Suriya was reported to play three characters; a circus artist, a Buddhist monk, set in China in the 14th century, and a scientist. Vietnamese actor Johnny Tri Nguyen was signed to play the antagonist, while Kannada actor Avinash was chosen for the role of Suriya's father. 1000 dancers were alloted for a song. A stunt sequence was shot at Binny Mills at Perambur, Chennai where Suriya went through an ankle injury due to which he was forced to take a 3 day rest. The first schedule of the film was completed in China. The film was supposed to be a period film set in the BC. A shot was taken in Ampa Skywalk Mall in Chennai and another one in Besant Nagar where Suriya was picturised riding an elephant.

Sources claimed that the film drew inspirations from Christopher Nolan's Inception. However, the director dismissed the news, reasoning that he had begun shooting much before the release of Inception. Murugadoss further denied reports that the film was a remake of the Bollywood flick Chandni Chowk to China, as both were supposed to be set in China, and that the film's concept was similar to that of the Hollywood film Perfume, stating the script as original. Suriya trained to get a six pack abs for a Kung Fu sequence within 16 days, following cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran's request.