'Coolie' And LCU: Lokesh Kanagaraj Spills Beans About Rajinikanth's Action Entertainer (Image-X/Dir_Lokesh)
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj‘s Coolie with legendary star Rajinikanth is the current sensation in Tamil cinema. The action entertainer, packed with stars from various film industries, such as Nagarjuna Akkineni, Upendra Rao, Soubin Sahir, Sathyaraj and Aamir Khan (in a special appearance) is the next milestone, which Tamil cinema is looking forward to.
While major details about the plot and the characters are kept hidden, Lokesh still has something to excite fans. From the birth of a story to crossovers, here are some interesting facts about Coolie and the Lokesh Cinematic Universe or popularly known as the (LCU) revealed by director Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Origin of Rajinikanth’s Coolie
After delivering mind-blowing films with actors like Kamal Haasan, Thalapathy Vijay, and Karthi, Lokesh Kanagaraj has now teamed up with Superstar Rajinikanth for an intense action entertainer.
But did you know that it’s not the story initially planned by Lokesh? Yes, the Leo director in his recent interview revealed that initially he narrated a different story to the Vettaiyan actor but later replaced it with the current one.
He said that initially they worked for two months on a story but he eventually lost interest in it. Since the initial idea failed to impress the director himself, he came up with a different idea and executed it which is now titled Coolie.
Inspiration for Coolie
Kaithi, the blockbuster film of the director, was inspired by Kamal Haasan’s Virumandi. The idea of Virumandi made him wonder what happens when the character gets released from the prison, which eventually led to the creation of Kaithi and the birth of LCU.
Unlike that film, Coolie is a pure standalone entertainer. In Lokesh’s words, Coolie is a “straight film,” and is not inspired by any other films.
The mystery behind the name Devaraj
Devaraj, the name of Rajinikanth’s character in the film, sparked a lot of speculation among the fans, since it’s also the name used in his 1991-released action entertainer Thalapathi. The reference to the film made fans speculate on its underlying connection to Mani Ratnam’s film.
But as a disappointing clarification, the director revealed that there is no connection between the two films. Lokesh said that he liked the way Superstar delivers the name “Devaraj.” Impressed by the actor’s dialogue delivery, Lokesh always wanted to use the name somewhere in his film. And thus, Coolie became the perfect choice to make his dream come true.
Coolie vs Vikram
While describing the process of curating set pieces and sequences of the film, Lokesh revealed that his films were not linear but a set of events that drives the story. He also added there are specific set pieces that are specifically dedicated to an actor and cannot be applied to others.
Explaining the same, he said, “Rajini sir shouldn’t do ‘Vikram,’ Kamal sir shouldn’t do ‘Coolie.’ So, in conclusion, Coolie is a film specially designed and crafted for actor Rajinikanth, which will surprise his fans.
Read Also: LCU Update: Lokesh Kanagaraj To Make Rolex As A Standalone Film With Suriya?
The LCU Map
After finishing Coolie with Superstar, Lokesh will direct the highly anticipated sequel, Kaithi 2, with Karthi. Moreover, he has planned to move the LCU franchise forward with Vikram 2, Leo 2 and Suriya’s Rolex, which will be a standalone film. Even though Vijay’s return to the screen is still unsure, the director expressed his wish to explore the world of Leo.
