Vikram: Some Kaithi-related trivia you need to revisit before catching the Kamal Haasan-Lokesh Kanagaraj film

Is there a connection between Lokesh Kanagaraj's Vikram and Kaithi? Well, the answer seems "yes", from the director himself!

Karthi; Kamal Haasan in Vikram

Considering that director Lokesh Kanagaraj has confirmed that both Kaithi and Vikram belong to the same cinematic universe, here's are a few things to remember from the Karthi-starrer:

• Maanagaram and Kaithi never had songs; both the films of Lokesh Kanagaraj had a lot of 'night' scenes.
• Kaithi had cops, gunshots and cocaine.
• It had larger-than-life fight sequences, with Karthi in front, like a superhuman.
• The film had a terrific scene where Karthi's character Dilli stuffs himself with a bucket of biryani.
• Lokesh Kanagaraj once revealed that the story of Kaithi was written with Mansoor Ali Khan in mind.
• Despite its clash with Bigil during Deepavali in 2019, Kaithi turned out to be a blockbuster.

• Kaithi was dubbed in the Russian language, and the film, titled Prisoner, was released in around 297 screens across 127 cities across the country.
• In both Maanagaram and Kaithi, humble people are pushed into extraordinary situations.
• Kaithi had stunt sequences choreographed by Anbariv, who's very much a part of Kamal Haasan's Vikram, too.
• Like Hollywood films, Lokesh had told the entire story of Kaithi in the trailer without any apprehension.
• After the huge success of Kaithi, Lokesh teamed up with Thalapathy Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi on Master.

• SR Prabhu of Dream Warrior Pictures joined hands with Reliance Entertainment for the Bollywood remake. The movie will star Ajay Devgn in the lead role.
• Kaithi was inspired by the 1976 film, Assault on Precinct 13.
• Lokesh Kanagaraj came across a news article, upon which he developed the idea of Kaithi.
• During the making of Kaithi, Lokesh's go-to films were Virumaandi and Die Hard.
• Kaithi was an action-thriller and Lokesh had an individual arc to all of his characters, which, in return, justified their actions.
• All of these things make it look like Vikram is a sort of prequel to Kaithi. Well, let's wait and watch!

A recall of the characters, in Kaithi: (Vikram has all of them, barring Karthi; but the film has Karthi's brother Suriya, in a cameo)

• Dilli was played by Karthi
• Bejoy was played by Narain
• Anbu was played by Arjun Das
• Adaikalam was played by Harish Uthaman
• Stephen Raj was played by Hareesh Peradi

In an interview, Lokesh Kanagaraj says how Vikram wasn't, first, pegged as a pan-Indian film, but, eventually, got elevated into one. With this one, he said, he was able to bring, on board, solid performers like Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil. “All of these actors, including Kamal sir, have made Vikram truly of a pan-Indian stature," he states. Lokesh assures that Vikram does not have a political agenda, either. "It’s an out and out emotional action entertainer," he says.

So, what does he have to say about part-3? “Whether or not to make the world of Vikram, a trilogy depends on how the audience receives the first part. If this one works well, Vikram will certainly be expanded into a franchise, and I hope it happens," Lokesh concludes.

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