Last update:October 27, 2024, 3:27 p.m. IST

Kanguva is the next biggest venture in Tamil cinema. The grand audio launch of the film took place in Chennai.

Suriya at the Kanguva audio launch.

Kanguva has been in the works for two years, and after much delay, the high-profile landmark project is finally hitting theaters on November 11. Suriya, who hasn’t been on the big screen (barring cameos like Rolex in Vikram) since 2022, is finally making up for it with Kanguva, and the audio launch was full of appreciation and laurels from the team members. Rajinikanth, who is recovering from his recent surgery, also sent a video wishing the team well. He also revealed some details about the project. Later, many guests including RJ Balaji spoke about Suriya’s possible political entry, which left fans in a frenzy.

Here are some of the highlights from the speeches delivered at the Kanguva audio launch:

Suriya in politics:

Director Bose Venkat was one of the first speakers at the launch to spice things up. He said Suriya was a perfect leader to make his foray into politics. The actor, who played an important role in Kanguva, said, “A perfect leader must make his followers knowledgeable people. It should make them think. Understand the surroundings. Educate them, then enter politics. In this sense, Suriya is perfect. He did all that. So, I wish him to enter the political arena.

RJ Balaji confirmed that he will direct Suriya 45:

RJ Balaji, who took the stage a little later, said that Suriya is already a politician as he has been doing social service for several years. “Thanks to the Maatram Foundation, many have been able to get an education thanks to Suriya, and that in itself constitutes political activity in my opinion. And I think that’s enough.

He then confirmed that he is going to direct Suriya in his 45th project. “I have organized several events like this, but to be on stage as the director of Suriya’s 45th film is an achievement. Thank you for the trust. Many asked me how he accepted my script when he had rejected the projects of many veteran filmmakers. I thank him for his trust. »

RJ Balaji also asked Suriya to stop comparing himself with Prabhas and Rana Daggubati. He recalled Suriya’s speech at the promotional event in Mumbai, where the Kanguva hero claimed that he was neither Prabhas nor Rana Daggubati. “You don’t have to be Prabhas and you don’t have to be Rana… We know all of your work. I liked your Ghajini and Singham more than the Hindi versions, which are now worth thousands of crores.

Rajinikanth claimed that Kanguva was designed for him:

Rajinikanth was approached by Suriya’s father Shivakumar to be the guest at the audio launch, but the actor couldn’t. However, to honor his dear friend’s request, he sent a video wish to Suriya and director Siva.

Rajinikanth said Kanguva was written for him, but later the project had to be handed over to Suriya. “While working with Sive at Annaatthey, I asked him to suggest a historical subject, and I think he suggested Kanguva. However, he should have undergone some changes and should have been sent to Suriya. But it’s okay. I hope he offers me something else.

He then showed his love for Suriya. “Shivakumar is a gentleman, and a lion’s kid cannot be a cat. So, Suriya is also like his father. I wish the film becomes a huge success.

Karthi: There is no one like Anna

Actor Karthi, who is elated over the success of Meiyazhagan, said that he has been waiting for this day for so long. “I have been excited about many projects after seeing the first photo. Nandha, Kakha Kakha and Singam are some examples… Likewise, after the first look of Kanguva, I was stunned. Even after two years, no one was bored working on this project, which doesn’t happen in a lot of films.”

He then praised Suriya for his relentless pursuit of excellence. “After his debut, people said he didn’t know how to play, dance or fight. Then I remember him training to fight for three hours a day. In the evening… three hours of dance lessons. And now I don’t see a gym without his picture in Tamil Nadu. He changed everything negative about him into positive. He is the best example that hard work can give.

Karthi said that Kaithi 2 will be launched next year and hinted that he might take on Suriya as Rolex in the next part. When asked if he had a role in Kanguva, Karthi said, “I don’t know. You should ask Shiva.

