Ahead of Aalavandhan re-release, little-known facts about Kamal Haasan's epic experiment

Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan's cult-hit Aalavandhan is set to hit the big screens soon. The re-releasing of iconic movies from the 90s and the early 2000s in theatres has become a strong trend in the South Indian film industry. This is touted as an opportunity for the younger generation to relieve some of the greatest cinematic moments in history.

Producer Kalaippuli S Thanu of The Vcreations has announced that Aalavandhan will be re-released in cinemas on more than 1000 screens . Given that Aalavandhan is not available for streaming yet, this provides a great opportunity for the fans to celebrate this film once again on the big screen. And maybe, this way the film might finally get its due at the box office, which it missed during its initial release over two decades ago.

Aalavandhan was released in cinemas on November 14, 2001. The film was instantly dismissed by the critics and the audiences. However, over the years, the film has gained a cult following with the growing level of film literacy in the country.

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Ahead of the re-release of Aalavandhan, here are a few little-known facts about the cult classic.

A story by Kamal Haasan

In addition to playing the dual role in the movie, Kamal also wrote its story and adapted it for the screenplay. The film is based on the novel named Dhayam, which was written by Kamal himself. Kamal wrote this novel in a serialized format for a local Tamil magazine in 1984. The novel appeared in the magazine in 37 chapters.

K. Balachander gave it a miss

Kamal Haasan is always known for pushing the boundaries in terms of acting, writing and directing. And the film industry or the sensibilities of the audiences always struggled to support his incredible cinematic visions. It's said that Kamal wanted to adapt Dhayam for the big screen in the 1980s with iconic director K. Balachander, Kamal's mentor, at the helm. However, Balachander at the time turned down the idea as he felt this film was ahead of its time. Judging from the reception Aalavandhan received in 2001, it's clear that Balachander was right.

The technology of Aalavandhan

Kamal Haasan is known for advancing filmmaking technologies in Indian cinema. Aalavandhan became the first Indian film to use a motion-control rig. "It's an outstanding film. It was Kamal sir's own script - story, screenplay and dialogue. Nobody can do a double role like that. One was a bald man with such a (heavy) physique and the other was this normal commando character. I still remember Cutting Edge (staff) from Australia had come to supervise the motion-control cameras. The camera operator said 'I can't believe it's the same actor.' That's how Kamal performed," director Suresh Krissna recalled earlier.

Kamal inspired Quentin Tarantino

In Aalavandhan, Kamal came up with an innovative way to blunt the effect of violent sequences with the use of animation. For example, when Kamal's Nandu loses control and slaughters Manisha Koirala's Sharmilee, the entire sequence is animated. It's said that Aalavandhan inspired Quentin Tarantino to animate a few violent scenes in his global hit Kill Bill.