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''Kanguva'' ( ) is a 2024 Indian
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
-language
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
fantasy action film directed by Siva and produced by
Studio Green Studio Green is an Indian film production and distribution company based in Chennai. The company was founded in 2006 by K. E. Gnanavel Raja, relative of actor Sivakumar and many of their films feature his sons Suriya and Karthi. They have pr ...
, together with UV Creations. The film stars
Suriya Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known professionally as Suriya, is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Tamil films. One of the highest-paid Tamil actors, Suriya is considered as one of the finest actors of Indian ...
in dual roles, alongside
Bobby Deol Vijay Singh Deol (born 27 January 1969), better known by his screen name Bobby Deol, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi cinema. A member of the List of Hindi film families#Deol family, Deol family, he is the younger son of actor Dha ...
,
Disha Patani Disha Patani (; born 13 June 1992) is an Indian actress primarily working in Hindi films. Patani made her acting debut with the Telugu film '' Loafer'' (2015), and had her first Hindi film release with the biopic '' M.S. Dhoni: The Untold St ...
,
Natty Subramaniam Natarajan "Natty" Subramaniam ( born 23 June 1971) is an Indian cinematographer and actor who has worked in blockbuster and highly acclaimed Hindi and Tamil films. As an actor, he achieved recognition through his performance as a con artist in ...
,
K. S. Ravikumar K. S. Ravikumar (born 30 May 1958) is an Indian film director, film producer, screenwriter and actor who primarily works in Tamil cinema and few Telugu films. He is one of the most commercially successful directors of Indian cinema. He has won m ...
,
Yogi Babu Yogi Babu (born 22 July 1985) is an Indian actor and comedian, who appears in Tamil films. He has won Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for '' Aandavan Kattalai'' (2016), '' Kolamavu Kokila'' (2018), '' Pariyerum Perumal'' (2018), '' Love Today'' ( ...
,
Redin Kingsley Redin Kingsley (born 16 April 1977) is an Indian actor and comedian who predominantly works in the Tamil film industry. He is best known for his loud style of speech and comedic expressions in films. Personal life Redin Kingsley married the te ...
,
Kovai Sarala Kovai Sarala is an Indian actress and comedian, who plays supporting roles in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. She has won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian three times, for her performances in '' Sathi Leelavathi ...
,
Ravi Raghavendra Ravichander Raghavendra (1 January 1962), is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films and television serials. Career and personal life Ravi has appeared on television and in films since the 1980s, often playing supporting roles. He has also ...
and
Karunas Karunas (born as Karunanidhi Sethu; February 21, 1970) is an Indian actor, comedian, composer, playback singer and politician in the Tamil film industry. Appearing mostly in supporting roles, he has also played main lead roles in films includ ...
. It is the Tamil debut of Deol and Patani. The film follows Francis Theodore, a
bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...
in 2024, whose connection with a child is mysteriously connected to a fierce tribal warrior's promise to a child in the year 1070. The film was officially announced in April 2019 under the tentative title ''Suriya 39'', as it was to be the actor's 39th film as a leading actor; however, it was shelved due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in India The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of , according to Indian government ...
and work conflicts. The project restarted in August 2022, under the tentative title ''Suriya 42.''
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
commenced the same month and lasted for seventeen months before
wrapping Wrapping may refer to: *Buddy wrapping, the act of bandaging a damaged (particularly a fractured) finger or toe together with a healthy one *Overwrap, a wrapping of items in a package of a wrapping over packaging *Wrapping (text), a software feat ...
up in January 2024. The title ''Kanguva'' was announced in April 2023. Filming locations included
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
,
Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
,
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
,
Kodaikanal Kodaikanal () (English: ) is a municipality and hill station in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated at an altitude of in the Palani hills of the Western Ghats. Kodaikanal was established in 1845 to serve as a r ...
and
Rajahmundry Rajahmundry ( ), officially Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and district headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the fifth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the district of Rajahmu ...
. The film has music composed by
Devi Sri Prasad Gandham Sriprasad (2 August 1979), known as Devi Sri Prasad or more commonly by his initials DSP, is an Indian music composer, singer, and lyricist primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema, along with Tamil cinema. He has received numerous ...
, cinematography handled by Vetrivel Palanisamy and editing by
Nishadh Yusuf Nishadh Yusuf (9 February 1981 – 30 October 2024) was an Indian film editor who has worked predominantly in Malayalam and few Tamil films. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor in 2022 for ''Thallumaala''. At the time of his death ...
. Produced on a budget of around crore, it is one of the most expensive Indian films ever made. ''Kanguva'' was released worldwide on 14 November 2024 in standard, 3D and
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
formats. The film was poorly received by critics and grossed ₹96–106 crore emerging a
box-office bomb A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...
.


