2000s
Robot
Following the completion of his first directorial venture in Hindi,
Nayak) (2001),
S. Shankar announced his next project,
Robot, which was to feature Kamal Haasan and
Preity Zinta. The film was to be produced by the now-defunct company
Media Dreams, a division of
Pentamedia Graphics. The film was reported to be a futuristic
techno-thriller set in Chennai in around 2200 or 3000
AD. Despite the completion of a photoshoot featuring Haasan and Zinta, the project was shelved as a result of scheduling conflicts with Haasan. Shankar consequently started work on
Boys) (2003). The film was eventually revived and released in 2010 as
Enthiran starring
Rajinikanth and
Aishwarya Rai.
Naran
After completing the shoot of
Pammal K. Sambandam (2002), Kamal Haasan signed on to appear in
Naran directed by
K. S. Ravikumar. Produced by Ravikumar's manager
P. L. Thenappan and featuring music by
A. R. Rahman, the film was launched with a small ceremony in November 2001. Kamal Haasan was reported to play the lead role of a character named Narayanan, abbreviated to "Naran". Reported to be a tale about a man and a beast, the team had also been in talks with
Amitabh Bachchan to be a part of the film. Ravikumar noted the "get-up itself would be different one" and that the team were contemplating to make it simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. The film was later put on hold due to budget issues and Kamal Haasan moved ahead to work on
Panchathanthiram (2002) with Ravikumar and Thenappan.
Panchatanthiram 2
During the making of
Panchatanthiram (2002), Kamal Haasan and
K. S. Ravikumar contemplated making a sequel of the film, where the lead actors would be aboard a cruise liner. The project did not materialise owing to the actor's commitments, with the duo later setting
Manmadan Ambu (2010) on a cruise liner instead.
Reports in May 2012 suggested that
Aascar Ravichandran would produce a sequel to the film, which would begin production by October 2012, though it did not materialise. In August 2015, reports suggested that
Moulee would make a sequel to the film. In August 2016, Ravikumar revealed that he had held discussions with Kamal Haasan about a potential sequel, where five women would take revenge on their mischievous husbands.
Moo
In late 2002, Kamal Haasan discussed plans of making a project titled
Moo, which would be co-directed by
Mani Ratnam and
Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The screenplay of the film was set to be inspired by the
Rashomon effect, with three different interpretations of the same incident. However, Mani Ratnam did not accept terms to work on the project citing that he had begun work on
Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004), which would have a similar plot device. Inspired to continue ahead with the idea, Kamal Haasan proceeded to make a different film,
Virumaandi (2004), which focused on the interview of two prison inmates.
In late 2012, Hollywood producer
Barrie Osborne expressed his interest in making
Moo as an English film in association with Kamal Haasan, who would direct the project and feature in the lead role. The actor subsequently announced the a project in February 2013, which was said to be about three lives. A potential English title of
Triple Impact was speculated, while other sources titled the film as
Yaavarum Kelir, with an English title of
All Are Kin. The project later failed to develop. In 2017, sources suggested that the film was still under consideration.
Krishna Leela
In February 2004, Kamal Haasan and
Singeetham Sreenivasa Rao began pre-production works on a project titled
Krishna Leela. The film was set to narrate the story of an individual called Krishna Das, played by Kamal Haasan, and the women in his life. The project was described as a comedy entertainer, much like the actor and director's previous collaborations in the 1990s.
Abhirami) and
Gautami were reported to feature alongside him in a leading role, while actresses
Rohini) and
Vinodhini were also cast in roles.Comedians including
Goundamani,
Vadivelu,
Senthil,
Vivek) and
Chitti Babu) were also added to the supporting cast. Seeking to cast two new actresses, Kamal Haasan scouted for talent in
London. The film was later dropped, and Kamal Haasan and Rao considered working together for a different project,
Mumbai Xpress (2005).
KG
Kamal Haasan,
Singeetham Sreenivasa Rao and
Ramesh Aravind discussed the script of a film titled
KG in early 2004, usually during Kamal Haasan's visits to Bangalore. Described as a "cop thriller" to be shot in Tamil and Kannada around Bangalore, Kamal Haasan revealed that there would be no female lead and that it would be "quite a change" from his other films. In a turn of events, Kamal Haasan accepted an offer to star in
Saran)'s
Vasool Raja MBBS (2004), and put
KG on hold. He later continued to work on
KG, which marked Ramesh Aravind's directorial debut, and Mumbai-based financier Bharat Shah agreed to fund the film.The trio later decided to indefinitely postpone work on the project.
