THE JOURNEY: FROM ROBOT TO ENDHIRAN

Endhiran, the most anticipated film of the year is all set to release in a few weeks time. This Shankar’s dream project was definitely not a cake walk in terms of production. So let us take a look at its set backs and hurdles faced during the years

1. The beginning…..

We don’t know which point in time has to be called the beginning of the Endhiran journey. Some might suggest that the genesis of the idea was in the mind of writer Sujatha who put it down in the form of one of Tamil literature’s first sci-fi works. This has to be considered the origin of Endhiran. That would take us a long way back. But, even looking at it from a purely cinema perspective would take almost a decade back in time. Many years have passed since we first heard about the possibility of Endhiran (then Robot) becoming a movie. It was first announced in 2001 after Shankar had made his first direct Hindi film, Nayak, the remake of Mudhalvan. Robot was then set to star Kamal Haasan and Preity Zinta in lead roles. But, one guesses that Indian cinema was not yet ready to carry off such an ambitious project at that point of time. So, Robot was shelved (forever, some thought) and Shankar moved on to Boys.

2. Is Anniyan the Robot?

Four years after Robot was first announced, Shankar was ready again with a film that looked like one of the biggest ever to happen in Indian cinema. It was titled Anniyan and the posters showed Vikram in very menacing get-ups, wearing a hooded gown. That was enough for everyone to believe that Anniyan was in fact Robot, being made under a new title. No one can be blamed for thinking so because the film created such great hype and was made on a then unheard budget (it might look small now). But, in the end, all stories were put to rest as Anniyan turned out to be multiple-personality disorder plot. Robot was yet up Shankar’s sleeve. But, it was temporarily pushed to the background.

3. The team is forged!

Fast forward two years to 2007. The biggest even in India cinema had taken place. Shankar had joined hands with Superstar – the dream combination had finally become a reality. Sivaji released and broke box office records all over. With Rahman for company, it became clear that there is no bigger team in the industry. If the biggest film ever had to be made, then it would have to be this team; none else. Everyone wanted to know the plans of Shankar and Rajinikanth post-Sivaji. While Superstar was his usual unrevealing self, Shankar said that he was going to give his production house undivided attention for some time. Meanwhile there were reports of Shankar’s Telugu debut and the stars being rumored were the biggest in Tollywood; Chiranjeevi or Mahesh Babu. Uncertainty loomed for a while!

4. Robot reaches Bollywood!

For a brief while in mid-2007, it did look as if Robot had left the grasp of Kollywood. It was said that Shankar had taken the story to Shahrukh Khan. By this time Shankar’s name was making huge waves all over the Indian film industry due to the humungous success of Sivaji. Therefore his pairing up with SRK was being seen as the biggest thing that could happen to Bollywood, a North-South union of sorts. An official announcement was made and it did look as if Robot was finally underway. But soon enough came the news that it was not to be. Many reports put creative differences to be the reason behind the Shankar-SRK decision to split. It is said that SRK considered the script ‘dull and half baked’. Indeed, for such a mammoth project, both men would have to be completely in sync with each other. Apparently that was not the case! Robot was still in uncertainty.

5. The most wanted script in India!

For a brief while after the SRK-Shankar split, Robot seemed to be the most wanted script in India. Looking back, almost all the leading actors of the country have heard the script or have been considered for the lead. Names like Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan from Bollywood and Ajith from Kollywood were discussed in a matter of months. But in the end, none materialized. Now, it seemed that the Robot had knocked at every door possible. But, all factors had not come together to make it possible. Thinking back now, it seems like destiny. The journey started with Kamal Haasan and 10 years later, it came back to one of his best buddies – Superstar Rajinikanth. Yes, the biggest film had to be made with biggest star. Robot would finally get underway.

6. It is official: The team is ready

The announcement came in January 2008. Robot would be made with Rajinikanth in the lead. What a moment it was! But, it would no longer be Robot! Thanks to the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to grant tax exemption for movies with Tamil titles, the film was rechristened Endhiran. The casting details were slowly divulged. After almost every leading Bollywood lady’s name was thrown around, Aishwarya Rai was finalized, that too for an unheard sum of Rs. 6 crores. The music was without doubt handed over to Rahman. A formidable team had been forged and they were backed by two production giants: Eros International and Ayngaran International. Technically, Endhiran is rumored to have a perfection level that is unheard of in Indian cinema with many renowned Hollywood technicians being hired.

7. Hurdles and setbacks!

After a few months of good tidings, things started getting rough for the Endhiran team. Eros International ran into rough waters with two of their big budget Hindi films falling flat at the box office; Drona and Yuvraj. The losses were too much for them to take, especially when they had to find big funding for Endhiran. It was almost at the same time that the global recession struck leaving even Ayngaran in a spot of bother. With both the co-producers going through rough patches, a mammoth project could not find a way to move forward. Actually, the times were really bad for the entire film industry. It was almost at the same time that Pyramid Saimira withdrew from Kamal Haasan’s dream project Marmayogi. There was a question mark over Endhiran’s future.

Another major setback for the Endhiran team was the unfortunate demise of its dialogue writer and key member of the think tank, writer Sujatha. He was the brain behind the original idea of Endhiran and his inputs were invariably invaluable for the team. This was a major blow and doubts about Endhiran started to grow.

8. The Sun Rises

There was timely intervention. No time was wasted, especially with the dates of such big stars being in question. From the hands of Ayngaran and Eros, Endhiran was taken over by Sun Pictures, the new powerhouse of the Tamil film industry. In what would be their first in house production, the banner created a record of sorts by going in for the costliest Indian film to be made. Once Sun Pictures took over, there was no looking back for Endhiran. From that moment onwards, everything about the movie was a closely guarded secret. Filming progressed smoothly with only the slightest hints being given to the media.

9. The villain and the jester

The villain against the Superstar has to be formidable. Huge names were discussed that included none other than the Big B himself. Other names included JD Chakravarthy, Narain and Arjun. But in the end, it was a bit of a surprise when Bollywood actor Danny Denzongpa, known for intense portrayals was cast as the lead villain.

And, as in all Shankar films, we came to know that even Endhiran will have its share of comedy. And, the men selected for the job were Santhanam and Karunas, newcomers to the Shankar team.

10. The countdown

More than a decade of speculation, almost all leading stars of the country in the fray, more than 150 crores, more than 2 years in the making; the biggest thing ever in Indian cinema – it is ready. The audio launch was unprecedented in terms of scale, reach and coverage. Now, the actual release of the movie is just a few weeks away. The Endhiran journey has been a fascinating one for all those who have followed it. The countdown has begun……..