Kamal Haasan's Aalavandhan to be digitally remastered; the new version to be released on Ulaganayagan's birthday

Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan's Aalavandhan is all set to be digitally remastered and converted into a 3D film with elements of magical realism, if reports are to go by. We hear that the work on the film has already begun and that it will be released on Kamal Haasan's birthday this year on November 7. Aalavandhan was an adaptation of the novel Dhayam, which was written by Kamal Haasan in 1984.

The action thriller, which hit screens in 2001, was directed by Suresh Krissna and produced by S Thanu. The film has Kamal Haasan in dual roles, one of which required Kamal Haasan to shave his head and gain weight. For the other character, of an Army officer, Kamal Haasan is said to have gone to National Defence Academy for a crash course. 

While Raveena Tandon and Manisha Koirala play the leading ladies in it, the supporting cast includes Sarath Babu, Gollapudi Maruti Rao, Milind Gunaji, Fathima Babu, Anu Hasan, Kitu Gidwani, Riyaz Khan, Vikram Gokhale, Poovilangu Mohan, Major, Yashpal Sharma and Vikram Dharma to name a few. The stunt sequences were choreographed by Grant Page, who had earlier worked in the American film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Music for the film was by Shankar- Ehsaan- Loy. While the cinematography was by Tirru, editing was handled by Kasi Viswanathan. Alavandhan was simultaneously shot in Hindi as Abhay, with three different actors stepping in- Naveen Nischol, Smita Jaykar and Vallabh Vyas. Though the film didn't rake the moolah at the box office, it went on to win the National Award for Best Special Effects and later attained a cult status. Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram, too, was digitally remastered and re-released in 2019 on the actor's birthday. The Ulaganayagan, in the meantime, is basking in the success of his recent release, Vikram, which has turned out to be one of the biggest hits in his career.