PremiumHere's why Thalapathy Vijay's father SA Chandrasekhar slammed Lokesh Kanagaraj and praised AR Murugadoss
Even though SA Chandrasekhar didn't take names, it was clear that he was expressing his disapproval of his son Thalapathy Vijay's latest movie Leo
Last Updated: 11.36 AM, Jan 29, 2024
Seasoned filmmaker SA Chandrasekhar has sparked a fresh controversy by taking a swipe at young filmmakers, alleging their lack of tolerance for constructive criticism. Even though he didn't take names, it was clear that he was expressing his disapproval of his son Thalapathy Vijay's latest movie Leo and its director Lokesh Kanagaraj.
"Recently, I saw a film and called the director to appreciate him," Chandrasekhar said at a film event in Chennai. "I told him the first half was super. I was heaping praises on him continuously and he was listening to all of it. The moment I mentioned that the second half was not up to par, he promptly responded, 'sir, I am having my food.'"
Why does SAC dislike Leo?
SAC noted that he watched the film in question five days before its actual release and expressed disagreement with certain narrative elements. "I informed him (the director) about the excessive religious practices and the lack of believability in the father attempting to harm the children...he responded, 'sir, I am eating. I will call you later.' And he hung up. However, he never followed up with a call," SAC recounted.
SAC is referring to Sanjay Dutt's Antony Das in Leo. Antony harbours a profound belief that engaging in human sacrifices will usher in increased success for both himself and his business. His commitment to this superstition becomes so unwavering that he is even willing to sacrifice his own children, having lost the ability to reason.
After the release of Leo, a prevailing consensus emerged that the movie's second half loses momentum, and the narrative veers off course. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj himself acknowledged the presence of gaps in the movie's narration.
"He (the director) could have taken my feedback and changed certain things in the movie. There was still time. And all the reviews reflected my views about the movie. They lack courage and maturity to take criticism," he rued.
SAC recalls a Thuppakki anecdote
SAC also recalled another interaction with a senior filmmaker. He revealed that after hearing the narration of Thuppakki he hugged AR Murugadoss. And after that, he asked him a simple question: "You are making a movie about sleeper cells. I understand it, but do you think the general public will be familiar with the concept of sleeper cells?" At that moment, Murugadoss remained silent. However, SAC disclosed his surprise when he later witnessed that Murugadoss had incorporated a scene in Thuppakki to explain the meaning of sleeper cells to the audience. "That's why he (Murugadoss) continues to succeed," he remarked.
It's noteworthy that the mixed reviews didn't stop Leo from becoming a huge box-office hit last year. It became the biggest ever in Vijay's career by raking in more than Rs 600 crore from its worldwide ticket sales.
Leo was inspired by the popular graphic book novel A History Of Violence and it became the latest addition to the cinematic universe that Lokesh is creating. A sequel to this film might also happen soon.