Read also: Disha Patani showers Kanguva director Siva with love: ‘You will always be my teddy bear’

Bobby Deol: I never dreamed of being here

Bobby Deol plays a similar menacing role in Kanguva. The actor took to the stage and said that he never even dreamed of being a part of Tamil cinema, but wished he had. “I would have learned a language when I was little if I had known it. I would have given more as an actor to the film. So, when I was approached for the film, I didn’t know much about director Siva or producer Gnanavel. But when they talked about Suriya, I immediately said that I am doing the film because he has always made films that touched people’s hearts. »

He added, “From the first day of shooting, the love Suriya showed me was immense. It was as if we had known each other forever. We have so much in common: we are both family oriented. This is all due to education. I am happy to have met your father Sivakumar Sir today. You have beautiful sons, sir. You should be proud of them.

He said goodbye saying, “So this is my first Tamil film and what is the best way to start my journey here with this amazing film.”

Director Siva says Ajith was the reason behind Kanguva

Director Siva is known for his commercial entertainers like Siruthai. When it was announced that he was making an ambitious historical fiction with Suriya, it was met with a lot of skepticism. The director revealed that his trusted source was his frequent collaborator Ajith Kumar. “To do something as big as Kanguva takes a lot of confidence and belief. I received it from my beloved, guide, mentor and philosopher Thala Ajith Kumar. He earned the love of so many people and he trusted me with it all. That confidence grew into the confidence I have now. He told me, “Siva, you understand all the professions of cinema and with that, you will continue to grow with each film in different genres. I believe Kanguva will be my first stop on this journey.

Suriya on two-year break:

Suriya began his speech by thanking everyone involved in the project. “Producer Gnanavel is the headquarters of all our production houses. Whether it’s Potential Studios, Dream Warriors or 2D, Gnanavel is the place to start. It is thanks to him that Karthi became an actress more than me. He never listens to the market, but would always want to do something bigger than what the market says and succeed. The only problem is that he talks a lot sometimes. Now we have people to stop him. But I know the battles he fought for this film. Without you, Kanguva would not have happened,” he began.

He then called Bobby Deol a brother from another mother. “You are another mother’s brother. I don’t know how else to say this. He comes from an inherited family, but from day one, I loved his down-to-earth attitude. I looked up to him growing up. Thank you very much for this. I regret why we haven’t worked for so long. It could have been a Tamil film but thanks to you, it became an Indian film. I will say it without any hesitation.

Almost all the speakers paid tribute to Milan, the artistic director of Kanguva, who died before the film was even finished. Suriya said, “This world (Kanguva) is new to us and we knew nothing about it. But he created everything from scratch, in so much detail. Thanks to the artistic director Milan Sir. His wife took over and finished an old warship for us. Thank you Marie for that. You will have a wonderful journey into the Tamil and Indian film industry.

Suriya claimed that Kanguva was his attempt to take Tamil cinema forward as he considers it his duty after spending almost three decades as an actor. He said: “After 27 years, I feel like a senior. As a society, everything should grow: its literature, its music and its art. I think that’s why cinema is not just simple entertainment. Films like Meiyazhagan are like medicine. It’s precious. People have told me that they started to see life differently after the film. Likewise, Siva presented another valuable film with Kanguva. I will make sure there are never before seen visuals. We have made all our sincere efforts to take Tamil cinema forward with this film.

He finally addressed the elephant in the room, which is his hiatus from solo output for the past two years. “It’s been 27 years, and you all know I’ve had a lot of ups and downs. But for Suriyan (the Sun) to rise, it must first set. I’m happy, I had some falls. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had a great return. Even in archery, you have to draw back the arrow before propelling it forward to hit the target. Kanguva will do it.

Before signing, Suriya wished two most notable people from Tamil Nadu. “When I was a student at Loyola, I believed that anyone at this university could become anything they wanted because of two people I met there. One of them was my oldest. He is none other than our Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, who produced two of my films. The other one is… well, you all know that (Vijay). He is on a new journey. I wish them both the best.