Vasool Raja MBBS 2
Following the release of the Hindi film
Lage Raho Munna Bhai in September 2006, Kamal Haasan and
Saran) contemplated remaking the film in Tamil. The pair had earlier made
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003), the first of the
Munna Bhai) film series, in Tamil as
Vasool Raja MBBS (2004). The pair later felt that the film's story of theme of
Gandhigiri would not work in Tamil and opted against making a sequel in Tamil. The production studio,
Gemini Film Circuit, then passed on the script to director
Mohan Raja and actor
Jayam Ravi, but the project never took off.
As the opportunity to remake
Lage Raho Munna Bhai was passed upon, Saran and Kamal Haasan agreed to work on another project under the director's own studio, Gemini Productions. Kamal Haasan was paid an advance of two crore rupees for the project, but owing to financial issues, Saran decided to handover the production duties to
Ayngaran International. Kamal Haasan later opted out of the project citing he was uncomfortable with the sudden change. Saran subsequently attempted to sue the actor for breach of contract.
Marmayogi
Marmayogi was first pondered by Kamal Haasan after the release of
Aalavandhan (2001), however nothing proceeded. After a four-year sabbatical from directing films since
Virumaandi (2004), Kamal Haasan announced
Marmayogi as his next project after the completion of
Dasavathaaram (2008). The film was planned as a bilingual Hindi-Tamil
period film, set in the 7th century. Production house
Pyramid Saimira along with Haasan's company
Raaj Kamal Films International were set to produce the venture, and work began in late 2007. Early media reports suggested a box-office battle between
Marmayogi and Shankar's
Enthiran (2010), which was rebooted from the shelved
Robot.
Pre-production on the film continued throughout 2008, with technicians such as
Rajesh Selva and
Sanu Varghese actively involved for close to a year. Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan grew a long, thick beard for the film.
Mohanlal and
Venkatesh were among the initial actors in the cast, as were actresses
Hema Malini,
Trisha),
Shriya Saran and
Sushmita Sen. Along with Trisha, Kamal Haasan held a photoshoot at the AVM Studios in August 2008. Following the failure of
Rajinikanth's
Kuselan (2008), Pyramid Saimira opted out of the project in November 2008, effectively shelving the film. Kamal Haasan subsequently moved on to begin work on
Unnaipol Oruvan) (2009), and later filed a legal complaint against Pyramid Saimira for loss of earnings.
Thalaivan Irukkiraan
The project was first reported in the media in November 2008 as Kamal Haasan's next project, after his historical drama
Marmayogi was shelved as a result of
Pyramid Saimira's financial problems. Titled
Thalaivan Irukkiraan and described by
The Times of India as an "action adventure" film, it was said to be directed by Kamal Haasan and co-produced by
Gemini Film Circuit and
Sun Pictures, with
A. R. Rahman working as the music composer. Pre-production works continued throughout late 2008, with actors such as
Rishi Kapoor,
Mohanlal and
Venkatesh) approached for leading roles.Actresses
Trisha) and
Shriya Saran, who were originally a part of
Marmayogi, were expected to be retained for the film in order to use the dates they had allotted for the shelved film. Kamal Haasan's
Raaj Kamal Films International registered the film's title but production was postponed after a deal could not be agreed with the proposed co-producers. During the period, Kamal Haasan also pitched the idea of financing the film to
Udhayanidhi Stalin of
Red Giant Movies, who did not take up the offer citing that he felt the script was too political. He later used the dates offered by Mohanlal and Venkatesh for another of his productions,
Unnaipol Oruvan) (2009), which was incorrectly reported in the media as being the same project as
Thalaivan Irukkiraan.In November 2010, Kamal Haasan revealed that he was busy writing the final draft of the film and would look to start production by March 2011 with American producers. Actress
Anushka Shetty was also reported to have accepted to star in the film during the period, but the film was again stalled.
In January 2012, the film resurfaced with Kamal Haasan confirming that the film would be simultaneously made in Hindi under the title of
Amar Hain. The media reported that the film would be produced by
Aascar Ravichandran, with actors Mohanlal,
Ajith Kumar,
Ravi Teja and
Katrina Kaif also in the cast, though this later proved to be untrue. Reports later in February 2012, suggested that Kamal Haasan had asked
Shankar to direct the film, with
Jackie Chan,
Salman Khan,
Prabhas) and
Asin amongst others speculated to be a part of the project.
Chakri Toleti was also reportedly approached to be the film's director during July 2012, but the project still did not materialise.After three years of inactivity, in June 2015, Kamal Haasan announced that he was reviving the film and that
Saif Ali Khan would feature alongside him in a leading role. Associating with Hindi producers Virender K. Arora and Arjun N. Kapoor, Kamal Haasan revealed that the project would be a "contemporary story, touching on politics, finance and the underworld" and "an action film with lots of emotion", while comparing the film to
Brian De Palma's English film,
The Untouchables) (1987).He added that the film would be shot in Mumbai and Delhi in India, with schedules also planned in
Jordan, the
United Arab Emirates, the
United Kingdom and the
United States, while also that he would finish scripting the film after he finished work on the production of
Thoongaa Vanam (2015). Despite the announcements, the producers backed out of the project and the film was again stalled.
