before shooting being interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020, it was reported that the film would be split into two parts, which was confirmed by Mani Ratnam in April 2020. In September 2020, Ratnam eventually planned to resume the shooting at Sri Lanka, but due to restrictions on international travel, it was difficult for the team to get permission from the officials to resume filming, and therefore decided to shoot major portions of the film in India. Ratnam wanted to shoot major portions in Hyderabad, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Madhya Pradesh and many prominent locations across India. Although the team eventually planned for filming in mid-November, he decided against doing so, lamenting that despite government allowing permission for film shootings, it was advised that the film's shooting must have minimal crew members, with not more than 75 people working on the film. Mani Ratnam stated that since 500 people will be featured in the film's shoot, it is difficult for shooting in mid-2020. On 10 December 2020, a minor schedule of the film took place in Pollachi, featuring the lead actors. The team stated that the major schedule of the film will take place in January 2021, and was touted to be the biggest schedule, which will be wrapped up in a single stretch. Vikram was reported to be present in the schedule, after completing the shoot for Cobra. After a nine-month long hiatus, the shooting for the film resumed on 6 January 2021 at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. The major schedule featured the attendance of Sarathkumar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Rahman, Prakash Raj, Parthiban and Mohan Raman. On 3 February 2021, the makers shot for a special number featuring Trisha and 250 other artists at a huge set constructed at Ramoji Film City. The art direction team, supervised by Thotta Tharani, had constructed five huge sets in the shooting location. According to the executive producer Siva Ananth, the lead cast members began shooting for the portions in Hyderabad, excluding Vikram, who earlier shot for the portions in January, and was reported to join the sets in between a brief break during the schedule. After filming for a schedule ended in March, the next schedule was to start in May; by 23 April, it was delayed to June due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Plans to shoot in North Indian states during that time was changed to instead