Plot

In 2024, Zeta, a young test subject for brain enhancement and superpower experiments, escapes from a Russian biomedical facility near the Indian border. The facility's commander deploys troops to recapture him. Meanwhile, in
Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
, bounty hunter Francis Theodore works with his friend, Colt 95, under the
Goa Police The Goa Police is the law enforcement agency for the coastal state of Goa, India. Organisational structure The Goa Police operates under direct control of the Department of Home Affairs, Government of Goa. Hierarchy Officers *Director general ...
, apprehending criminals. Complicating matters, Francis's ex-girlfriend, Angela, and her partner, Accelerator, are rival bounty hunters. Zeta, now in Goa, encounters Francis and starts following him. After witnessing Colt kill a bounty target, Zeta seeks refuge with Angela but is quickly retrieved by Francis. While travelling with Francis, Zeta suffers a seizure. Francis takes Zeta to the hospital. He allows the child to stay with Colt and himself. At Francis's home, he begins drawing tribal patterns on the walls, triggering mysterious flashbacks from Francis's past life. The troops tracking Zeta eventually locate him, launching an attack on Francis and his team. Zeta is captured, prompting Francis to pursue them. As the chase unfolds, fragments of Francis's past are revealed. In 1070, Roman soldiers attempted to conquer Perumaachi, one of the five islands near the southern Indian subcontinent. With the help of Koduvan, a local inhabitant, they kill 100 warriors defending the island. However, one survivor, Selumaara, escapes and alerts the chieftain, Senthee. In retaliation, Senthee's son, Kanguva "Kanga", executes Koduvan in front of the tribe. Overcome with grief, Koduvan's wife entrusts their son, Poruva, to Kanga before committing suicide by running into a fire. Kanga raises Poruva as his protégé and trains him to become a warrior. Failing to capture Perumaachi, the Romans allied with Udhiran, the chieftain of the neighbouring island, Arathi, adding to the existing feud between the two islands. Udhiran's two sons lead an assault on Kanga and his tribe. During the conflict, Poruva stabs Kanga; despite this, Kanga overcomes his injuries, defeats Udhiran's sons, and later finds Poruva. He takes him back to Perumaachi, but the tribe banishes both to the uninhabited Dark Island. Kanga and Poruva grow closer, forming a strong bond at the Dark Island. The women of Perumaachi eventually kill Udhiran's third son, prompting Udhiran to launch a final attack on the Dark Island. Kanga defeats Udhiran's forces and confronts him aboard his ship. In a selfless act, Poruva sacrifices himself to ensure Kanga's victory. Devastated, Kanga kills Udhiran and vows to dedicate his future life to honouring Poruva's sacrifice. With Udhiran's lineage seemingly eradicated, his illegitimate son, Rathaangasan, born to a concubine, vows revenge. In 2024, Francis is revealed to be the reincarnation of Kanguva, while Zeta is the reincarnation of Poruva. Francis tracks them down and attacks the plane Zeta is in. He retrieves Zeta and has a brief moment where Kanga takes over him. Francis is still confused by his connection to Zeta and takes him in, unsure why he feels differently towards him. Meanwhile, the facility commander, Ryan, is revealed to be the reincarnation of Rathaangasan. Fully aware of his past life, the commander chooses to capture Zeta and Francis.


Cast


Production


Development

Two months after the release of Siva's ''
Viswasam ''Viswasam'' () is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Siva and produced by Sathya Jyothi Films. The film stars Ajith Kumar, Nayanthara and Jagapathi Babu in the lead roles, alongside Vivek, Thambi Ramaiah, Robo S ...
'' (2019), reports claimed that
Suriya Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known professionally as Suriya, is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Tamil films. One of the highest-paid Tamil actors, Suriya is considered as one of the finest actors of Indian ...
would collaborate with the former for a film to be produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja of
Studio Green Studio Green is an Indian film production and distribution company based in Chennai. The company was founded in 2006 by K. E. Gnanavel Raja, relative of actor Sivakumar and many of their films feature his sons Suriya and Karthi. They have pr ...
. The project was in talks for quite a few months and Siva had committed to do a film with Studio Green for more than a year. On 22 April 2019, the film was announced under the tentative title ''Suriya 39'', being the 39th film of Suriya in a leading role. The project was confirmed to be bankrolled by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under the banner of Studio Green and was supposed to go on floors after Suriya had completed filming for ''
Soorarai Pottru ''Soorarai Pottru'' () is a 2020 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Sudha Kongara, who wrote the screenplay with Shalini Usha Nair. The film, co-produced by Suriya and Jyothika of 2D Entert ...
'' (2020). During May,
Nayanthara Nayanthara (born Diana Mariam Kurian; 18 November 1984) is an Indian actress and producer known for her work in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Telugu cinema, Telugu and Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she ...
was in talks to be paired opposite Suriya. According to sources, the film would be a family drama set in a village, similar to ''Viswasam''. However, before filming could begin, Siva had gotten a chance to direct
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...
's 168th film, later titled ''
Annaatthe ''Annaatthe'' () is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Siva and produced by Kalanithi Maran under the banner Sun Pictures. The film stars Rajinikanth in the titular role, alongside Khushbu, Meena, Nayanthara, and Kee ...
'' (2021). Rajinikanth asked Suriya if he could postpone his film with Siva to which the latter agreed. The filming date was later pushed to November 2021 as Siva was busy with promotions of ''Annaatthe''. Then onwards, there was no development and ''Suriya 39'' would later become ''
Jai Bhim Jai Bhim (alternatively spelled Jay Bhim or Jai Bheem; ; pronounced or ) is a slogan and greeting used by followers of B. R. Ambedkar, an Indian politician, social reformer and first Law and Justice Minister of India. It refers to Ambedkar's ...
'' (2021).


