[2][3] Haasan agreed to the prospect and felt that the story had the potential to make a good historical film, with the appeal of depicting the rise from the nadir to the top of Khan's life.

Sujatha revealed that nearly 80% of the film would be adapted from Samuel Charles Hill's biography of Khan, also known as Marudha Nayagam, and to only use imagination where no solid or substantial information was available, such as on matters concerning his conversion to Islam.

[2] French screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière and Haasan's mentor Ananthu were also involved in readying the screenplay for the film, as were historian S. Muthiah and poets Puviarasu and Gnanakoothan.

[5][6][7] In April 1997, Kamal Haasan confirmed that he had begun finalising work on Marudhanayagam, suggesting it would be the most expensive Indian film ever made.

[9] Through discussion with the British Deputy High Commission in Chennai, the producers brought in Queen Elizabeth II to appear as the chief guest at the launch of the project, which took place in the MGR Film City on 16 October 1997.

[6] When the film was postponed, the team were still waiting to hear back from actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth who were approached to play guest roles.

[9] Haasan and his brother Chandrahasan visited France to audition European actors and were able to shortlist individuals to portray the lead actress and the main antagonist.

Screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière accompanied Haasan to further auditions in London, where actors were selected to play characters including that of Stringer Lawrence.

[33] It was announced that music composing would be a collaborative effort between Ilaiyaraaja and Andrew Lloyd Webber with prominent Carnatic singer, M. S. Subbalakshmi also singing for the film.

With the assistance of V. S. Chandralekha, the Commissioner of Tamil Nadu Archives and Historical Research, she began to put together outfits, uniforms, shoes and headgear of soldiers of the 1700s.

The pair visited war museums in London, photocopied books and collected archived material written by historical figures such as Warren Hastings, one of the founders of the British Empire.

For the preparation of jewellery props, Sarika used metal dyes on silver, copying 18th century designs and original photographs of South Indian Nawabs.

[11] Official filming began several months later in Velangudi on 10 August 1998 with a scene of where a companion of the lead character, played by Kamal Haasan, is hanged prompting a brief altercation.

The allegations prompted Kamal Haasan to abandon extensive sets erected in Karaikudi, in interior Tamil Nadu, and shift to Chalakudy, in Kerala, to continue work on the project.

Works on Marudhanayagam suddenly ceased in late 1998, after a British company that had planned to co-produce the film, backed out on account of India's Pokhran-II nuclear bomb test explosions.

[45] In a turn of events, Haasan announced in November 1999 that shooting will resume in six months after contracts of the technicians and actors were sorted, adding that a French version of the film will also be released, though work eventually did not restart.

[46] Haasan met American producers during his visit to Los Angeles in June 2006 to try to find a financier for the film, but talks were unfruitful.

[48][49] A two-minute soundless trailer of the film surfaced on the internet in January 2008, with IndiaGlitz claiming that there are "scenes which have the grandeur that stuns you instantly" and that "the visuals are astonishing.

[52] In 2014, filmmaker Keyaar made a public call to Fox Star Studios and other large production companies to consider reviving the project.

[citation needed] Director A. L. Vijay revealed that Marudhanayagam was the inspiration behind his successful 2009 film, Madrasapattinam, which was based on India's independence movement in 1947.