After two more years of inactivity, in July 2017, Kamal Haasan suggested that he would revive the project after the release of
Vishwaroopam 2 (2018) and
Sabaash Naidu. Following a further period of quiet, where Kamal Haasan also revealed that he would stop acting, it was announced that composer
A. R. Rahman and studio
Lyca Productions became attached to the project in July 2019.
19 Steps
In mid-2008, Kamal Haasan agreed terms to be a part of an Indo-Japanese production titled
19 Steps to be directed by
Bharat Bala. The film was written by Malayalam scriptwriter,
M. T. Vasudevan Nair and was set to tell the tale of a Samurai warrior trying to conquer the ancient Indian martial art of
Kalaripayattu. Starring alongside
Asin and
Tadanobu Asano, Kamal Haasan was set to play the role of an Indian martial arts guru. The film was being produced by
Walt Disney and pre-production work had begun with large portions set to be shot in Kerala. Twenty days before the film began shoot, Kamal Haasan dropped out and the film was subsequently reported to be shelved indefinitely. As recently as 2016, Bharat Bala and producer Phillip Lee have expressed their desire to continue the film with a different cast.
Buddham Sharanam
In mid-2009, Kamal Haasan agreed terms to work with
Mysskin on a film about
Buddha, titled
Buddham Sharanam.Following the cancellation of
Marmayogi and
19 Steps, Kamal Haasan was keen to work on a historical film with a similar theme, with the project also referred to in the media as
500 BC. He travelled to the
United States to seek out production companies who were willing to fund the film, but no studio eventually agreed.Mysskin was then forced to drop the project and revealed it took him six months to get over the disappointment of the project's sudden end.
Yavarum Kelir
Following the release of
Unnaipol Oruvan) (2009), Kamal Haasan signed on to appear on a venture produced by
Udhayanidhi Stalin and directed by
K. S. Ravikumar. Titled
Yavarum Kelir, Kamal Haasan had hoped to complete the comedy drama film before beginning work on his more time-consuming project,
Buddham Sharanam, by
Mysskin.
Trisha) was selected to play the lead female role, while Kamal Haasan's daughter
Shruti Haasan was signed as the music composer.
The film was later dropped by March 2010, with Kamal Haasan, Trisha, Ravikumar and Udhayanidhi Stalin moving on to work on another project,
Manmadan Ambu (2010), instead.
2010s
Tippuvum Unniaarchayum
In September 2011, film producer Gokulam Gopalan announced that he would make a multilingual film on the life of Indian ruler
Tipu Sultan. Featuring a script written by John Paul, Gopalan described Kamal Haasan as being the only choice for the titular role. The film was set to be directed by Vayalar Madhavan Kutty, and was scheduled to begin production in March 2012 and to be completed in a four-month long schedule. Set to be shot in Tamil and Malayalam, Gopalan announced that the story would also have extensive coverage of the warrior queen of North Malabar,
Unniyarcha.
Sridevi was amongst the actresses considered for the role.
In January 2012, Kamal Haasan confirmed that pre-production work was underway for the film, and that it would avoid taking a controversial political angle. However, the project was later shelved owing to inconsistencies with the script. Kamal Haasan consequently worked with producer Gopalan in
Thoongavanam (2015) to settle the proposed agreement of working together on a film.
Vaamamaargam
In December 2014, in a public interaction on social media with his daughter
Shruti Haasan, Kamal Haasan announced that he was working on a project tentatively titled
Vaamamaargam.Transliterated into English as "left-hand path", he suggested that the film's title was inspired by the Tamil terms given to
aghoris and
communists, before stating the film would be about "business ethics".He later clarified that the film was separate from
Marudhanayagam, though the film eventually did not develop into production.
Paramapadham
Director
Moulee and Kamal Haasan announced plans of working together during August 2015.Titled
Paramapadham, the film was reported to be a comedy film on a bank heist. The film was set to be produced by
Raaj Kamal Films International and have its script co-written by
Crazy Mohan. Kamal Haasan had planned to shoot for the film alongside his commitments for
Sabaash Naidu, but production did not begin by March 2016, with a spokesman for the actor noting that the film was still at its "primitive stages". In November 2016, Moulee refuted rumours that the pair were set to work on another project for
AVM Studios titled
Meyyappan.In January 2021, Moulee revealed that he did not know when the film would materialise owing to Kamal Haasan's involvement in politics.