Pre-production

Siva had already begun the pre-production works of the film in January 2021 when filming of ''Annaatthe'' was suspended by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. During that September, sets were erected in EVP Film City in
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
. In January 2022, Suriya affirmed that his film with Siva was still underway. That March, either
Anirudh Ravichander Anirudh Ravichander (born 16 October 1990), also credited mononymously as Anirudh, is an Indian composer and playback singer who works primarily in Tamil cinema, in addition to Telugu and Hindi films. He has won two Filmfare Awards South, ten ...
or
Ravi Basrur Ravi Basrur is an Indian music composer, lyricist and director who mostly works in the Kannada film industry. He is known for his collaborations with director Prashanth Neel, with whom he debuted in ''Ugramm''. He is also a film director, hav ...
was reported to be replacing
D. Imman Immanuel Vasanth Dinakaran (born 24 January 1983), better known as D. Imman, is an Indian film music composer and singer, predominantly working in Tamil cinema. His first film as music director was ''Thamizhan'' in 2002. Since then he has comp ...
, who was initially announced as the music composer. However, the makers chose
Devi Sri Prasad Gandham Sriprasad (2 August 1979), known as Devi Sri Prasad or more commonly by his initials DSP, is an Indian music composer, singer, and lyricist primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema, along with Tamil cinema. He has received numerous ...
. The film was launched on 21 August in
Agaram Foundation Agaram Foundation is an educational foundation located in Tamil Nadu, India founded on 25 September 2006 by Tamil film actor Suriya. The foundation aims to help and improve the socio-economic status of rural society in Tamil Nadu by offering edu ...
,
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
with a customary pooja ceremony and was tentatively titled ''Suriya 42'', as it became Suriya's 42nd film in a leading role. On 24 August, Studio Green and UV Creations announced that they would jointly produce the film. Vetri and Richard Kevin were recruited to handle the cinematography and editing, respectively. Supreme Sundar was reported to have been chosen as the stunt choreographer. The film's motion poster was released on 9 September and revealed that it was a period action film, which would be released in 3D. Nishadh Yusuf, of ''
Thallumaala ''Thallumaala'' () is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Khalid Rahman, produced by Ashiq Usman and written by Muhsin Parari and Ashraf Hamza. The film stars Tovino Thomas, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Shine Tom Chacko and ...
'' (2022) fame, replaced Kevin as the editor. On 16 April 2023, the title was announced as ''Kanguva'' through a title announcement teaser. In an interview with ''
Kumudam ''Kumudam'' is a Tamil weekly magazine published in Chennai, India. It was founded in 1948 by S.A.P. Annamalai, and his close friend and confidant P.V. Parthasarathy. Now the magazine is published under the Kumudam Group, which also publishes o ...
'' in late April, G. Dhananjayan, who is in constant communication with the film's producers, said that the film could have a sequel. He said that the film's story is quite extensive, and the producers were unwilling to shorten it. Both Siva and Gnanavel Raja have been planning to create a sequel and Suriya has already agreed to it. He further added that the decision to make a sequel will be made after filming ends.


Casting

Suriya will be seen in 13 different looks in the film. Earlier in '' Ayan'' (2009), he was seen in ten different looks and that record will be broken through this film. The makeup artist Ranjith Ambady and his team took references from '' Apocalypto'' (2006) for designing one of Suriya's looks for the periodic portions. For his role, Suriya further shed 5 kilograms for his role in the film. In August 2022,
Disha Patani Disha Patani (; born 13 June 1992) is an Indian actress primarily working in Hindi films. Patani made her acting debut with the Telugu film '' Loafer'' (2015), and had her first Hindi film release with the biopic '' M.S. Dhoni: The Untold St ...
was reportedly paired opposite Suriya, marking her Tamil debut. Patani's inclusion was confirmed on 9 September.
Yogi Babu Yogi Babu (born 22 July 1985) is an Indian actor and comedian, who appears in Tamil films. He has won Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for '' Aandavan Kattalai'' (2016), '' Kolamavu Kokila'' (2018), '' Pariyerum Perumal'' (2018), '' Love Today'' ( ...
,
Redin Kingsley Redin Kingsley (born 16 April 1977) is an Indian actor and comedian who predominantly works in the Tamil film industry. He is best known for his loud style of speech and comedic expressions in films. Personal life Redin Kingsley married the te ...
,
Kovai Sarala Kovai Sarala is an Indian actress and comedian, who plays supporting roles in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. She has won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian three times, for her performances in '' Sathi Leelavathi ...
and
Anandaraj Anandaraj (born 10 November 1958) is an Indian actor, He has acted in villain roles in several Tamil films and has appeared in over a three hundred films in different languages including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. Career Anandar ...
were reportedly cast in late-August to play supporting roles. That September,
Ravi Raghavendra Ravichander Raghavendra (1 January 1962), is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films and television serials. Career and personal life Ravi has appeared on television and in films since the 1980s, often playing supporting roles. He has also ...
revealed his participation in the film, while
K. S. Ravikumar K. S. Ravikumar (born 30 May 1958) is an Indian film director, film producer, screenwriter and actor who primarily works in Tamil cinema and few Telugu films. He is one of the most commercially successful directors of Indian cinema. He has won m ...
was reported being part of the cast in October, after he had shot for his portions in the second schedule of the film. Kannada actor B. S. Avinash was cast in late April 2023. It was only by late June that he announced his participation. Towards the end of July 2023,
Bobby Deol Vijay Singh Deol (born 27 January 1969), better known by his screen name Bobby Deol, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi cinema. A member of the List of Hindi film families#Deol family, Deol family, he is the younger son of actor Dha ...
was brought on board as the main antagonist, making his Tamil debut. Deol signed the film long before the release of his comeback breakthrough ''
Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...
'', and described his role to be "out of his comfort zone" as he had to be fluent in Tamil and learning it within two months was difficult which made the role even more challenging. During the same period,
Natty Subramaniam Natarajan "Natty" Subramaniam ( born 23 June 1971) is an Indian cinematographer and actor who has worked in blockbuster and highly acclaimed Hindi and Tamil films. As an actor, he achieved recognition through his performance as a con artist in ...
was signed on to play one of the antagonist roles. Deol in an interview to ''
Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is an Indian entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provides n ...
'' admitted that his role required significant physical preparation, where he had to wear a hairpiece, apply scars and use custom-made contact lenses.


