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Revisiting Kaakha Kaakha: 20 lesser-known facts about Suriya's breakthrough movie

Team CE

Updated:19th Jan, 2021 at 6:06 PM

The action-drama, starring Jyotika and Jeevan, was then the first biggest blockbuster in Suriya's filmography, and was considered a comeback film for producer Kalaipuli S. Thanu.

The film was initially titled as Paathi (Half) and then as Kalam, before the team opted to change the title to Kaakha Kaakha.

The film was initially titled as Paathi (Half) and then as Kalam, before the team opted to change the title to Kaakha Kaakha.

It was Gautham Menon's first script and the film that he had always wanted to make for his debut. However, Madhavan wanted a lighter mass-friendly script, and hence Minnaley became GVM's debut.

Ajith Kumar was Gautham's first choice to play Anbuchelvan IPS. GVM approached Ajith a couple of times without success.

It was Jyotika who recommended Suriya to Gautham for the role. Suriya was subsequently selected after Menon saw his portrayal in Nandha

Jyotika apparently received a higher remuneration than Suriya for the film.

Gautham did several rehearsals of the script with the actors before proceeding to the shoot, because he was asked to complete the movie within a budget of 2 crores.

GVM enrolled Suriya in a commando training school and made him take a 15-day crash course before beginning the film's production.

Kaakha Kaakha was remade in Telugu and Kannada. Gautham Menon himself directed the Telugu version.

Gautham had claimed that the Telugu version -starring Venkatesh and Asin - was better and more technically strong than the original, as he had the required budget and much greater creativity.

Both Mani Ratnam's Agni Natchathiram and Gautham Menon's Kaakha Kaakha share a commonality - their Telugu versions are titled Gharshana

Suriya's introduction shot of him being shot and thrown out of the lake house required multiple takes. Suriya didn't use a body double for this scene

Kaakha Kaakha was incidentally Suriya's third film with Jyotika, whom he will later marry.

Many technicians and their departments came under the spotlight because of the film. Antony’s new dimensional fast cuts and Rajeevan’s awe-inspiring recreation of the lake house was acclaimed.

Antony's fast-cut editing became a gamechanger. For instance, the scene where Suriya and his colleagues walk a distance, which could have been a single shot, was shown as a collage of immediate cuts.

GVM had shot an alternate climax, where Jyotika doesn’t die. She bids goodbye to Suriya, as he sets off to duty. This version wasn't used as GVM felt it didn't reflect the real essence of the film.

GVM and Dhanu had floated an idea of an English remake with a Chechnyan backdrop, though talks with a potential collaboration with Ashok Amritraj ultimately collapsed.

The song 'Ondra Renda' is based on 'Dil Ko Tumse Pyar Hua' from the Hindi remake of Minnale, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, which was also composed by Harris Jayaraj.

The film won a massive 5 filmfare awards, for best villain, cinematography, music, editing, and choreography.

The film was officially remade in 2011 in Hindi as Force starring Johm Abraham, Genelia D'souza, and Vidyut Jamwal. Genelia's character dies in the climax.

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