Amma Appa Vilayattu
In November 2015, Kamal Haasan and
T. K. Rajeev Kumar agreed to collaborate on a project and announced that they were working on a family drama script to be titled
Amma Appa Vilayattu in Tamil and
Amma Naana Aata in Telugu. After initial discussions with
Sridevi failed to materialise, Rajeev Kumar cast
Amala Akkineni and
Zarina Wahab in pivotal roles and announced that the film would be shot entirely across the
United States, with schedules in
New York) and
Georgia).The film was later postponed and by early 2016, Kamal Haasan chose to collaborate with Rajeev Kumar on a different project that he had written himself,
Sabaash Naidu.
Sabaash Naidu
In early 2016, following the postponement of
Amma Appa Vilayattu, Kamal Haasan developed a story featuring the character of Balram Naidu, the
RAW operative from his 2008 film
Dasavathaaram for
Sabaash Naidu, and
T. K. Rajeev Kumar was handed directorial duties.Kamal Haasan had nurtured ideas of making a film on the character since late 2011 after seeing the popularity of the role. Co-produced by
Raaj Kamal Films International and
Lyca Productions, the film was launched in three languages, while the film would be released in four languages including Tamil, Hindi, Telugu along with a Malayalam dubbed version with the title
Sabaash Naidu used for the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam versions, and
Shabhash Kundu used for the Hindi version. Kamal Haasan's daughter
Shruti Haasan was selected for a key acting role, while his younger daughter
Akshara Haasan joined the team as an assistant director.
Ramya Krishnan,
Brahmanandam and
Saurabh Shukla were selected for other acting roles in the production. The team commenced the shoot in
Los Angeles,
California during June 2016.
The shoot of the film was initially put on hold in June 2016 after the original director T. K. Rajeev Kumar was diagnosed with
Lyme disease, prompting Kamal Haasan to takeover as the director.Two days after Rajeev Kumar's exit, the film's editor James Joseph also withdrew from the project after his wife had met with an accident. After the completion of the film's schedule in the US, Kamal Haasan chose to replace the original cinematographer
Jaya Krishna Gummadi after being unimpressed with his work. In July 2016, Kamal Haasan fractured his leg after falling at his home in Chennai, with the incident leading to an indefinite delay of the project.
During the period of the production delay, in November 2016, Kamal Haasan split with his long time partner
Gautami, who had also worked in the project as a costume designer.Delays meant that the actors in the project had committed to other films and it became difficult to coordinate all the cast members to partake in the shoot at short notice. In January 2017, plans to begin the film again were delayed following the death of Githamani, the wife of co-producer
Chandrahasan. Two months after the death of his wife, Chandrahasan also died of a heart attack while visiting
London.The film was further delayed as a result of Kamal Haasan's entry into politics, with the actor stating his final film could be
Indian 2 for
Lyca Productions. After a period of inactivity, in June 2022, Kamal Haasan revealed that he may revisit the film citing his interest of doing a comedy project, and that he had the intellectual property rights for the film.
Thevar Magan 2
Following a month of speculation in September 2018,
Kamal Haasan announced that he would make a sequel to
Thevar Magan (1992) in mid-October 2018.Soon after the announcement, he revealed that
Raaj Kamal Films International would produce the film, and that the project would likely undergo a change of title.The project created attention when political leader
K. Krishnasamy of the
Puthiya Tamilagam party objected to the film being titled as
Thevar Magan 2, citing the risk of caste-based violence.By the end of 2018, the future of the project was put into question after Kamal Haasan stated his final film could be
Indian 2 for
Lyca Productions before moving on to be a full-time politician. In May 2019, it was reported that production may begin imminently in
Pollachi following delays to
Indian 2, but the plan did not materialise.
In June 2020, media reports suggested
Vijay Sethupathi would portray the son of
Nassar)'s character from the original, while other reports suggested that the film may be based on
Thalaivan Irukkiraan, which Kamal Haasan had planned to restart during 2019 after a decade of delays. In August 2021, Kamal Haasan began collaborating with director
Mahesh Narayanan on a script, said to be based on
Thevar Magan 2.Along with Vijay Sethupathi, the makers were said to be in discussions with
Vikram) and
Fahadh Faasil for pivotal roles. In December 2022, a source close to Haasan told Hindustan Times that the project has been shelved over creative differences.Later, Mahesh Narayanan himself clarified that
Thevar Magan 2 had merely been put on hold for now.
Continued..
Hey moodu da Sunni enga appa Mari ah iruka un Sunni Mari iruka ennaku siripu varuthu sirikara punda magane poda otha avanuku un Amma va kudi kuduthu thinu pavama irutha