Five months after Coolie released to mixed reviews, Lokesh Kanagaraj decided to talk. The director who built Tamil cinema’s most ambitious shared universe had been uncharacteristically quiet, letting rumours about dropped projects and creative differences swirl unchecked. On a January afternoon, he addressed them all.
On Coolie and its reception, Lokesh was matter-of-fact. “I don’t take any of this personally,” he said. “It’s my job.” He pointed out that Coolie was not his first film; Maanagaram was, nine years ago. “Just because success came suddenly, it doesn’t mean I refuse to accept criticism. A film is for the people. When criticism comes, we have to take it.” He likened his harshest critics to honest friends. “If ten friends tell me, ‘Hey, what you did is wrong,’ I consider them true friends. I see an affection in it.”
The larger question, however, was about what came next. Specifically, the proposed multi-starrer featuring both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, who had not shared the screen in 46 years. Lokesh had stepped out. There was talk of salary disputes, creative differences, and (absurdly) unfollows on Twitter.
The truth is simpler. Both actors approached him around Coolie‘s release, suggesting they make a film together. “For me, that was a massive opportunity,” Lokesh said. He set aside Kaithi 2 and got to work. A month and a half later, he had a synopsis ready. Then the project stalled.
Both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan had been doing action films back to back. They wanted something lighter this time. Lokesh knew his limitations. “I realised that a light-hearted film is not something I can pull off well,” he admitted. “I conveyed this to them honestly and stepped out.” Another director has since been assigned.
As for the Twitter unfollows, Lokesh addressed them with tired bemusement. “My mother doesn’t know about Twitter, or ‘follow,’ or ‘unfollow,'” he said. “But she called me and asked, ‘Why did you unfollow Kamal sir and Rajini sir?’ Because she won’t believe what I say. She believes what you [the media] say.” He shook his head. “There is no such thing.”
There is a recurring criticism of Lokesh’s films: they are obsessed with drugs and violence. From Kaithi to Master to Vikram, the pattern is hard to miss. Some critics argue it borders on glorification.
Lokesh pushed back. “In all the films I have done, if I ever said, ‘Take drugs, you will be happy like this,’ then I am wrong. Nowhere have I said that.” He walked through his filmography: in Kaithi, Karthi’s character tells his daughter that drugs destroyed his life. In Master, the focus was on how students gain access to substances. In Vikram, Kamal Haasan’s refrain is “for a drug-free society.”
“This is a war against drugs,” Lokesh said. “That is what I am trying to say in a commercial format.” Then, with something like defiance: “Maybe I will stop doing it. If society changes because I stop showing it, that is good. I will stop.”
The immediate future is clear. Lokesh’s next film will be with Allu Arjun, a collaboration discussed for years. Mythri Movie Makers had given him an advance nearly six years ago. “Everything fell into place perfectly,” he said. He dismissed rumours about demanding an exorbitant salary. “We all know that salary is determined by the market. No matter how much I demand, my salary will only be what my film’s business warrants.”
The Lokesh Cinematic Universe, he confirmed, is not dead. Kaithi 2, Vikram 2, the standalone Rolex film: these remain commitments. “Once the Allu Arjun sir film is finished, Kaithi 2 will happen. Production work is already underway.” A film with Aamir Khan is also in discussion, though both have packed schedules. “We don’t know when that will happen, but we are still talking.”
In the meantime, Lokesh has been acting. He has a role in DC, directed by his friend Arun Matheswaran. Is it difficult? “Acting isn’t easy,” he said, laughing. “It is difficult.” But he had wanted a break after Coolie, and this seemed like an opportunity to learn something new. “It’s like a leave from school, running away in the gap to act.” His profession remains direction. Once the film wraps, he returns to what he knows.
Before the conversation ended, someone asked about Vijay. Lokesh had directed him in Master and Leo, both significant entries in the actor’s filmography. Vijay has since pivoted to politics. The question carried obvious subtext.
Lokesh’s answer was deliberately narrow. “I have worked on two films with him. I like both those films. That is why I celebrated.” A pause. “I don’t know anything else. Just for the cinema. Only for the cinema.”