Technoglitch
Core Member
1. In the mid-nineties, Kamal Haasan seriously contemplated working on a spectacular historic film, similar to Ben Hur or Brave Heart, but more ambitious and one which reflected the often-ignored aspects of our rich history. For several months he toyed with the idea of attempting a full-length musical historical - something on the lines of the 1937 blockbuster Ambikapathy starring Bhagavathar - with only verses as dialogues. This idea was shelved quoting commercial reasons. 2. It was late writer and novelist Sujatha who then suggested Mr Haasan to browse through a folk ballad edited by an eminent Tamil scholar, Vanamamalai, which introduced him to a legendary 18th century Tamil warrior named Maruthanayagam Pillai, who rose from humble beginnings and went on to become the much feared Muhammed Yusuf Khan. He was so intrigued with the life of the historic figure that he believed that Maruthanayagam's story, if narrated well, had all the potential to become a never-before-attempted film in Indian cinema.
3. Mr Haasan then collaborated with Sujatha to work on the screenplay of the project. Interestingly, a computer was used for screenwriting for the first time in India in 1998, making use of software called Movie Magic ScreenWriter. Sujatha was also to be credited as the script doctor, another first for an Indian movie.
4. Mr Haasan managed to rope in Queen Elizabeth II, who usually stayed away from social events, to appear as the chief guest at the launch of the prestigious project which happened at the MGR Film City, Chennai on 16 October 1997.
5. During the 20 minutes that the Queen spent on the sets, a teaser (a pilot film which was shot much before principle cinematography began) was screened, another first for Indian cinema. The short video, which featured a shot battle sequence, was reportedly made on a budget of 1.5 crores (equivalent to 9 crores in 2015), achieving the grandeur and finesse of a product likeBaahubali: The Beginning, almost two decades earlier. The music for the short video was composed by Karthik Raja, son of the film's composer Ilaiyaraaja. Here is the video:
6. Reportedly, the film was planned on a budget of 85 crores (equivalent to Rs 500 crores in 2015), which would have been the then most expensive Indian film production ever. To get a picture, a film made at 10 crores was a mega-budget movie in those times.
Kamal Haasans Marudhanayagam May Be Revived. 21 Unknown Facts - NDTV Movies