When director Prabu Solomon began writing Kumki 2, he was clear about not wanting it to remind people of the original and to completely do away with the romantic angle, despite the original being exalted for the same reasons, which also gave it an indelible mark in Tamil cinema history. “We wanted the focus to stay on the bond between the man and the elephant. All that we borrowed was the title to mount our film. In fact, Kumki 2 is more of a political satire that focuses on how certain politicians sustain their jobs by taking it out on the forest and its dwellers,” says Prabu Solomon, who is known for his forest-based films like Kumki and Mynaa. Kumki 2, just like many of his previous films, draws inspiration from real-life events. “For the last 20-30 years, there have been many instances of politicians involving themselves in illegal animal sacrifices. This has happened in other states also. While an elephant is at the centre, the events surrounding it are completely political,” he points out.

Just like his search for untouched locations across Tamil Nadu to place his stories, his hunt for the right star cast has always been extensive. From Vikram Prabhu, Chandran, and Anandhi to Lakshmi Menon, Vikranth, and Amala Paul, the filmmaker is known for his penchant for introducing talented lead actors or giving hitherto unknown faces a fresh lease of life. Joining the line are Mathi and Shrita Rao, who express both admiration and gratitude to the filmmaker for providing a foundation for their careers. “If my portions have come out well, it is because I just mirrored Prabu Solomon sir’s instructions,” says Mathi. Interestingly, Shrita Rao’s character is nothing like other characters in Prabu Solomon’s films. She plays a tomboyish engineer walking around in cargo pants. “I was expecting that I’d be in a saree!” remarks Shrita, adding, “He told me, ‘Make it old school and dirty’. I was working with the same costume throughout the film."

Shrita also opens up about her trepidation in acting since she wasn't even aware of how to face the camera, and here she was working with a perfectionist. "There is a scene where I had to imitate Arjun Das’ voice, and it took 25-30 takes. My current projects have become easier for me as I came from his tough school,” she adds. Kumki 2 was filmed at the heart of a tiger reserve, which was a two-hour-long trek from Kerala’s Nelliyampathy, and had no power or mobile phone connectivity. Explaining the rich cinematic history of the location,  Prabu Solomon says, “We shot our opening song, ‘Hey Kurinjiye’, in the Shivanasamudra falls. After MGR’s Idhayakkani (1975), no other film was shot there until we went. Imagine the passion he had to search for such locales to film his movies, especially at a time when even roads weren’t present leading to the area.”

With a sequel like Kumki 2, comparisons are inevitable. And the Kaadan filmmaker admits he was bombarded with various questions, including the absence of composer D Imman. “In fact, except for the cinematographer, we have gone with a completely new crew for the sequel. If he had been a part of this, people would have said the songs weren't as good as the original," says Prabu. Echoing these sentiments, Kumki 2 composer Nivas K Prasanna says, “It was an added pressure for me as we started with four songs, but scratched them all midway. I was conscious of the first part's legacy, but I was determined to make this a unique and soulful experience." The composer also gave us a glimpse into his working style with Prabu Solomon. "I knew his working process would involve constant improvisation until the film’s release. I feel that this creative fluidity is important to every project. We listened to compositions of Beethoven, Mozart, John Williams, James Horner, Alexandre Desplat, soundtracks of Lawrence of Arabia, Troy, and more," says Nivas, who added that the brief was to make a Disney-like film in Tamil. “When you listen to these pure forms of music, your ears get tuned to that music,” he notes.

Despite the team’s best efforts, Kumki 2 remained stuck in the cans for over four years, with multiple roadblocks delaying its release. “We had completed the film in 2019, but the pandemic pushed everything back. We couldn’t access VFX teams, and I had to redo several sequences from scratch. We even had to onboard a new software team to work on the film. Through it all, I refused to compromise,” says the filmmaker.

Asserting that Kumki 2 is a children's film, Prabu Solomon hopes that such films are released every year to cater to such an important demographic. “We are not making enough films for children. We force them to watch very violent content, and we are seeing it reflected in their behaviour in schools. It’s pertinent that they learn about relations and our connection with nature. Even Steven Spielberg, who made Schindler’s List, created a film like E.T. for children. We need that balance in life and cinema,” signs off Prabu Solomon.