sets were leaked and went viral, causing the studio, Studio Green, to warn of legal action against the ones responsible. The second schedule was completed on 11 October and the team took a break for a couple of weeks on the account of Diwali. The next and third schedule was reported to commence again in Chennai and also in Pondicherry post-Diwali, while the subsequent schedule was set to be held in Sri Lanka for 60 days. Since the film is reportedly set in two timelines and has a 1000-year old backstory, most parts filmed during the second schedule in Goa makes up the present day portions while the ones in the Sri Lanka schedule would make up the period ones. However, the film was eventually not shot in Sri Lanka.

For the next schedule, Suriya trained hard to sport a six pack look. The third schedule began on 16 December in Ennore, Chennai as reported, with Patani and Yogi Babu being included in this schedule. Few days later, the team started shooting action sequences at a grand set erected at Ennore Port, which were choregraphed by Supreme Sundar, who was hired during this schedule. It was a short schedule which was completed by late-December. By January 2023, 60% of shooting was completed. Filming resumed on 4 January 2023 at EVP Film City in Chennai. It was completed by January end. In early February, the makers erected a set resembling an aeroplane for shooting action sequences. Few days before that, an action sequence with around 50 extras clashing with Suriya was filmed in a gym.

On 10 February, the next schedule commenced yet again in Chennai. The team had started shooting action sequences from that day onwards. Cinematographer Vetri brought Alexa Super 35 and Alexa LF camera versions for a better output of the action sequences. Kanguva is the second Tamil film to use the Alexa Super 35 camera after Leo (2023). In early March, Suriya was spotted hitting a gym, preparing for a massive action scene along with 200 bodybuilders. Few days later, Siva took a short break from filming after his brother Bala had been hospitalised due to liver disease. After the completion of this schedule, Siva and Suriya started filming the title teaser. It was completed on 12 March. After a 10-day break, shooting took place for one day in Kerala on 19 April. The next day, a new phase started in Kodaikanal at the forest areas. It was supposed to go on for about 20 days, but the team finished the schedule on 7 May.

The subsequent schedule started on 20 June 2023, at a grand set mounted in EVP Film City which was constructed that month start, in Chennai. A song, set in the period, featuring more than 1500 background artists and choreographed by Prem Rakshith was shot at the set, and the schedule was completed before the end of the month. The crew moved to Kodaikanal again for the next phase of filming and wrapped it up by the beginning of the coming month. Following their time in Kodaikanal, the production team returned to EVP Film City to commence the successive phase of filming, on 5 August. On 16 August 2023, production shifted to Rajahmundry where filming held for two weeks. On 5 October 2023, following a brief break, the team moved to Bangkok for the penultimate schedule which was completed within three weeks. In late-November 2023, Suriya sustained a minor injury during a fight sequence when a rope camera fell on his shoulder. Shortly thereafter, he took off from filming for two weeks to recover, thereby halting the production temporarily, before returning to the sets by mid-December. Principal photography wrapped in January 2024.

Post-production
Post-production started in late June 2023 in Mumbai with work on the visual effects being commenced and Harihara Suthan serves as the visual effects supervisor. It will go on for several months as the film involves extensive visual effects and computer-generated imagery, which had been progressing simultaneously. On 14 February 2024, Suriya watched the final edit of the film with Siva and the rest of the technical crew members and appreciated the crew for their work. It was also revealed that the post-production has been progressed into the next stage, with digital intermediate, colour grading, previsualisation happening parallely. On 21 February, Suriya began dubbing for his portions at Gnanavel Raja's then newly constructed post-production studio Aadnah Arts in Mumbai.

Music
The soundtrack and film score is composed by Devi Sri Prasad, in his fifth collaboration with Suriya after Maayavi (2005), Aaru (2005), Singam (2010) and Singam II (2013) and second with Siva after Veeram (2014). The film's music rights were purchased by Saregama. The first single titled "Fire Song" will release on 23 July 2024, coinciding with Suriya's 49th birthday.

Marketing
A 94-second glimpse video revealing Suriya's appearance from the periodic portions released on the midnight of 23 July 2023, coinciding with the actor's birthday, along with the film's first look also being unveiled on the same day. The teaser garnered 30 million views within a span of 24 hours since its release and received praise for the visuals and setting. A second look poster showcasing Suriya in a modern-day avatar was released on 16 January 2024. Another poster revealing Deol's character and appearance was released on the occasion of his birthday, 27 January 2024. The sizzle teaser of the film was released on 19 March 2024.

Theatrical
Kanguva is scheduled to release in theatres worldwide on 10 October 2024, coinciding with Dussehra. It will release in conventional 2D, 3D, and IMAX formats. Initially scheduled for an early 2024 release, the film was delayed due to the extensive post-production works.

In April 2023, it was announced that the film will be released in 38 languages. Speaking of this decision, Gnanavel Raja revealed that he was ambitious on "expanding the film’s marketing and distribution to new territories, thereby opening doors to unparalleled box office success and broader international reach for Tamil cinema".

Distribution
AA Films was initially revealed as the theatrical distribution partner for the Hindi-dubbed versions, but in January 2023, Pen Studios reportedly acquired the Hindi theatrical distribution rights. The Kannada theatrical rights were sold to KVN Productions. The film will be distributed in Nizam area by Mythri Movie Makers.

Pre-release business
Kanguva was reported to have made a pre-release recovery of more than inr 5000000000 which includes digital, audio and satellite rights, becoming the first Tamil film to do so. The South Indian digital rights of the film were sold for inr 800000000. The Hindi satellite, digital and theatrical rights were reportedly sold for ₹100 crore.

Home media
The digital streaming rights of the film for its South Indian languages were acquired by Amazon Prime Video.