EndhiranEndhiran is a forthcoming science-fiction Tamil–language film being directed by S. Shankar, who with Endhiran, directs his tenth feature film.

Despite several rumours regarding the lead actors, Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai have been formally announced to portray the lead roles. The film is expected to cost 165 crores, one of the highest ever film budgets of the Indian film industry.

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Initially titled and referred to as Robot, the project was launched by Shankar and producer C. Karunamoorthy, chief executive of Ayngaran International who were set to distribute the film along with Eros Labs. However, in December 2008, both production companies backed off, amidst filming schedules, due to financial problems led by the currently ongoing global market recession. Production rights have now been sold to the Chennai-based Sun Pictures.

Releases on 14th of April 2010

Casting

Apart from the original decided casting of Rajinikanth in the lead role, Shankar as director and A. R. Rahman as Music Director, , who sets a new record for the most expensive musician of India, the rest of the cast was named over the following year.

Several heroines were approached to essay the lead female role with Aishwarya Rai,  Priyanka Chopra,  Deepika Padukone,  Asin Thottumkal,  Trisha Krishnan, Shriya Saran , Priyamani and Nayanthara being linked with the role. In late January 2008, Aishwarya Rai was announced as the heroine of the project, and she later confirmed her appearance in the film to the news channel, Aaj Tak for a fee of 6 crores, becoming the highest paid actress in India with her salary for Endhiran. In a subsequent interview Aishwarya Rai expressed how much she always wanted work with Shankar and Rajinikanth, and was eager to work on the project.

For the lead antagonist role Amitabh Bachchan , J. D. Chakravarthy,  Narain  and Arjun were considered,  however Indian actor, Danny Denzongpa was signed for the role. Comedians Santhanam and Karunas were signed up to portray important roles in December 2008.  Sujatha Rangarajan originally announced as the dialogue writer of the film, died during the production stages, with Balakumaran being named as his successor.

Filming

The film began on 15 February 2008 in Chennai when portfolio photographer G. Venket Ram did a photo shoot with Rajinikanth.  Following this initial shoot, Shankar and the cinematographer R. Rathnavelu went on a world tour to location-hunt. The team visited Vienna in Austria, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Hanoi in Vietnam to pick suitable locations.  The first three photo sessions were held with Rajinikanth in Mumbai and Chennai with Aishwarya Rai featuring in the fourth session.

The first schedule of the film was started on 8 September 2008 at Peru, where a song picturization featuring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai was shot under the choreography of Raju Sundaram and Claudia Bruckmann, at the historic site of the Machu Picchu. Other scenes for the song were finished off in the United States and then Brazil.

The shooting for the second schedule, continued in Goa, India where the initial talkie portions were filmed for ten days.  The third schedule for the film included shooting in Himachal Pradesh for a song, which was then followed by scenes being canned in and around Chennai. Scenes featuring a Robotics conference involving Rajnikanth, Aishwarya Rai, Santhanam and Karunas were carried out at SSN College of Engineering as well as at the Vellore Institute of Technology, with over four hundred students being used as extras.

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