Filming

Filming was intended to begin in November 2021 after Siva's commitments in ''Annaatthe''. Later, it was pushed to July 2022 after Suriya had completed the shooting schedule of
Bala Bala may refer to: Films * ''Bala'' (1976 film), an English-language dance documentary * ''Bala'' (2002 film), a Tamil-language action film * ''Bala'' (2019 film), a Hindi-language black comedy Life forms *Bala shark (''Balantiocheilos melano ...
's '' Vanangaan'' in June and test shoot of
Vetrimaaran V. Chitravel Vetrimaaran (born 4 September 1975) is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who primarily works in Tamil cinema. He is known for his unique filmography with major commercial success and highly critically acclaime ...
's ''Vaadivaasal'' in July. But that too didn't happen. The film's
principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
ultimately began with the first schedule on 24 August 2022 in
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
with a customary pooja ceremony. The first schedule was concluded in five days there. The second schedule commenced in
Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
on 20 September. Patani joined the sets the very next day. A massive set was erected in the outskirts where most portions had been shot. A stunt sequence involving more than 250 extras was also shot there. During this schedule, pictures and footage from the sets were leaked and went viral, causing the studio, Studio Green, to warn of legal action against the ones responsible. The second schedule was completed on 11 October and the team took a break for a couple of weeks on the account of
Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...
. The next and third schedule was reported to commence again in Chennai and also in
Pondicherry Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...
post-Diwali, while the subsequent schedule was set to be held in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
for 60 days. Since the film is reportedly set in two timelines and has a 1000-year old backstory, most parts filmed during the second schedule in Goa makes up the present day portions while the ones in the Sri Lanka schedule would make up the period ones. However, the film was eventually not shot in Sri Lanka. For the next schedule, Suriya trained hard to sport a six pack look. The third schedule began on 16 December in
Ennore Ennore, also spelt , is a neighbourhood in Chennai, India. Ennore is situated on a peninsula and is bounded by the Kosasthalaiyar River, Korttalaiyar River, Ennore Creek and the Bay of Bengal. The creek separates south Ennore from the north Enno ...
, Chennai as reported, with Patani and
Yogi Babu Yogi Babu (born 22 July 1985) is an Indian actor and comedian, who appears in Tamil films. He has won Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for '' Aandavan Kattalai'' (2016), '' Kolamavu Kokila'' (2018), '' Pariyerum Perumal'' (2018), '' Love Today'' ( ...
being included in this schedule. Few days later, the team started shooting action sequences at a grand set erected at Ennore Port, which were choreographed by Supreme Sundar, who was hired during this schedule. It was a short schedule which was completed by late-December. By January 2023, 60% of shooting was completed. Filming resumed on 4 January 2023 at EVP Film City in Chennai. It was completed by January end. In early February, the makers erected a set resembling an aeroplane for shooting action sequences. Few days before that, an action sequence with around 50 extras clashing with Suriya was filmed in a gym. On 10 February, the concurrent schedule commenced yet again in Chennai. The team had started shooting action sequences from that day onwards. Cinematographer Vetri brought Alexa Super 35 and Alexa LF camera versions for a better output of the action sequences. ''Kanguva'' is the second Tamil film to use the Alexa Super 35 camera after ''
Leo Leo is the Latin word for lion. It most often refers to: * Leo (constellation), a constellation of stars in the night sky * Leo (astrology), an astrological sign of the zodiac * Leo (given name), a given name in several languages, usually mas ...
'' (2023). In early March, Suriya was spotted hitting a gym, preparing for a massive action scene along with 200 bodybuilders. Few days later, Siva took a short break from filming after his brother
Bala Bala may refer to: Films * ''Bala'' (1976 film), an English-language dance documentary * ''Bala'' (2002 film), a Tamil-language action film * ''Bala'' (2019 film), a Hindi-language black comedy Life forms *Bala shark (''Balantiocheilos melano ...
had been hospitalised due to liver disease. After the completion of this schedule, Siva and Suriya started filming the title teaser. It was completed on 12 March. After a 10-day break, shooting took place for one day in
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
on 19 April. The next day, a new phase started in
Kodaikanal Kodaikanal () (English: ) is a municipality and hill station in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated at an altitude of in the Palani hills of the Western Ghats. Kodaikanal was established in 1845 to serve as a r ...
at the forest areas. It was supposed to go on for about 20 days, but the team finished the schedule on 7 May. The subsequent schedule started on 20 June 2023, at a grand set mounted in EVP Film City which was constructed that month start, in Chennai. A song, set in the period, featuring more than 1500 background artists and choreographed by
Prem Rakshith Prem Rakshith (born Thomas Satish) is an Indian choreographer who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of a National Film Award, three Nandi Awards and six Filmfare Awards. Early life and career Prem Rakshith was born in P ...
was shot at the set, and the schedule was completed before the end of the month. The crew moved to Kodaikanal again for the next phase of filming and wrapped it up by the beginning of the coming month. Following their time in Kodaikanal, the production team returned to EVP Film City to commence the successive phase of filming, on 5 August. On 16 August 2023, production shifted to
Rajahmundry Rajahmundry ( ), officially Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and district headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the fifth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the district of Rajahmu ...
where filming held for two weeks. On 5 October 2023, following a brief break, the team moved to
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
for the penultimate schedule which was completed within three weeks. In late-November 2023, Suriya sustained a minor injury during a fight sequence when a rope camera fell on his shoulder. Shortly thereafter, he took off from filming for two weeks to recover, thereby halting the production temporarily, before returning to the sets by mid-December. Principal photography wrapped in January 2024.


