Lokesh Kanagaraj reacts to Sanjay Dutt's ‘he wasted me in Thalapathy Vijay's Leo' remark: ‘I'm not a genius or a great filmmaker…'
addressed the recent remarks made by Bollywood actor
Sanjay Dutt
regarding his role in the
Thalapathy Vijay
starrer Leo. Sanjay Dutt shared that he was disappointed when
Lokesh
gave him a small role in the film, and he felt it was wasted in a humorous way.
Lokesh Kanagaraj Responds to Sanjay Dutt's Remarks
Munnabhai Chale Amerika: Another laugh riot on way
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lokesh revealed, 'Sanjay sir actually called me after that event. He said to me, 'I made a very funny comment, but it got awkward after people cut it and put it on social media.' I just said, 'No problem, sir.''
Lokesh further shared, 'I'm not a genius or a great filmmaker who wouldn't write stories that overshadow other characters.
I have made many mistakes in my films, and I'm still learning. Probably, I would do another film with Sanjay Dutt sir and make it up to him.'
Sanjay Dutt's Disappointment Over Role in Leo
The controversy stemmed from Sanjay Dutt's remarks at the teaser event of KD - The Devil. He expressed his admiration for working with Thalapathy Vijay but voiced his disappointment with Lokesh Kanagaraj, saying, 'I worked with Thalapathy Vijay and I loved working with him.
However, I am angry with Lokesh because he didn't give me a big role. He wasted me.'
Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie
The 2023 movie Leo was inspired by the American film A History of Violence. Lokesh Kanagaraj is gearing up for the release of his highly anticipated movie Coolie, starring superstar
Rajinikanth
. The movie will feature Nagarjuna Akkineni, Upendra Rao, Shruti Haasan, and Soubin Shahir in pivotal roles, with Aamir Khan making a special cameo. Coolie will hit theatres on August 14, 2025.
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Rajinikanth compared ‘Coolie' with Mani Ratnam's ‘Thalapathi', reveals Lokesh Kanagaraj
Acclaimed Tamil filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj, who is awaiting the release of Coolie, his much-awaited action film with Rajinikanth, revealed on Monday (July 14) that the superstar compared Coolie with his iconic 1991 Mani Ratnam-directed film Thalapathi. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Lokesh, while speaking about how he didn't want to change the idea of a Rajinikanth film, said that he wished to emulate the delicate balance of star-filmmaking and flair that Mani Ratnam's film had. 'Out of all the films he has done, I love Thalapathi the most, and I have tried to maintain that balance with this film. That is what I have tried to achieve in writing Coolie.' Fascinatingly, after watching the film while dubbing, Rajinikanth too seems to have understood what Lokesh was going for in Coolie. 'He hugged me and said, 'It looks like Thalapathi to me.' And that made my day. That was the night I slept very peacefully after so many months. Because that's what I was trying to achieve. This is what I was telling my friends, 'If at all I am doing a film with Rajini sir, it has to be something at least near Thalapathi.' I can't say I have done a film that's on par with Mani Ratnam sir's quality; that is impossible. But I wanted that little satisfaction in my film being compared with that film. And listening to the same words from Rajini sir is something I consider an achievement,' added Lokesh. Earlier, the director had revealed that he had a different story pitched to and approved by Rajinikanth, but that he requested the superstar to consider a different script. Now, while recounting the same, Lokesh has revealed that the original film was a fantasy film. 'And Rajini sir was immediately on board with that idea. The problem was that even assembling it took so much time. Moreover, to prepare, make everyone available and then go on the floors, it would have taken one and a half years.' But Lokesh didn't want to waste Rajinikanth's time. 'I had worked for two months on that film, and then one day I called him and asked to meet. I told him, 'Let's not do this film; let's do another story.' That's when I told this idea (Coolie),' said Lokesh, explaining how he had originally given the idea of Coolie to a director friend of his. 'This is an idea I had thought of 5-6 years ago. In fact, I had given this story to one of my friends to direct, and he was trying to make it, but he couldn't do it. Later, when I decided not to do that original film with Rajini sir, I asked my friend, 'Hey, give the story back. I will give you something else. Let me work on this,' and he agreed to it, and that's how this film started.' Slated to release in theatres on August 14, Rajinikanth's Coolie features an ensemble star cast that includes Upendra, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Pooja Hegde, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, and Shruti Haasan. While Pooja Hegde is set to appear in a special role, teased in the recently released track 'Monica', Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan will feature in a special cameo in the film. Anirudh Ravichander is composing music for the movie, while Girish Gangadharan is the cinematographer. Anbariv is in charge of the stunt choreography. Produced by Kalanithi Maran of Sun Pictures, Coolie will face off with the spy action drama War 2, starring Jr NTR and Hrithik Roshan, at the box office. Meanwhile, Rajinikanth is currently shooting for Jailer 2. Directed by Nelson, the movie is a sequel to the hit 2023 movie. Anirudh is the music composer for Jailer 2, which will also feature Kannada star Shivarajkumar in an important role.
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an hour ago
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Not Rajnikanth, Lokesh Kanagaraj found Nagarjuna Akkineni harder to convince for Coolie instead: 'It was tough but…'
Coolie, starring Rajinikanth in the lead role, is slated to release in theaters on August 14, 2025. Ahead of the film hitting big screens, director Lokesh Kanagaraj was spotted in an interview, revealing how he found it harder to convince Nagarjuna Akkineni for the film than Rajinikanth. Lokesh Kanagaraj on convincing Nagarjuna Akkineni for Coolie Talking with The Hollywood Reporter, director Lokesh Kanagaraj said, 'Nagarjuna once asked me, how did I convince Rajini sir for Coolie. That is when I told him that was easy for me, convincing you was harder.' The director continued, 'Nag sir is playing the antagonist in the film. He has never done it before. I could see sir enjoying himself because good characters have certain boundaries, you have to walk the right path. When it comes to a baddie, you could do whatever you want, breaking the barriers.' Lokesh revealed Nagarjuna's struggle with using profanity, noting the actor's four-decade-long career free of such language. Additionally, the Kuberaa actor is waiting for his family to see the movie and react to his performance. About Coolie Coolie is an upcoming Tamil-language action flick starring Rajinikanth in the lead role. The film is said to revolve around a harbour and the labourers, with Nagarjuna Akkineni and Upendra Rao playing key roles. Apart from the veteran stars, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan will be making a cameo appearance in the movie. Moreover, an ensemble cast of actors like Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Pooja Hegde (dance number), and more are also part of the movie. In the recent interview itself, Lokesh Kanagaraj confirmed that Coolie's trailer will be released on August 2, 2025. The director does not want to reveal much about the plot ahead of its release. Interestingly, the director initially pitched a fantasy movie to Rajinikanth, which the superstar also liked. However, Lokesh decided it would be better to go ahead with a venture like Coolie instead. Coming to Loki's professional front, he is next directing the Karthi starrer Kaithi 2. The sequel flick would be part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), and afterwards, he would join hands with Aamir Khan for a superhero venture.
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Jr NTR, Trivikram Srinivas-led mythological film's announcement delayed due to Ramayana promo? Producer REACTS
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