The film, which had been under production for nearly three years, was distributed by V. Ravichandran. Primary filming locations included the United States and across Tamil Nadu in India. The soundtrack was composed by Himesh Reshammiya, while the musical score was composed by Devi Sri Prasad. The cinematography and editing were handled by Ravi Varman and K. Thanigachalam respectively.
After delays in post-production, Dasavathaaram was released on 13 June 2008 in around 1300 prints worldwide[4] and received positive reviews from critics. Though its Hindi version was an average success, the film was a massive success at the box-office, grossing US$46 million worldwide against a budget of US$14 million. This marks the last film of Nagesh before his death on 31 January 2009.
Relating to chaos theory and the butterfly effect, geneticist Govindarajan Ramaswamy, aka Govind, addresses an event at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. He details the Shaivite Chola emperor Kulothunga II's persecution of Vaishnavites in the 12th century Chidambaram. But a Vaishnavite priest named Rangarajan Ramanuja Nambi resists Kulothunga's attempts to demolish an idol of Vishnu. The king drowns Nambi in the sea along with the idol.
On 20 December 2004, Govind is a bio-scientist at a US-based company researching on nanobiotechnology and pathogens. He witnesses Hanu, the lab monkey, swallowing a viral vector meant to be a bio-weapon. Grieving Hanu's death, Govind quarantines the lab. He refuses to relinquish the main vial, having recognized its lethal potential misuse. Govind discerns the senior scientist Dr. Sethu's malicious plan of selling the vial to a terrorist organization and flees with the vial. He flees to the residence of his colleague Suresh, who deceives him. Christian Fletcher, a ruthless ex-CIA agent and mercenary working for a terrorist group murders Suresh and attempts to seize the vial. While Govind makes a quick exit with the vial, Yukha Narahazi, Suresh's wife fights Fletcher. Govind meets his friend Sairam, who inadvertently ships the package containing vial to India. Govind boards the aircraft carrying the virus, flies to India and discovers that the package is being delivered to Krishnaveni, an aged woman in Chidambaram.
In Japan, Shingen Narahazi, a skilled martial arts teacher, is notified of his sister Yukha's death and sets out to avenge her. Balram Naidu, an unconventional Telugu police officer, apprehends Govind in Chennai. Having arrived in India and married Jasmine, a translator. Fletcher abducts Govind and an official Bharath; the arrival of a renowned pop singer Avatar Singh at the airport eases their evasion. Midway, Govind escapes with Bharath's assistance and reaches Chidambaram. Fletcher follows him with Jasmine and an aide Kumar. Govind meets Krishnaveni and her granddaughter, Andal, to retrieve the package. After discovering the vial's potential, Krishnaveni puts it into an idol of Vishnu. Having noticed Govind escape with the vial while Andal pursues him for the idol, Fletcher kills Jasmine and chases them. Govind and Andal are seized by a mob of illegal sand miners, whose chief Sundaram tries to molest Andal. Vincent Poovaraghan, a Malayali social activist intervenes in the impending crime with a crowd, intent on exposing the mafia; Govind and Andal slip away with the idol and a truck.
Andal urges Govind to return to Chidambaram and in a scuffle that ensues between them, the truck hits the vehicle of a Muslim family; they rescue the family whose eldest son Khalifulla is gigantic. After Khalifulla's mother faints, they rush her to a hospital where Govind procures a chiller icebox to store the idol. Avatar Singh visits the same hospital to treat his throat cancer and stores his medicines in a similar box, prompting the boxes to get switched in the elevator. Fletcher spots Andal in the hospital and takes her and Khalifulla's family hostage, intimidating Govind to fetch the vial. After reaching Khalifulla's home, Govind ascertains that the boxes are swapped; the police surround the residence and requests them to surrender but Fletcher evades with Govind, Andal and Khalifulla's brother to Avatar's concert. Avatar is shot in his throat while trying to assist Govind. Outraged Ranjita, Avatar's wife, fights Fletcher while Andal escapes with the idol and Govind chases her. Govind and Andal reach a construction site and the grappling causes the vial to slip out of the idol. Govind conceals the vial, handovers the idol to an unaware Fletcher and takes off with Andal, who is disappointed with Govind for giving away the idol.