Post-production

Post-production started in late June 2023 in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
with work on the
visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...
being commenced and Harihara Suthan serves as the
visual effects supervisor In the context of film and television production, a visual effects supervisor is responsible for achieving the creative aims of the director or producers through the use of visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the pr ...
. It will go on for several months as the film involves extensive visual effects and
computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a specific-technology or application of computer graphics for creating or improving images in Digital art, art, Publishing, printed media, Training simulation, simulators, videos and video games. These images ...
, which had been progressing simultaneously. Several international companies came on board to enhance the visual effects process. On 14 February 2024, Suriya watched the final edit of the film with Siva and the rest of the technical crew members and appreciated the crew for their work. It was also revealed that the post-production has been progressed into the next stage, with
digital intermediate Digital intermediate (DI) is a motion picture finishing process which classically involves digitizing a motion picture and manipulating the color and other image characteristics. Definition and overview A digital intermediate often replaces or a ...
,
colour grading Color grading is a post-production process common to filmmaking and video editing of altering the appearance of an image for presentation in different environments on different devices. Various attributes of an image such as contrast, color, ...
, previsualisation happening parallelly. On 21 February, Suriya began dubbing for his portions at Gnanavel Raja's then newly constructed post-production studio Aadnah Arts in Mumbai. It was completed on 18 September 2024. Gnanavel Raja affirmed that Suriya's voice would be enhanced via
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
for dubbing in multiple languages. On 1 October, the film was converted into 3D formats by the
stereoscopic Stereoscopy, also called stereoscopics or stereo imaging, is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word ''stereoscopy'' derives . Any stereoscopic image is ...
conversion studio Rays 3D.


Music

The
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
and
film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
were composed by
Devi Sri Prasad Gandham Sriprasad (2 August 1979), known as Devi Sri Prasad or more commonly by his initials DSP, is an Indian music composer, singer, and lyricist primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema, along with Tamil cinema. He has received numerous ...
, in his fifth collaboration with Suriya after ''
Maayavi ''Maayavi'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language black comedy film directed by Singampuli that stars Suriya and Jyothika (who plays a fictional version of herself), whilst Vijayakanth makes a cameo. The film's score and soundtrack ...
'' (2005), ''
Aaru Aaru (; , ), or the Field of Reeds (, ''sekhet-aaru''), is the name for heavenly paradise in Egyptian mythology. Ruled over by Osiris, an Egyptian god, the location has been described as the of the Nile Delta. Ancient Egyptians believed th ...
'' (2005), ''
Singam ''Singam'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Hari. Produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja's Studio Green and Reliance BIG Entertainment, ans distributed by Sun Pictures, it is the first installment in t ...
'' (2010) and ''
Singam II ''Singam II'' is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Hari. Produced by Prince Pictures, and distributed by 2D Entertainment, it is a sequel to ''Singam'' (2010) and the second installment in the ''Singam ...
'' (2013) and second with Siva after '' Veeram'' (2014). The film's music rights were purchased by
Saregama Saregama India Ltd is an Indian music record label and content company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is the oldest music label in India, established in 1901 as the Indian branch of the British Gramophone Company. It later became ...
. The first single "Fire Song" was released on 23 July 2024, coinciding with Suriya's 49th birthday. The second single "Yolo" was released on 21 October 2024. The audio launch was planned to be held on 26 October at Nehru Stadium, Chennai. It was initially reported that the audio launch was scheduled on 20 October 2024. The third single "Thalaivane" was released on 29 October 2024. The fourth single titled "Mannippu" was released on 7 November 2024.


