Lokesh Kanagaraj to explore Rajinikanth's villainous side in Thalaivar 171

Filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj is now basking in the success of his latest movie Leo, starring Tamil superstar Thalapathy Vijay. Next, he is all set to start work on Thalaivar 171. The upcoming project will mark Lokesh's maiden collaboration with Superstar Rajinikanth and he seems to be very excited about the project. 

In a recent interview, Lokesh promised that he would try to show Rajinikanth in a dimension, which is not new but rarely explored. "I feel very satisfied when Rajini sir plays larger-than-life roles," Lolesh told Cinema Express. 

He noted the power of Rajinikanth's onscreen appeal and his ability to click with people of all age groups. It seems Lokesh is suggesting that with Rajinikanth he has more latitude to push the boundaries of believability and explore his imagination with lesser restrictions. 

ALSO READ: Rajinikanth's Thalaivar 171 is a bigger experiment than Leo, reveals cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa

He also revealed that in Thalaivar 171, he will be putting Rajinikanth's skill in portraying villainous actions to good use. "The thing I like the most about Rajinikanth sir is his villainism. I am going to show that side as much as possible (in Thalaivar 171)," he promised. 

Lokesh revealed that he will go incognito for the next six months and will also steer clear of social media during this time to focus on fleshing out the screenplay for Thalaivar 171. 

ALSO READ: Thalaivar 171 with Rajinikanth is an experimental film, reveals Lokesh Kanagaraj

It's said that he will take Thalaivar 171 to the floors in March or April of 2024. The movie will be bankrolled by Sun Pictures and will have music from composer Anirudh Ravichander. At the moment, we don't know the details of the movie's entire cast and crew. 

Before joining the sets of Thalaivar 171, Rajinikanth will complete Thalaivar 170. Written and directed by TJ Gnanavel of Jai Bhim fame, the movie's shooting is going at a brisk pace.