Chennai: Recently in a blood-soaked action scene in a Tamil film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj VikramKamal Haasan battles deadly villains while boiling milk for his newborn grandson. He also remembers to check the temperature of the milk by putting a few drops of milk in his mouth as he kills opponents coming towards him in the kitchen.
In another film of Kanagaraj cathyThe protagonist Karthi uses an M134 mini gun, even though his hangers-on quickly reads the manual on how to use it.
Kanagaraj is the Tarantino of Tamil Nadu – his films are not only filled with gratuitous violence of broken fingers, exploding heads and people flying to pieces, but also rich drama and dark humour. And he’s attempting to do what the Marvel Comics universe has done with Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Captain America — bring together several iconic characters and franchises with their stories in a vast multiverse to vanquish a common villain. is bringing along
Fans are calling it the formidable Lokesh Cinematic Universe, fondly known as Lokiverse,
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Tarantino of Tamil Nadu
after the huge success of Cathy and Vikram, Third installment of LCU has been sought Leo The Vijay starrer will be out later this year. In fact, the 36-year-old Kanagaraj is looking forward to being with the universe for another decade.
they were also in command Owner, starring both Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi. Although it was released after cathyIt was not a part of LCU.
Kanagaraj has mapped out the locavores of every age group and guaranteed a hit as he has chosen heroes that appeal to specific generations and fan bases – Karthi, Vijay, Suriya, Kamal.
Many fans are now speculating about a future film that will bring all these big stars together.
Like American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino (reservoir Dogs, kill Bill, pulp Fiction), Kanagaraj is fond of using “old songs, heavy violence and a hyperlink-style screenplay”, Ratna Kumar, director and writer of three of Kanagaraj’s films, said that there is definitely some inspiration.
With four feature-length films under his belt, the last three being multi-starrer blockbuster hits, and a storytelling style packed with action and drama, Kanagaraj is a Kollywood sensation. and now he is one of the most in demand director in tamil cinema
“In Tamil cinema, action isn’t really a genre,” said film critic Baradwaj Rangan, adding that Kanagaraj’s films are changing the concept of action films in the industry.
“His action sequences are scintillating as he believes in partaking in the imagination of action. They are both well written and staged. Camera work and editing are all running through his mind when he is shooting,” said Rangan.
with foreboding is on display in his talent Vikram, The film opens with a teaser of Tina, a domestic worker. She is later revealed to be an undercover agent. The audience gets a clue from the way she catches the falling cup.
Cathy’s The chase sequence is a great example of his mastery with the camera, which moves from inside an SUV to a lorry to a van with goons, while capturing the action that takes place in each vehicle.
The constant camera movement gives the audience a fresh view of the action.
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all action
Unlike the Marvel universe, the heroes of the Lokiverse do not have superpowers – they are ordinary mortals. a truck driver in cathymember of a government secret unit Victoryand in LeoThe protagonist is rumored to be the owner or baker of a chocolate factory.
While there is no romance, there are strong emotional arcs in all his films. cathy Begins with a daughter in an orphanage waiting for her father whom she has never seen. The film follows the journey of this father to meet her.
“For him, a physical fight is not just punch after punch, he tries to bring a narrative to it. That is what stays in the mind of the audience,” said Ratna, adding that for Kanagaraj, action is the major part of the film.
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humble beginnings
Kanagaraj grew up in a small village outside Coimbatore. his father was a bus conductor And he has said that the family struggled when he was growing up. He moved to Coimbatore to do his bachelor’s degree in Fashion Technology and went on to do his MBA in Chennai. He worked in a city bank for four and a half years until his film journey began.
His first project was the short film Acham Thavir in 2012. In 2016, he directed a short for the Karthik Subbaraj backed anthology Avial, He made his debut as a feature film director in 2017 managram,
It was a hyperlink thriller about four people whose lives intertwine when they move to Chennai. The fast-paced story follows how each character is affected by the other’s actions. There is also a lot of bloodshed.
two lead actors in managram remain anonymous. “It was intentional. Anyone should be able to connect with the character,” Ratna said.
In Owner And Vikram, Hero’s entry is never instant. Agent Arun Kumar Vikram (Kamal Haasan) first appears on screen halfway through the film. Critic Rangan said, “Even giving such an idea to a very respected and senior actor is indicative of someone who knows very clearly what kind of film he wants to make.”
Rangan said that with three big hits, “Lokesh has become such a brand that people are willing to go with the flow”.
calm and cool
Kanagaraj’s actors describe him as a cool and calm person on the sets, who lets his actors follow their instincts, but his enthusiasm goes off the charts during scenes involving violence.
“He lets the actors decide how they want to do it. It’s good to have creative freedom. It really feels like a collaboration when you work with Lokesh. Vikram,
Anish Padmanabhan, another actor who worked with her in the film, said that though scenes and sequences are planned in advance, there is always room for improvisation. “Lokesh and his trusted partner Ratna draw inspiration from their surroundings and are always open to innovation. This is what creates the real magic on screen.
Ratna said that based on what we see around us, reforms make a world of difference. Kanagaraj is very particular about his locations, but any changes are taken in stride and his staging is improvised to show off the strengths of the new location, he said.
,master’s The climax was planned over a cliff at the beginning. But at the last moment it was converted into a meat factory. He expertly weaved the hanging flesh into the staging of the scene,” said Ratna.
People on his sets say that the action and bloodshed excites Kanagaraj the most.
Gayatri, whose character Vikram He is beheaded in the film, recalls how Kanagaraj was most excited on the day of the shoot. He usually stays behind the monitor but that day he came straight to me and started explaining where he needed multiple cut marks.
She laughed that all these memes about her disliking romance and preferring gore and antics are true in a way.
Gayatri told how at one point she even took a spray bottle from the makeup artist and started doing her makeup.
This is not unusual for Kanagaraj, the director was also Kamal Haasan. makeup man,
Gayathri said, “His interests are infectious, a lot of fun for the stunt directors and camerapersons.”
He is known for doing extensive research on the guns used in his films. “He becomes a cowboy around guns,” says Aneesh.
Kanagaraj, who crossed the Rs 400 crore club Vikram, Used the film to establish the Lokesh Cinematic Universe. they hinted at a sequel karthi as well as a standalone film for Suriya’s character Rolex with a cameo Vikram,
“For the Next 10 Years, I’m Settled,” Kanagaraj Said in an interview.
(Editing by Therese Sudeep)