Marketing

A 94-second glimpse video revealing Suriya's appearance from the periodic portions released on the midnight of 23 July 2023, coinciding with the actor's birthday, along with the film's first
teaser poster A film poster is a poster used to promote and advertise a film primarily to persuade paying customers into a theater to see it. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. The ...
also being unveiled on the same day. The teaser received praise for the visuals and setting. On 19 March 2024, 52-second
teaser trailer A teaser trailer, also shortened to teaser, is a short trailer (promotion), trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release film or television show advertisement. Sh ...
was showcased at an event hosted by
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, where the streaming platform announced their acquisitions of big-budget Indian films, with ''Kanguva'' being one of them. Within three days, the teaser garnered 20 million views. The film's first theatrical trailer was released on 12 August receiving positive reviews from the audience. However, netizens noted that the trailer only focused on the periodic portions and the sequences set in the present timeline were not showcased. Promotional activities for the film kickstarted from 17 October, with a press interaction held at the MovieMax theatre in East Andheri, Mumbai that saw the attendance of Suriya and Deol. It was followed by another event held at the outskirts of Delhi on 21 October, and the team then promoting the film at the Fun Republic Mall in West Andheri, Mumbai, on 23 October, by unveiling 30-feet tall hoarding of the poster featuring Suriya and Deol. A fan interaction was held at the
Cinépolis Cinépolis is a Mexico-based international movie theater chain. Its name means ''City of Cinema'' and its slogan is ''La Capital del Cine'' (). Cinépolis was the biggest cineplex chain in Mexico, with 427 theaters in 97 cities. It is also th ...
theatre in the mall with the cast. On 24 October, another event was conducted at the AMB Cinemas theatre chain in
Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
with Suriya, Siva and the producers and distributors. The same day, Suriya and Deol shot for an episode featured in the fourth season of the talk show ''Unstoppable'' hosted by
Nandamuri Balakrishna Nandamuri Balakrishna (born 10 June 1960), also known as Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, film producer, politician and philanthropist known for his works in Telugu cinema. Balakrishna is an elected member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative A ...
. The episode is set to be aired on 8 November through aha. The team further appeared on the eighth season of Bigg Boss Telugu hosted by
Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन, ''Nāgārjuna''; ) was an Indian monk and Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhist Philosophy, philosopher of the Madhyamaka (Centrism, Middle Way) school. He is widely considered one of the most importa ...
. Another fan meet event was hosted at Gokul Park,
RK Beach Ramakrishna Beach also known as R K Beach is situated on the east coast of Bay of Bengal in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is located near Dolphin's Nose. RK Beach gets its name from the Ramakrishna Mission ashram situated near the beach. ...
Road,
Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam (; List of renamed places in India, formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...
on 27 October. Promotional activities resumed on 4 November, with the team hosting two meet-and-greet events in
Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
: one at the Phoenix Mall of Asia and another at the Orion Mall. On 5 November, another event was held at the
Lulu International Shopping Mall, Kochi LuLu Mall, Kochi is a shopping mall located in Edappally, Kochi, Kerala. It is one of the largest shopping malls in the country spanning across 2 million square feet It contains more than 300 outlets, including food courts, restaurants, famil ...
. More than 6,000 fans arrived at the venue which resulted in registering the highest attendance at the venue, but also faced issues due to overcrowding. The following day, the team hosted another event at the Nishagandhi Auditorium in
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
. A special screening of the film's 3D-enhanced first trailer was held at the
Sathyam Cinemas SPI Cinemas was an Indian multiplex chain originally owned by the SPI Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The company was often lauded for its premium quality and inexpensive pricing. Its theatres, primarily PVR Sathyam Cinemas at Roya ...
theatre in Chennai on 7 November. The same evening, the film's pre-release event was held at
Park Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vac ...
, Hyderabad. The event was felicated by directors
S. S. Rajamouli Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli ( ; born 10 October 1973) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Telugu cinema. Known for his epic, action and fantasy genre films, he is the highest grossing Indian director of all time, as well as the highest-paid d ...
,
Boyapati Srinu Boyapati Srinivas, commonly known as Boyapati Sreenu, is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for directing over-the-top action films in Telugu cinema and has garnered two state Nandi Awards. Early life Boyapa ...
, producers
Allu Aravind Allu Aravind (born 10 January 1949) is an Indian film producer, film distributor, and businessman. He is regarded as one of the most successful producers in Cinema of South India, South Indian cinema. He is the founder of Geetha Arts, a majo ...
,
Daggubati Suresh Babu Daggubati Suresh Babu (born 24 December 1958) is an Indian film producer, studio owner and film distributor who serves as the managing director of Suresh Productions. He is the elder brother of popular telugu actor Venkatesh and father of an ...
and actors
Vishwak Sen Vishwak Sen (born Dinesh Prasad Naidu on 29 March 1995) is an Indian actor, director, and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He made his debut as a lead actor in 2017 with the film ''Vellipomakey''. He made his debut as a director in 201 ...
and
Siddhu Jonnalagadda Siddharth Jonnalagadda is an Indian actor and screenwriter known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He made his debut with '' Josh'' (2009) and in Tamil with ''Vallinam'' (2014). Jonnalagadda later went on to co-write and appear in fi ...
as the chief guests, alongside the cast and crew. On 10 November, the team hosted the promotional meet-and-greet event at the City Centre Deira in
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
, where the makers unveiled the film's second trailer. On 11 November, another event was hosted at the
Lulu Hypermarket LuLu Group International is an UAE based Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate company that operates a chain of hypermarkets and retail companies, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Lulu Grou ...
in
Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
. On 12 November, the team attended another pre-release event at the
Miraj Cinemas Miraj Cinemas is a division of Miraj Entertainment Limited, the entertainment wing of Miraj Group established in 1987 by Madan Paliwal. After production and release of movies like Sona Spa and Madaari, Miraj Group ventured in the cinema ex ...
, Wadala, Mumbai, with an exhibition showcasing the traditional outfits and costumes depicted in the film's periodic portions.


Release


Theatrical

''Kanguva'' was released theatrically on 14 November 2024 in standard, 3D and
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
formats. The film was initially scheduled to release on 10 October 2024, coinciding the occasion of Dusshera, but was postponed to avoid a box-office clash with
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...
-starrer ''
Vettaiyan ''Vettaiyan'' ( ) is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by T. J. Gnanavel and produced by Subaskaran Allirajah's Lyca Productions. The film stars Rajinikanth as Athiyan, a senior police officer, who accidentally shoots an ...
''. In the United Kingdom, as well as the rest of the world, the film was released on the same day, however, in a version which was classified 15 by the
British Board of Film Classification The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non-governmental organization, non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited ...
(BBFC) for strong violence and bloody images, following a few seconds of cuts. Originally the film was set to be released in 10 languages, including dubbed versions in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, English and other Indian languages. In November 2023, the makers announced that the film will be released in 38 languages. Speaking of this decision, Gnanavel Raja revealed that he was ambitious on "expanding the film's marketing and distribution to new territories, thereby opening doors to unparalleled box office success and broader international reach for Tamil cinema". Later, it was confirmed that the film would be released in 8 languages theatrically, which includes French, Spanish and Russian languages. A Chinese and Japanese version is also planned for theatrical release.


Screenings and statistics

Speaking at a press conference, Studio Green's CEO G. Dhananjayan assured that the film would be released in 10,000 screens worldwide. This included 2,500 screens across South India and 3,000–3,500 screens across North India. In Tamil Nadu, the film would be released across 700 screens, while in Kerala, over 500 screens had been planned for theatrical premiere.


