Leo director Lokesh Kanagaraj praises Chinmayi Sripaada: 'She gave soul to Trisha's performance'

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj denied any political or ideological motive behind his collaboration with Chinmayi in Leo.

Chinmayi Sripaada dubs for Trisha

Filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj caught everyone's imagination with the release of the trailer for his upcoming movie Leo, starring Thalapathy Vijay. However, he didn't just garner praise for delivering an explosive trailer. He was also appreciated for taking a stand and roping in singer and voice artist Chinmayi Sripaada for Leo.

Chinmayi Sripaada has been a victim of a shadow ban in the Tamil film industry for the last five years owing to her role in the #MeToo movement. And Lokesh's decision to defy the unofficial ban and cast her in the movie is seen as his solidarity with Chinmayi.

ALSO READ: Amid Leo trailer success, Thalapathy Vijay, Lokesh Kanagaraj praised for supporting #MeToo activist Chinmayi Sripaada

However, Lokesh denied any political or ideological motive behind his collaboration with Chinmayi. And he noted that he hired her purely because of her talent, which he thought would be a great addition to the movie.

"I can't write romantic scenes. But, I felt I had done a good job writing romance in Leo. And both, Vijay and Trisha, acted beautifully in two scenes. It is really superb. And I wanted a voice that justified that performance. And only Chinmayi's voice came to my mind," Lokesh said in an interview with Galatta Plus.

"I was not aware of the ban. I wanted to get my job done. So I called her. And she gave soul to that performance (Trisha) with her voice," he added.

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Chinmayi's emotional response

Chinmayi has dubbed for Trisha's role in Leo. And this movie is touted to give a much-needed break to her career, which has suffered since the #MeToo movement in India.

Following the release of the trailer, Chinmayi expressed gratitude for Lokesh and producer Lalith Kumar for retaining her voice in the movie. "I am a million times grateful to Mr Lokesh Kanagaraj and Mr Lalit for having taken this stand. THAT. IS. MY. VOICE. IN. LEO. FOR. TRISHA. And guess what? I have dubbed in Tamil, Telugu AND Kannada," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Leo is due in cinemas on October 19.

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