Latest news with #Kanagaraj
Mint
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Not Ahaan Panday or Aneet Padda, THIS filmmaker is the most Popular Indian Celebrity of this week; find out who
Not Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan, this week's most popular celebrity is a young filmmaker who just dropped a blockbuster. The 39-year-old filmmaker secured the top spot, dethroning debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, who have been trending ever since their debut film, Saiyaara, released on 18 July. Tamil filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj is the most popular celebrity as of now. According to IMDb's Popular Indian Celebrities list, Kanagaraj took the top spot after the release of his film, Coolie. Not so surprisingly, Coolie actor Rajinikanth also became the second most popular celebrity on the list. Kanagaraj's film Coolie is currently dominating the ticket window. The film revolves around the story of an ex-union leader called Deva (played by Rajinikanth) who wants to solve the mystery of his friend's (played by Sathyaraj) death. In his pursuit, he comes face-to-face with gangster Simon (played by Nagarjuna) and his trusted lieutenant Dayal (played by Soubin Shahir). Besides them, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Rachita Ram and others are also a part of the film. Pooja Hegde and Aamir Khan star in special appearances in the film. According to Sacnilk, Coolie crossed the ₹ 200 crore mark in India earlier this week. The film team shared that the film has now crossed the ₹ 400 crore mark worldwide. While late actor Sridevi became the third most popular celeb, Ahaan went down to the fourth spot. However, Aneet is now in 9th spot. Coolie clashed with Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's War 2. War 2 stars secured their position in the list as well. While Hrithik Roshan is in 8th place, Jr NTR, who made his Bollywood debut, took the 11th spot. On the other hand, Kiara Advani is in 15th position. War 2 director Ayan Mukerji ranked 18th. Meanwhile, actor Adarsh Gourav managed the 5th place, thanks to his international series Alien Earth. While Kritika Kamra is in 10th place with her latest series, Saare Jahan Se Accha: The Silent Guardian, her co-star Sunny Hinduja ranked 17th. Surveen Chawla took the 16th position for Andhera. The Popular Indian Celebrities feature highlights the top trending Indian entertainers and filmmakers of each week. This is said to be based on more than 200 million monthly visits to IMDb worldwide. Entertainment fans can see who is trending every week, follow their favourite entertainers, and discover new talent, boosting the overall popularity of celebrities and their releases.
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Unmet demands: TNSTC unions on indefinite stir
COIMBATORE: The current and former TNSTC employees affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) launched an indefinite protest in front of the Sungam branch in Coimbatore city on Monday demanding the implementation of their old demand. The protesters included the Retired Employees Welfare Association (REWA) and State Express Transport Corporation Employees Union. Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation-CITU deputy general secretary M Kanagarajtold TNIE their members have been holding an indefinite protest at 21 places, including Chennai, Coimbatore across the state, pressing for the eight-point demand. "In particular, around 4,000 employees who retired two years ago have been waiting to receive their benefits, such as their PF and gratuity amounts, and have suffered financially. Each employee is set to receive at least Rs 25 lakh from the government," he said. A key demand is the state government should recruit employees on a regular basis in TNSTC instead of resorting to temporary appointments. Kanagaraj also said that they are also seeking the implementation of the old pension scheme for employees who joined after 2003 and medical insurance for retired employees. He said they would continue their protest day and night until at least their important demands are fulfilled.
