Ayan (2009) is a slick, action-packed entertainer from the visionary late K.V. Anand, starring actor Suriya in the lead. Here’ are some lesser-known facts behind the cult favorite movie, which was a rare blend of style and mass in Tamil cinema.
1. Love Story to Heist - After Kana Kanden, KV Anand, and writers duo Subha debated between two stories - a love story & a heist thriller. The trio leaned towards the heist, inspired by Subha’s Madippadi Kutrangal, with KV Anand wanting to add a Burma Bazaar backdrop to the story. But just as Ayan began shaping up, Director Shankar requested KV Anand to join his film with Rajinikanth - Sivaji. Though hesitant to return to cinematography after stepping into direction, with a push from family and friends, KV paused Ayan — to shoot what became India's biggest film at the time.
2. KV Anand’s Dual Job: Sivaji for Camera & Researching for Ayan: While working as the cinematographer for Shankar–Rajinikanth's Sivaji, KV Anand used every shooting break — sometimes 10 to 20 days — to team up with writers Subha and dive deep into Burma Bazaar’s smuggling world. They met police officers, customs officials, and even “kuruvis” (runners/smugglers) to gather authentic insights. The research was so intense, KV’s assistants had rooms piled with paper cuttings of real-life smuggling cases all to bring realism into Ayan. KV was juggling two intense jobs - shooting Sivaji during schedules, and building Ayan during breaks.
3. Boomadhiyya Regai to Ayan: The initial title of Ayan wasn’t Ayan — it was பூமத்திய ரேகை (Boomadhiyya Regai / Equator), reflecting the globe-trotting nature of Deva’s smuggling missions across countries along the equator. Even when KV Anand first pitched the story to Suriya, the working title was Boomadhiyya Regai. But for commercial appeal and easy recall, KV eventually renamed it to the now-iconic Ayan.
4. KV Anand Approached Suriya for the Second Time: Ayan wasn’t the first time KV Anand approached Suriya — it was actually his second attempt. During Kana Kanden, KV had offered Suriya the role eventually played by Prithviraj. But Suriya turned it down, hesitant to play a character with negative shades at that point in his career. Later, during a chance meeting at an ad shoot, KV narrated the Ayan story. Suriya instantly liked it and told KV to proceed with the screenplay — assuring him that he was fully on board.
5. KV Anand specifically wanted the villain to be a North Indian actor — since the film is set in Sowcarpet, a Chennai locality known for its Gujarati, Marwari, and Sindhi population. Most residents there speak fluent Tamil, but their cultural presence is distinct. To match that authenticity, the antagonist’s casting reflected that background. Similarly, KV cast Tamannaah after watching her in the Telugu film Happy Days, feeling she perfectly suited the role of Yamuna.
6. KV Anand initially approached Ajay to play Kamalesh, but he was busy with Kolangal. So KV suggested Ajay to dub for Akashdeep Saigal — and that powerful voice became key to the character’s screen presence.
7. KV Anand avoided sets wherever possible — shooting in real locations across African countries, airports, harbors, and even Chennai’s Burma Bazaar. The Burma Bazaar sequences were shot at night in the actual market, adding raw realism. No greenscreen — just the real world captured on camera.
8. The intense chase sequence set in Congo was choreographed in Parkour style by Cape Town-based action coordinator Franz Spilhaus, in collaboration with Kanal Kannan. Notably, the shot where Suriya jumps from one window to another was performed without CGI — executed for real, adding to the sequence’s authenticity and thrill.
9. After Ayan’s release, many compared it to Catch Me If You Can (2002). However, writers Subha clarified that the film was based on their own short novel Maadipadi Kuttrangal, published in Maalaimadhi magazine (1990). The story itself was inspired by real-life smuggling incidents from around the world.
10. AVM, the producer of Ayan, sold the film to Sun Pictures for ₹18 Cr. before release. After release, Sun Pictures made 400% money from the film. Such a gigantic blockbuster Ayan is.
Everything about Ayan hit the mark — Harris Jayaraj’s chartbuster songs, stunning visuals, stellar performances, gripping screenplay, and unexpected twists. Like the title track Oh Supernova says: “Fasten your seat belts, let’s take off now” — the film is indeed a fast ride throughout. Ayan perfectly balanced mass and class in the most stylish way — and that’s exactly why we’re still celebrating it, 16 years later.