Next day, on 26 December 2004, Govind intends to immerse the virus into the sea (as saltwater can deactivate the virus); Fletcher, nevertheless, combats him again, only to be desisted by Narahazi. Subsequently, Balram arrives in his helicopter and threatens Fletcher to surrender. Caught between the duo, Fletcher swallows the virus and succumbs to its deadly communicable effects while the others stare helplessly. A tsunami washes Fletcher away and generates considerable destruction while simultaneously ceasing the impact of the virus. Govind, Andal, Narahazi and Balram survive the disaster while Vincent, who was invited to negotiate with Sundaram's brother-in-law Raghavendra, succumbs to the catastrophe in the process of rescuing Raghavendra and his wife Meenakshi's kids. As the disarray comes to an end ultimately, Krishnaveni mistakes Vincent for his long-lost son (who had died 50 years ago) and mourns. Khalifulla and his kin, who were gathered in a Mosque by Balram for investigation, get through the calamity. Narahazi immerses Yukha's ashes in the sea. Avatar's cancerous growth is removed due to Fletcher's shot. Andal, meanwhile, insists that God initiated the tsunami to cease the virus from causing destruction while Govind disagrees, stating that it was not fair to kill thousands to protect millions. They, however, unite and profess their feelings for each other while Nambi's remains, shackled to the idol of Vishnu, are on the banks (due to the tsunami).
Kamal Haasan came up with an original storyline and approached a number of directors, including Gautham Vasudev Menon to direct it, when K. S. Ravikumar accepted the offer. It began soon after the announcement of Sivaji: The Boss starring Rajinikanth.[5] Ravikumar and Haasan came together for the fourth time following their three previous successful ventures, Avvai Shanmughi, Thenali and Panchatanthiram.
Kamal was set to play ten different roles in the film, making it the first time that an actor has appeared in so many roles in world cinema.[6] V. Ravichandran signed up to produce the venture securing distribution rights in the process. Pyramid Film Fund had an exposure of 50 percent in the project.[7]
Ashmith Kunder was signed up to edit the film, despite early indications that A. Sreekar Prasad would have landed the offer.[9] Haasan also wrote the script for the film following negotiations with Sujatha, who died before the release of the film, and Crazy Mohan. Jeeva was initially announced as the cinematographer of the film, and he had taken over the role for a day of the shooting. However, the shots taken by him did not appear in the film and Ravi Varman became the director of photography.[10]
Between the announcement of the project and prior to the launch a year later, several actress were signed up, who then either opted out or were removed from the project. Vidya Balan was first signed up and set to make her debut in Tamil films, however due to the long inactivity of the film, Balan opted out citing date clashes with her Bollywood project.[11] Following the removal of Balan, it was reported that each of the ten characters portrayed by Kamal Haasan in the film, would have a female lead opposite them. Actresses who were considered but failed to make the final shortlist were: Meena,[12] Mumtaj,[12] Kiran Rathod,[12] Nadhiya,[13] Kamalinee Mukherjee,[14] Nithya Das,[14] Meera Jasmine,[14] and Vasundhara Das.[14] Moreover, actresses Balan,[citation needed] Trisha[15] opted out due to date clashes.[16] Furthermore, Shriya Saran was forced to opt out of the project by the producers of her other film Sivaji: The Boss, a film built up as the rival to Dasavathaaram at the box-office.[17]
Finally, the major female lead role was given to Asin, who was later assigned two distinct roles in the project.[18] The second lead female role in the film went to Mallika Sherawat, for whom Dasavathaaram was her first Tamil language film.[19] Over the course, of the production more supporting actors were added to the film, the first being Napoleon, who was signed up to portray a king in the film. Other veteran actors, Jaya Prada, Nagesh, P. Vasu, K. R. Vijaya and M. S. Bhaskar as well as a bevy of American supporting actors were roped into essay other small roles in the film.[20] Actors, Jayaram and Vadivelu opted out of the film during the production of the project, citing date problems.[21][22]
A preliminary schedule took place before the start of the film, which featured no filming, but only the make-up tests, lasting for 25 days in the USA.[23] The make-up used for Kamal's characters proved to create difficulties. It took nine hours to implement the make-up and it failed to stay for a long period of time. To compensate for that, he had to rest and take fluids using a straw and at the same time, refrain from making movement in the facial muscles to make sure that it was not disturbed.[24] The technology of motion control was employed for the cinematography in the film.[10] The filming of Dasavathaaram began on 3 August 2006 at Mahabalipuram in Chennai, where the intro song was picturised on a set created by art director Sameer Chanda. The set resembled the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram in Kumbakonam and scenes with Kamal Haasan in an Iyengar priest get-up, accompanied by over 750 extras, were recorded. Though it was initially planned to be shot in the temple itself, permission could not be obtained as the structure was a heritage site and the shooting was believed to interfere with the activities of the temple. Further plans to use a hundred elephants were shelved after the transport and accommodation for the animals was deemed impossible.[25] However, in September 2006, Sameer Chanda was sacked from the project due to his tendency to employ only workers from Mumbai and not Tamilians, prompting Haasan and Ravikumar to remove him from the project, with his role being entrusted to Prabhakar of Virumaandi fame.[26]