Distribution

The
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
distribution rights were acquired by Abinesh Elangovan's Abi & Abi Entertainment and Sakthi Film Factory.
AA Films AA Films is an Indian motion picture distribution company, owned by Anil Thadani. It mainly distributes Hindi films and Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of ...
was initially revealed as the theatrical distribution partner for the Hindi-dubbed versions, but in January 2023,
Pen Studios Pen Studios (formerly Popular Entertainment Network) is an Cinema of India, Indian film production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company established by Dr. Jayantilal Gada on 31 March 1987. Based in Mumbai, it mainly pr ...
reportedly acquired the Hindi theatrical distribution rights. The Karnataka theatrical rights were sold to KVN Productions. The film's co-producer UV Creations handled the acquisition for the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana distribution rights, while the theatrical rights for Nizam regions were acquired by
Mythri Movie Makers Mythri Movie Makers is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Naveen Yerneni, Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar, and Mohan Cherukuri (CVM) in 2015. The production company mainly produces and distributes in Telugu films. Not ...
. The Kerala theatrical rights were initially sold to E4 Entertainment, but Sree Gokulam Movies eventually acquired the rights with the film being distributed through Dream Big Films. The international overseas rights were acquired by Phars Films, with United Kingdom and Europe distribution in association with
Yash Raj Films Yash Raj Films (YRF) is an Indian film production and distribution company founded by filmmaker Yash Chopra in 1970. Since 2012, it has been led by his son Aditya Chopra. The company mainly produces and distributes Hindi films. History In 19 ...
. The North American distribution rights were acquired by Prathyangira Cinemas.


Pre-release business

''Kanguva'' was reported to have made a pre-release recovery of over which includes digital, audio, satellite and distribution rights, becoming the first Tamil film to do so, surpassing the previous record of ''
Leo Leo is the Latin word for lion. It most often refers to: * Leo (constellation), a constellation of stars in the night sky * Leo (astrology), an astrological sign of the zodiac * Leo (given name), a given name in several languages, usually mas ...
'' (2023), which reportedly did . The South Indian digital rights of the film were sold for . The
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
satellite, digital and theatrical rights were reportedly sold for . The theatrical rights in the Telugu-speaking regions ranged from ₹25–30 crore (US$3.0–3.6 million). Kerala theatrical rights were sold to . Overseas theatrical rights for the film were sold to , which was the second-best for a Tamil film.


Home media

The digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
. The film began streaming on Amazon Prime Video from 8 December 2024 in Tamil and dubbed versions of Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam languages.


Reception


Critical response

Publications described the film's critical consensus upon release as either mixed or negative. Post-release, it was also considered a disappointment due to the exaggerated expectations surrounding the film, that had been highly elevated by the film fraternity as a pan-Indian film, largely due to the depiction of epic historical fantasy portions in the film that had drawn comparisons parallel to
S. S. Rajamouli Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli ( ; born 10 October 1973) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Telugu cinema. Known for his epic, action and fantasy genre films, he is the highest grossing Indian director of all time, as well as the highest-paid d ...
's '' Baahubali: The Beginning''. Raisa Nasreen of ''
Times Now Times Now is an English-language news channel in India owned and operated by The Times Group. The channel launched on 23 January 2006 in partnership with Reuters. It is a pay television throughout India. Until 2016, it was India's most popula ...
'' gave 3/5 stars and wrote "It is safe to say that ''Kanguva'' stands true to its theme, which is a war film that shuttles between two timelines—the present and the past." Ganesh Aaglave of ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' gave 3/5 stars and wrote "''Kanguva'' is not a great film but a decent entertainer with Suriya's impeccable performance being the biggest highlight." Janani K of ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "''Kanguva'' is an action fantasy drama that aims for the skies. Sadly, it falters long before it even takes off. The initial 20 minutes of the film, which features the present-day portion, is truly a test of patience. Neither the so-called comedy lands nor do you get a sense of what's going on." Avinash Ramachandran of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "''Kanguva'' is definitely a spark that could have created a forest fire, but it settles to just gloriously burn down a few trees before gradually becoming a golden ember, a stark reminder of what could have been." Saibal Chatterjee of ''NDTV'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "''Kanguva'' is a visual treat enhanced by the star's tremendous screen presence. If only the script had more to it than just the sensory and the visceral, this would have been a film fully deserving of the sequel that is in the works." Kirubhakar Purushothaman of ''
News 18 Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (d/b/a Network18 Group) is an Indian media conglomerate owned by the Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani. Rahul Joshi is the managing director, chief executive officer and group editor-in-chief, a ...
'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "The core problem of ''Kanguva'' is it fails to have a single focus. It doesn't decide whether it is a film about this father and son relationship or a revenge story between two tribes." Goutham S of ''
Pinkvilla Pinkvilla is an Indian entertainment and lifestyle platform. As of June 2022, Pinkvilla has over 50,000,000 visitors on its website and app. Overview Pinkvilla covers entertainment and lifestyle stories. Its coverage extends to Hindi cinema, ...
'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Kanguva, which was touted as a fantasy action movie, has left many aspects of the film unexplored. With the movie having chances of leaving even hardcore Suriya fans disappointed, it would be better to avoid the same in theaters." Prathibha Joy of ''
OTT Play HT Media is an Indian mass media company based in Delhi. It has holdings in print, electronic and digital media. HT Media's flagship newspaper is the ''Hindustan Times'', the second most widely read English newspaper in India after ''The Times of ...
'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Suriya lives and breathes Kanguva and is his earnest best, but that’s not going to be enough to salvage the film that’s crumbling at all other ends." Ankit Ojha of ''The National'' gave a rating of 2/5 and wrote, "the intensity of Suriya’s performances in his dual role and Deol’s terrifying presence as the villain will take its viewers to the end of the line, but there’s not much otherwise to hold onto as you leave the cinemas." Nirmal Jovial of ''The Week'' gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Reports suggest a budget between 300–350 crore, but once again, it proves that all the money in the world can't compensate for a weak script, and there's only so much the actors can do without strong storytelling." Gopinath Rajendran of ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
'' wrote "With a story that banks too much on its period portions, and assures a far more promising storyline in future titles, ''Kanguva'' offers very little to enjoy at the present." Latha Srinivasan of ''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'' wrote "Suriya is the heart and soul of Kanguva but the film by Siva just doesn't do justice to his performance and commitment." In response to the criticism, especially towards the screenplay and sound design, the makers trimmed nearly 12 minutes of the film while also fixing the sound design, and was recensored. The new version started playing in theatres from 19 November.


