Endhiran

SPLIT SECOND SG

Endhiran (Tamil: எந்திரன்) is a forthcoming science-fiction film being directed by S. Shankar, who with Endhiran, directs his tenth feature film. Despite several rumours regarding the lead actors, Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Rai have been formally announced to portray the title role. The film is expected to cost 120 crores and is set to contest with Kamal Haasan's film, Marmayogi, in a race to become India's most expensive film to date.

Director Shankar’s Endhiran (The Robot) with Superstar Rajinikanth and alluring Aishwarya Rai in chief roles. The Enthiran movie, which has generated a lot of interest, boasts of a fabulous creative team including director Shankar, music director A R Rahman and ace cameraman Rathnavelu.

While Mary E Vogt, the well known designer who has worked in Hollywood movies like Men in Black, Batman Returns and Inspector Gadget will be designing the scientific outfits for the sci-fi movie, the animatronics of the film will be handled by the Stan Winston Studio (USA), which was responsible for the impressive animation sequences in movies such as Predator, Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Iron man and the Terminator. The visual effects and animatronics co-ordination will be done by Indian Artiste.

Stunt director Yuen Woo Ping, who made audiences gasp with his stunts in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Matrix and Kill Bill, has been put in charge of the action sequences of the movie.

Hollywood companies like ILM, Tippet, Café EFX; and Hong Kong companies like Centro and Menfond have been roped in to work on VFX. The movie is being produced by Ayngaran International Films Pvt Ltd., and Eros International.

“ We are very happy to announce that superstar Rajnikanth, Shankar along with A. R. Rahman are coming together again to make Robot, which is going to be made in Tamil and would be dubbed into Hindi, Telugu and English.”

The film was unable to keep its name, Robot, due to the English title in Tamil Nadu, whose government present tax exemption to films with Tamil titles. Likely titles suggested to proceed Robot as the title, included Iyandiran or Iyandira, both literal translations of Robot.[14] However it was confimed in September 2008 that the film has been renamed to Endhiran[15] The film's scripting is going on as told by Shankar in two interviews. It was subsequently announced that all those who have been committed for Robot should sign an agreement accepting that they will not commit themselves to any other project for the next two years of its production, with an exemption to the female lead, Aishwarya Rai.[16].

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Casting

Apart from the original decided casting of Rajnikanth in the lead role, Shankar as director and A. R. Rahman,[17], who sets a new record for the most expensive Musician of India, the rest of the cast is expected to be named within the next six months. Several heroines were approached to essay the lead female role with Aishwarya Rai,[18] Priyanka Chopra,[19] Deepika Padukone,[20] Asin Thottumkal,[21] Trisha Krishnan,[22] Shriya Saran[22], Priyamani and Nayanthara[23] being linked with the role and furthermore, Amitabh Bachchan[24], J. D. Chakravarthy,[25] Narain[26] and Arjun are being considered for further lead roles.[27] In late January 2008, Aishwarya Rai was announced as the heroine of the project, and she later confirmed her appearance in the film to the news channel, Aaj Tak for a fee of 6 crores, becoming the highest paid actress in India with her salary for Endhiran. Endhiran is touted to become the most expensive film ever made in India.[28] In a subsequent interview Aishwarya Rai expressed how much she always wanted work with Shankar and Rajnikanth, and is eager to work on the project. [29] Sujatha originally announced as the dialogue writer of the film, died during the production stages, with Balakumaran being named as his successor.

Along with Shankar's usual directorial assistants, Manoj Bharathiraja, son of noted fimmaker Bharathiraja, was signed on to be an assistant director.[30] Sabu Cyril was signed up as the art director while Rathnavel has taken up the post of the cinematographer, after K. V. Anand, Manikandan, Nirav Shah, Thiru and Ravi K. Chandran all had opted out.[22][31][32] The music composed from A. R. Rahman would feature lyrics from Vairamuthu and Pa. Vijay, while Raju Sundaram will act as a choreographer to the songs. The film will be edited by Anthony, with Manish Malhotra and Mary E. Vogt dually in charge of costume designs. Yuen Woo Ping will be the stunt co-ordinator for Endhiran, making his foray into Indian films, whilst Stan Winston Studios will take care of the animatronics in the film.[33]

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Filming

The film began on February 15, 2008 in Chennai when portfolio photographer G. Venket Ram did a photo shoot with Rajnikanth.[32] Following this initial shoot, Shankar and the cinematographer Rathnavelu went on a world tour to location-hunt. The team visited Vienna in Austria, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Hanoi in Vietnam to pick suitable locations.[34] The first three photo sessions were held with Rajnikanth in Mumbai and Chennai with Aishwarya Rai featuring in the fourth session.[35].

The first schedule of the film was started on September 8, 2008 at Peru, where a song picturization featuring Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Rai was shot under the choreography of Raju Sundaram, at the historic site of the Machu Picchu. Other scenes for the song were finished off in the United States and then Brazil.[36][37] The shooting for the second schedule, continued in Goa, India where the initial talkie portions were filmed for ten days.[38][39]