Fans familiar with Kamal Haasan’s expansive career know about his ambitious project, Marudhanayagam. Announced in 1991 and filming commenced in 1997, this film, directed and produced by the actor himself, has always sparked anticipation among his followers, even though the film was shelved(?).

In a recent interview discussing his upcoming film Indian 2, directed by Shankar Shanmugam, Kamal Haasan addressed questions about Marudhanayagam. With his characteristic humour, he hinted that he might revive the project once the person who questioned how a 106-year-old Senapathi in Indian 2 could perform risky stunts ceases to do so.

Reflecting on Marudhanayagam, Kamal amusingly pondered how the same individual would react to him portraying a 40-year-old deceased character (Muhammed Yusuf Khan) at the age of 70. While Haasan affirmed it could be done, he refrained from divulging any details about its potential revival, leaving ardent fans eagerly awaiting further updates.

For the unversed, Marudhanayagam was envisioned as one of the most ambitious and technologically advanced films of its era in Indian cinema, initially budgeted at ₹85 crores. Despite filming certain segments, Haasan faced financial obstacles, necessitating international production funding due to his aspiration for multilingual releases.

The primary challenge now revolves around realistically depicting significant age transitions on screen, a concern Haasan continues to contemplate. The integration of cutting-edge technology and substantial production costs further complicates the uncertainty surrounding the film’s future.