India Today
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Lokesh Kanagaraj confirms he's getting Rs 50 crore to direct Rajinikanth's Coolie
Tamil director Lokesh Kanagaraj is making headlines nationwide with his upcoming directorial venture 'Coolie', starring Rajinikanth. The film, slated for release on August 14, is set to be an ambitious project with a colossal budget of Rs 350 crore. Recent reports have highlighted the director's fee, speculated to be Rs 50 crore. This was addressed by Kanagaraj himself in an interview speaking with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kanagaraj pointed out the success of his previous film, the Thalapathy Vijay-starrer 'Leo', which amassed over Rs 600 crore worldwide. Discussing his remuneration, he said, 'You might ask me about my Rs 50 crore remuneration, but it stems from the fact that my last film, 'Leo', did very well at the box office and collected in the range of Rs 600 crore.'Prior to this, when asked about his remuneration, Lokesh said, 'Obviously, since I pay my taxes I can say, the sacrifice of two years – 36 and 37 – comes under this. Nothing comes easily to us. We need to sacrifice.' He further added, 'I wouldn't call it a sacrifice, I'm very excited about the film and if it turns out to be a success I'll take the fame and money, which will help my family and friends. There aren't any complaints, I just mentioned the age because when you turn back and see, I've missed so many events with my family and friends, and in that context I mentioned.' Nagarjuna Akkineni, one of the stars in 'Coolie', recently shared details about his antagonist role. 'This was a fun experience because of how different it is from what I've done so far. Being the main antagonist, I had many scenes with Rajinikanth sir... It's him against me,' he revealed, expressing his excitement over the unique eagerly await the release of the 'Coolie' trailer, which Kanagaraj has confirmed will be unveiled on August 2. He mentioned, 'I want to deliver one trailer and then the film. More than that, anything will be a giveaway. All I wanted to deliver was one trailer, and the date is August 2.''Coolie' will face competition at the box office as it releases on the same day as another high-profile film, 'War 2', starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR. Both films are expected to draw significant audiences, making August 14 a date of interest for cinema enthusiasts. The buzz surrounding 'Coolie' is high, with expectations soaring due to its stellar cast and the reputation of its director. The gritty action film stars Rajinikanth along with Nagarjuna, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Shoubin, Satyaraj and a cameo by Aamir Khan. Anirudh Ravichander has composed music for the film, and the recently released second single, 'Monica', features a special appearance by Pooja Hegde.- EndsMust Watch
India Today
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Lokesh Kanagaraj compares Aamir to Kamal Haasan, teases biggest global action film
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj recently spoke about his plans for an untitled project with actor Aamir Khan. He shared his vision to creating the biggest action spectacle with in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, opened up on the much-awaited 'Coolie' trailer and his first Hindi film with Khan. He said, "I want to deliver one trailer and then the film. More than that, anything will be a giveaway. All I wanted to deliver was one trailer, and the date is August 2."advertisementThe director further added, "After 'Kaithi 2', my next would be Aamir sir's movie. It will be a Hindi film but meant for a global audience, not just for Indians. He is a lot similar to Kamal sir. For now, I can't say if it's a superhero film, but it will be the biggest action movie." While Kanagaraj refrained from calling his next a superhero film, Khan in one of his media interactions, spoke at length about the new project. He said, "Lokesh and I are doing a film together. It's a superhero film, a big-scale action outing.""The film will begin in the second half of 2026. We have both signed it. I cannot reveal anything further," the actor was recently seen in his home-production 'Sitaare Zameen Par' (2025) based on the Spanish sports-drama 'Champions' (2018). The film also featured Genelia Deshmukh, Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar in pivotal has earlier directed films such as 'Aviyal' (2016) and 'Maanagaram' (2017). His later movies-'Kaithi' (2019), 'Vikram' (2022) and 'Leo' (2023) are a part of his Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU).Kanagaraj's next is 'Coolie' with Rajinikanth. Khan has a cameo in the movie. His new look as Dahaa was unveiled by Sun Pictures.'Coolie' also features Nagarjuna, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj and others in key roles. The action-thriller is scheduled to release on August 14, 2025.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sanjay Dutt expresses disappointment over his small role in Thalapathy Vijay's ‘Leo': 'Lokesh Kanagaraj wasted me'
Veteran Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who has seamlessly ventured into South Indian cinema in recent years, stirred conversation at the teaser launch of his upcoming Kannada gangster drama 'KD – The Devil. ' According to the coverage, while discussing his latest film, Dutt opened up about a lingering disappointment from his time working on director Lokesh Kanagaraj's Tamil blockbuster Leo, starring Thalapathy Vijay. Dutt's honest critique of Kanagaraj's decision When asked about his collaboration with Kanagaraj, Dutt didn't mince words, '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.' These comments come as a surprise to fans who had previously seen camaraderie between the two artists. Dutt had earlier praised Kanagaraj on social media, referring to him as 'my brother for life.' Wasted potential or understated presence? In 'Leo,' Dutt played the character Antony Das, the father of Vijay's character named Parthiban. While his brief appearance added extra to the emotional weight of the film's storyline, fans and critics both noted that his screen time and character development were limited, especially given the hype surrounding his involvement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why seniors are rushing to get this Internet box – here's why! Techno Mag Learn More Undo Streaming success vs. creative satisfaction The film was released in theaters on the month of October 19, 2023, and is currently streaming on the famous OTT platform Netflix, which will reach a global audience. Despite its success, Dutt's comments highlighted an important conversation in cinema: balancing star power with meaningful roles. His blunt honesty emphasizes the artistic expectations veteran actors bring to the table, even in blockbuster settings. Respect for Tamil icons remains undiminished Despite his grievance, Dutt spoke warmly about the legends of Tamil cinema: 'Rajini sir and Kamal sir, I respect them a lot. They are my seniors, I look up to them, and I learn from them. I worked with Rajini sir in Hindi movies multiple times, and he is such a humble person.' He also shared his admiration for Ajith Kumar, calling him a close friend, and expressed enthusiasm for upcoming releases like Rajinikanth's Coolie and Kamal Haasan's Thug Life.
