Leader is Legend Saravanan’s second film, and by the sound of it, a considerably more ambitious one than his debut. Directed by R.S. Durai Senthilkumar, whose credits include Kaaki Sattai, Pattas and Karudan, the film is pitched as a father-daughter action entertainer about an ordinary man whose peaceful life is upended when a gangster outfit enters the picture.
At the audio and action teaser launch in Chennai, Saravanan described the climax shoot as the most physically demanding sequence of his career. “We shot the final fight on a moving train with over a hundred foreign stunt artists and a thousand crew members,” he said. “On the tenth day, I injured my leg. We had to decide whether to continue or stop. But I thought about the thousand people waiting for me, so I took first aid and went back.” Stunt choreographer Mahesh Mathew designed the sequence.
Director Durai Senthilkumar, for whom this is the sixth feature, spoke about his working relationship with Saravanan. “Before this film, I went through a difficult phase where several scripts didn’t materialise,” he said. “When I met Legend sir, he told me, ‘I’ll wait for you. We’re going to make this film together.’ That belief is the foundation of this movie.” He compared Saravanan’s energy on set to “a bullet from a gun,” noting that the actor would arrive before anyone else. “He’d say, ‘A hundred people are working for us. We can’t be late.’ That became a lesson for me.”
The film was shot across Georgia, Jaipur, Ooty, Thoothukudi and Chennai. Durai Senthilkumar also revealed that Dhanush and Vetrimaaran both watched the film and praised it.
Actor Shaam, who plays a key role, said he sought out Durai Senthilkumar specifically after watching Karudan. “I didn’t ask him about the story,” Shaam said. “He’s one of the most responsible directors in Tamil cinema. Every film of his has commercial value and a meaningful message.” He described seeing a different side of Saravanan on set, someone with sharp humour and a broad perspective on life.
Composer Ghibran Vaibodha spoke about an uncanny creative sync with the director. “There were times I’d think of calling him and he’d call me at that exact moment,” Ghibran said. “For an action sequence, I needed a powerful Murugan devotional track. When I showed him a reference, it turned out to be something he’d already created. That kind of coincidence ran through the entire film.” Saravanan noted there are no item numbers in Leader. “The songs travel with the story,” he said.
Baby Iyal, who plays Saravanan’s daughter, shared a moment from the shoot where Saravanan slipped during a rain sequence but still managed to protect her on camera. “That one second felt like a mini heart attack,” she said. “I forgot all my dialogues.” She also noted that cinematographer S. Venkatesh had worked on her father Jayam Ravi’s Tik Tik Tik, calling it a lucky connection.
Leader also stars Payal Rajput as the female lead, Andrea Jeremiah, Lal, Prabhakar, VTV Ganesh, Aranthangi Nisha and George Maryan. The film releases on April 3.