'Leo' is a David Cronenberg tribute, says Lokesh Kanagaraj
Lokesh Kanagaraj is currently basking in the success of his recent action thriller Leo featuring Thalapathy Vijay. The film's storyline revolves around a mild-mannered cafe proprietor (Vijay) who is provoked to revisit his brutal past. Speaking with Variety, Kanagaraj disclosed that Leo is his homage to David Cronenberg's 2005 film A History of Violence, which motivated him to pen the screenplay. He further spilled beans on Leo's success and his upcoming titles.
Upcoming films of LCU
Kanagaraj has given birth to the much-famed Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). Speaking about universe-oriented films, he said, "I have always been fascinated to do crossover films or have some connection between the films I make." After Leo's entry into LCU, the ambitious universe has several films lined up which include Kamal Haasan's Vikram 2, Karthi's Kaithi 2, and Suriya's Rolex.
Kanagaraj's upcoming work with Rajinikanth
Kanagaraj's forthcoming film is tentatively titled Thalaivar 171, denoting superstar Rajinikanth's 171st movie, which will be an independent project outside the LCU. He revealed, "It's a genre that I'm trying for the first time." Speaking about the prospects and hurdles within the Tamil cinema industry, Kanagaraj asserted, "There are opportunities at every stage of filmmaking, it's all about how you utilize them."
