'Leo' will have Vijay anna in my template: Lokesh Kanagaraj

CHENNAI: Director Lokesh Kanagaraj meets us at a city hotel, hours before the release of 'Leo' -- one of the most discussed films of the year. However, the speculations around it have a cascading effect on the film’s making and the star ensemble.

“As a director, my job is to hand over the first copy of the film to him. The release and the other issues around the film are being handled by producer Lalit. I can be worried about or be conscious about things that are in my control. I cannot be involved in things that are to be resolved by the producer as I have no knowledge about it. Any star-studded film will go through such pressures before release. So, I am not involving myself in these issues,” begins Lokesh.

There have been talks that Leo is an official remake of the Hollywood film, 'A History of Violence'. “When we reveal that the film is an official remake or loosely inspired from another film, that would kill the joy of watching the opening show. Such things can be revealed after the first show and you will know when you watch the movie in a while,” he smiles. Lokesh doesn’t mince words when he talks about Leo’s story. “This is a regular story that the audience has been consuming till date and there is nothing new about Leo. It is a high-octane action film and I have given my own treatment to it to make it look refreshing,” says the filmmaker.

While his previous collaboration with Vijay, 'Master' was purely a Vijay’s film, Lokesh says that 'Leo' would have Vijay in the director’s template. “He is a complete director’s artiste, and you wouldn’t see the typical intro songs and other elements that you see in a Vijay movie. This will be in my template and he agreed to it. There is a strong emotional connection in it,” he adds.

Despite Udhayanidhi Stalin tweeting LCU after watching Leo, Lokesh still maintains the suspense. “He added a wink smiley after LCU, did you notice it? But I myself wasn’t keen on LCU until the audience asked for it. I have recently registered for LCU. My next film with Thalaivar (Rajinikanth) won’t be a part of LCU. It will be a standalone movie,” he remarks.

There have been talks doing the rounds that 'Thalaivar 171' will be Rajini’s last film of his career. “I don’t think so. I discussed the story with Anirudh and he asked me to narrate the script to Rajini sir. He liked it. 'Thalaivar 171' will be high on action like my previous films and will go on floors next year. After 'Thalaivar 171', I will be busy with 'Kaithi 2',” he concludes.