Confirmed! Lokesh Kanagaraj to direct Rajinikanth in Thalaivar 171

In exciting news, seasoned actor Babu Antony recently confirmed crucial details about Superstar Rajinikanth's next movie. He revealed that he has been approached to star in Rajinikanth's movie, which will be directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. 

Antony's revelation puts all the speculations to rest about whether or not Lokesh will direct Rajinikanth in his next. The project, which is tentatively titled Thalaivar 171 , will mark Antony's second collaboration with Lokesh after Leo. 

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Antony has shared screen space with Thalapathy Vijay in Leo. In a recent interview, he recalled his interactions with Vijay. "He (Vijay) told me about his favourite performances of mine in movies like Poovizhi Vasalile, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa and Kaaka Muttai. I was surprised that he followed my work so closely. For that he said, he's a fan of my work," Antony recalled his conversation with Vijay. 

In the past, Antony has worked with Rajinikanth in Nattukku Oru Nallavan. And he expressed his excitement about working with the superstar again while noting that he shares a very good rapport with him. 

It's unclear whether Thalaivar 171 is part of the cinematic universe that Lokesh is building. Dubbed LCU, which stands for Lokesh Kanagaraj Cinematic Universe, already has superstars like Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Suriya, Karthi and Fahadh Faasil. And Rajinikanth's addition to it will take the franchise's allure to another level. 

Earlier, filmmaker Mysskin claimed that Rajinikanth is contemplating retirement after Thalaivar 171 with Lokesh. An official word, however, on the same is awaited. 

Rajinikanth has a slew of movies in the pipeline. He's now waiting for the release of Jailer, which is due in cinemas on August 10. Written and directed by Nelson, Jailer stars a huge supporting cast, including Shivarajkumar and Mohanlal. Rajinikanth also recently wrapped up shooting for Lal Salaam, which is helmed by his daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth. Next, he will join the sets of director TJ Gnanavel of Jai Bhim fame . Temporarily titled Thalaivar 170, the film is bankrolled by Lyca Productions.