19 Years Of Anniyan: Here Are Some Lesser-Known Facts About The Classic Starring Vikram (image-X/chiyaanCVF)
In 2005, a Tamil psychological action thriller directed by Shankar was released called Anniyan, starring the versatile Vikram. The film went on to become a huge box office hit, carving its place in the history of not just Tamil cinema but Indian cinema as one of the best psychological thrillers. Recently, Anniyan celebrated 19 years, and fans all over reminisced about the legacy that continues to hold up after over two decades.
On this special occasion, a social media user brought out some interesting and lesser-known facts about the revolutionary film.
Read Also: Maharaja Review: Acting, Writing Make The Vijay Sethupathi Movie A Cinematic Thriller
The user, MovieCrow, recounts the struggle behind the conception of the film when Shankar had to push the brakes on his dream project with Kamal Haasan (Robo) due to creative differences and the unavailability of dates. His next release, Boys (2002), did not do well both critically and commercially. During a series of setbacks, the revolutionary director joined hands with Vikram. The user writes, “Shankar’s original team idea included PC Sreeram for cinematography, AR Rahman for music, and Aishwarya Rai for the lead actress. However, due to conflicting schedules and delays, Shankar opted for Harris Jayaraj for music and Sadha for the heroine. Manikandan and Ravi Varman handled the camera work. Shankar’s initial plan to complete the film in 6 months extended to 14 months due to several unforeseen delays.”
We all know the success of #Anniyan, a mammoth box office hit that added a big feather to #Vikram‘s cap, continuing his streak of successes. However, Anniyan was not an easy project. #Shankar faced several obstacles and challenges before bringing this… pic.twitter.com/uPR8lNkfc1
— MovieCrow (@MovieCrow) June 17, 2024
The film is also the most expensive film made in those times. With a budget of Rs 27 crores, it was the first Tamil film to be insured for Rs 29 crores, covering “key stars, sets, wardrobe, properties, film stock, re-erection of sets, shooting delays, and public liability.” After its release, the Anniyan earned twice the budget in box office, with the ticket price set around Rs 80–90.
Read Also: Maharaja: Vijay Sethupathi Delivers A Stellar Performance In His 50th Film
Speaking of the main lead, Vikram, and his journey, MoviCrow highlights how the actor set aside 18 months and 190 days for the shooting. With the first look of a full beard, long hair, and a moustache scrapped, the actor and director both decided to go for a clean-shaven look instead of a beard, giving them “freedom to create multiple looks for the Remo character, making the transformations appear seamless.” In the end, Vikram ended up having 18 different looks for the film. Going through the mental turmoil of essaying a disturbed character, Vikram had to take breaks every 15 days where he would “watch the pigeons on his terrace as a way of dealing with the pressure.”
Buffalo Scene
The scene depicting hundreds of buffaloes chasing and trampling a car owner to death in an abandoned sand quarry was achieved using CGI, with only one buffalo involved. The CGI work was handled by Jayakumar and V. Srinivas Mohan from the Chennai-based firm, Indian… pic.twitter.com/5Pj8AL1p5r
— MovieCrow (@MovieCrow) June 17, 2024
Anniyan is also the first film by Shankar that doesn’t have AR Rahman composing the music, as the music legend was reworking Bombay Dreams for his Broadway debut at the time and had The Lord of the Rings project in the pipeline. So came Harris Jayaraj, with a classic album that continues to reverberate among fans, combining different styles.
“For a sequence set in a martial arts school, Shankar and Peter Hein employed over 100 trained professionals from Vietnam for a scene where #Anniyan takes them on. To capture this sequence, Shankar used 120 cameras and a technique called time-slice photography, also known as “bullet time,” which was popularised by the American film The Matrix (1999),” writes MovieCrow.
Read Also: Raayan: Dhanush’s Revenge Drama Gets A New Release Date
Moreover, the iconic song Kannum Kannum Nokia became the first song to be shot in the Malaysian airport, with a section also filmed at Finland’s Nokia headquarters.
Celebrating the 19 years of the film, Vikram wrote, “An unforgettable movie & one of my most memorable roles. Thank you for the boundless love that always surrounds it… in every language. Can’t thank Shankar sir enough for his brilliance.”
An unforgettable movie & one of my most memorable roles. Thank you for the boundless love that always surrounds it..
in every language. Can’t thank @shankarshanmugh sir enough for his brilliance. #Anniyan https://t.co/RPoYihPVh9— Vikram (@chiyaan) June 17, 2024
Anniyan follows the story of consumer protection advocate called Ramanujam Iyengar aka Ambi, a timid and soft-spoken man. A childhood incident leads Ambi to develop three distinct personalities: Ambi, Remo and Anniyan. When his efforts to bring change through his profession fails, his anger manifests into an alter ego called Anniyan who goes on a killing spree as a vigilante to exact justice.