Box office

As of 6 May 2025, ''Kanguva'' has grossed in Tamil Nadu, and in other territories (rest of India and overseas) for a worldwide total of . ''Kanguva'' grossed 58.62 crore worldwide on its opening day. The Hindi version earned 3.25 crore net on its first day, and 2.25 crore net on its second day. The film earned approximately 96–106 crore in its lifetime.


Controversies

Prior to its release, a lawsuit was filed by
Reliance Entertainment Reliance Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian media and entertainment company. It is a division of Reliance Group, handling its media and entertainment business, across content and distribution platforms. The company was founded on 15 February ...
to stall the release of the film, citing Gnanavel Raja's unsettlement of dues from the former. A spokesperson from Reliance Entertainment claimed that Raja had taken a loan of an estimated for film production, which includes ''
Thangalaan ''Thangalaan'' () is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language action adventure film directed by Pa. Ranjith, who co-wrote the script with Tamil Prabha and Azhagiya Periyavan. It is produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under Studio Green. The film stars Vik ...
'', but had only repaid of the loan. The complainant also insisted to ban the film's theatrical release as well as the digital release of ''Thangalaan'', unless the remainder amount is being settled. The
Madras High Court The High Court of Judicature at Madras is a High Courts of India, High Court located in Chennai, India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry. It is one of ...
dismissed the case as Gnanavel Raja ensured that the remaining amount be settled before the film's theatrical release. On 12 November, Justice C. V. Karthikeyan and G. Jayachandran from the Madras High Court issued a restraining order against the film citing non-payment of dues. The court pertained to the agreement of Gnanavel Raja and businessman Arjunlal Sunderdas for a planned film production by investing , but Sunderdas backed out of the project after investing . As Sunderdas died in 2014 as an insolvent, his assets and liabilities were managed by his official assignee who filed a complaint against Gnanavel Raja to repay the dues of with an interest rate of 18 percent in 2019. Since the assignee received only from the said amount, with Gnanavel Raja settled and additional before the release of ''Thangalaan'', the assignee moved to the current application, where the court, with no other alternatives, had issued that the film would not be released if the remaining amount being unsettled by 13 November. Later, senior counsel P. S. Raman, appearing for Gnanavel Raja, submitted a statement mentioning that his claiming that his clients had deposited of the amount with the remaining would be settled within four weeks. With this, the court lifted the restraining order, allowing the film's release. The film's advance bookings delayed due to disputes between the distributors and exhibitors on the allotment of theatres and profit-sharing. As distributors quoted huge prices which the theatre owners and exhibitors refusing to negotiate, many single-screen theatres and multiplexes in Tamil Nadu did not sign agreement to screen the film and exhibitors preferred on '' Amaran'' which released two weeks before, registered higher footfalls and occupancies. The Telugu version's release in the Nizam region, also faced similar issues as its distributor Mythri Movie Makers had disagreements with
Asian Cinemas Asian Cinemas is an Indian Multiplex (movie theater), multiplex cinema chain based in Hyderabad. References

Cinema chains in India Indian companies established in 2011 {{India-company-stub ...
and
PVR INOX PVR INOX Limited is an Indian multiplex chain. It was formed in 2023 as a result of the merger between PVR Cinemas and INOX Leisure Limited. PVR pioneered the multiplex revolution in India by establishing the first multiplex cinema in 1997 ...
resulting in the delayed bookings in the theatres owned by these chains. Post-release, the sound mixing and editing was highly criticised by fans and critics, with many calling it loud and jarring. Prominent sound designer and editor
Resul Pookutty Resul Pookutty (born 30 May 1971) is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and audio mixer. He won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing, along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp, for ''Slumdog Millionaire''. Pookutty has worked in Hind ...
shared a review of the film, expressing his disappointment on the way sound design is being reviewed in mainstream films, affecting their craft and artistry. In response, Gnanavel Raja said this issue would be resolved, and cinemas showing the film were requested by the makers to "reduce two points of volume" to solve the problem.


Sequel

In July 2024, Gnanavel Raja stated that the sequel to ''Kanguva'' can be expected to release in the first half of 2027; either in January or the summer holidays. However it's viability was questioned due to the film's failure.


Notes


References


External links

* * {{Portal bar, India, Film 2020s fantasy action films 2020s Indian films 2020s Tamil-language films 2024 3D films 2024 films 4DX films Indian IMAX films D-Box motion-enhanced films Film productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic Films directed by Siva (director) Films scored by Devi Sri Prasad Films set in 2024 Films set in the 16th century Films shot in Andhra Pradesh Films shot in Bangkok Films shot in Chennai Films shot in Goa Films shot in Kerala Films shot in Kodaikanal Films shot in Puducherry Films shot in Rajahmundry Indian 3D films Indian fantasy action films Tamil-language Indian films Films about reincarnation Indian films about revenge