Kanguva (transl. The Man with the Power of Fire), also known and marketed as Kanguva: A Mighty Valiant Saga, is an upcoming Indian Tamil-language fantasy action film directed by Siva. The film is produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja, V. Vamsi Krishna Reddy, and Pramod Uppalapati under the banners of Studio Green and UV Creations.
The movie stars Suriya in the lead role, with an ensemble cast that includes Bobby Deol and Disha Patani (both making their Tamil debuts), along with Natarajan Subramaniam, Jagapathi Babu, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley, Kovai Sarala, Anandaraj, Ravi Raghavendra, K. S. Ravikumar, and B. S. Avinash.
The project was initially announced in April 2019 under the working title Suriya 39, marking Suriya’s 39th film as a lead actor. Pre-production began in January 2021, with production planned to start after Suriya completed Soorarai Pottru (2020). However, the start was delayed as Siva directed Annaatthe (2021). Filming faced further postponements, and the project was eventually shelved. In January 2022, Suriya revealed that the film was still in development. Gnanavel Raja initially stepped down from producing the film due to budget concerns, but UV Creations later agreed to co-produce, and Raja rejoined the project.
The film was reannounced in August 2022 with the tentative title Suriya 42, marking Suriya’s 42nd leading role. Principal photography began that month in Chennai and concluded in January 2024, with shooting locations including Goa, Kerala, Kodaikanal, and Rajahmundry. The official title Kanguva was revealed in April 2023.
The technical crew includes Devi Sri Prasad as the music composer, Vetri Palanisamy as the cinematographer, and Nishadh Yusuf as the editor. With a budget of around ₹300 crore, Kanguva is one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.
Kanguva is scheduled to be released on 10 October 2024, coinciding with Dussehra, in standard, 3D, and IMAX formats.
| Directed by | Siva |
|---|---|
| Screenplay by | Adi Narayana |
| Madhan Karky | |
| Story by | Adi Narayana |
| Produced by | K. E. Gnanavel Raja |
| V. Vamsi Krishna Reddy | |
| Pramod Uppalapati | |
| Jayantilal Gada | |
| Starring | Suriya |
| Bobby Deol | |
| Disha Patani | |
| Cinematography | Vetri Palanisamy |
| Edited by | Nishadh Yusuf |
| Music by | Devi Sri Prasad |
| Production companies | Studio Green |
| UV Creations | |
| KVN Productions | |
| Pen Studios | |
| Distributed by | Pen Marudhar Entertainment |
| AA Films | |
| AP International | |
| E4 Entertainment | |
| KVN Productions | |
| Release date | 10 October 2024 |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget | est. ₹300 crore |
Cast:
- list Suriya as Kanguva
- Bobby Deol as Udhiran
- Disha Patani
- Natarajan Subramaniam
- Jagapathi Babu[9]
- Yogi Babu
- Redin Kingsley
- Kovai Sarala
- Anandaraj
- G. Marimuthu
- Deepa Venkat
- Ravi Raghavendra
- K. S. Ravikumar
- B. S. Avinash
Production
Development:
Two months after the release of Siva’s Viswasam (2019), reports surfaced that Suriya would collaborate with Siva on a film to be produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green. The project had been in discussions for several months, and Siva had been committed to doing a film with Studio Green for over a year. On 22 April 2019, the film was officially announced under the tentative title Suriya 39, marking Suriya’s 39th film in a leading role. The project was confirmed to be bankrolled by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under the Studio Green banner and was scheduled to commence after Suriya completed filming Soorarai Pottru (2020).
In May, Nayanthara was in talks to be paired opposite Suriya. Sources indicated that the film would be a family drama set in a village, similar to Viswasam. However, before filming could begin, Siva received an opportunity to direct Rajinikanth’s 168th film, later titled Annaatthe (2021). Rajinikanth requested Suriya to postpone his film with Siva, to which Suriya agreed. Consequently, the filming date was pushed to November 2021 as Siva was occupied with promoting Annaatthe. Following this, there were no further developments, and Suriya 39 was later transformed into Jai Bhim (2021).
Casting:
Suriya will be seen in 13 different looks in the film, surpassing his previous record of ten different looks in Ayan (2009). Makeup artist Ranjith Ambady and his team took inspiration from Apocalypto (2006) for designing one of Suriya’s looks for the film’s periodic portions. For his role, Suriya also shed 5 kilograms.
In August 2022, Disha Patani was reportedly paired opposite Suriya, marking her Tamil debut. Her inclusion was confirmed on 9 September. Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley, Kovai Sarala, and Anandaraj were reportedly cast in late August to play supporting roles. In September, Ravi Raghavendra revealed his participation in the film, and K. S. Ravikumar was reported to be part of the cast in October after shooting his portions in the second schedule of the film. B. S. Avinash of KGF fame was cast in late April 2023 and announced his participation in late June. Towards the end of July 2023, Bobby Deol was brought on board as the main antagonist, making his Tamil debut. Deol described his role as “out of his comfort zone” due to the need to become fluent in Tamil within two months, which added to the challenge. During the same period, Natarajan Subramaniam was signed on to play one of the antagonist roles.
Release:
Originally slated for an early 2024 release, Kanguva will now premiere in theaters worldwide on 10 October 2024, aligning with the festival of Dussehra. The film will be available in conventional 2D, 3D, and IMAX formats. Delays were attributed to extensive post-production efforts.
