PremiumThalapathy Vijay not the first choice for Leo, reveals Lokesh Kanagaraj
Amid the worldwide success of Leo, director Lokesh Kanagaraj has revealed an unknown fact about the movie.
Last Updated: 03.55 PM, Oct 31, 2023
Filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj's latest movie Leo has become the biggest hit in his career, thanks to Thalapathy Vijay's stardom. The movie was in cinemas on October 19 amid huge fanfare and went on to dominate the box office across the world.
However, did you know that Vijay was not Lokesh's first choice to lead Leo? The director revealed this major behind-the-scene information during a recent interview.
"I had written this movie five years ago. I was supposed to make this film with some other hero. But, that collaboration didn't materialize. That's when I put this project aside and I wrote Kaithi," Lokesh told Cineulagam.
"After Master, I developed a good rapport with Vijay anna. And I thought why not make this movie with him and give him the scope to showcase the performer in him? The movie will completely rest on his shoulders as it's going to be a character study. And he was ready for this," he added.
Lokesh praised Vijay's willingness to experiment and take on the challenge of playing a role that deviated from his typical action dramas. "He could have turned down this movie by asking me to write a different movie that suits his commercial image. But, he agreed to support my vision," Lokes added.
He noted that the script of Leo didn't undergo any major changes when it went into production five years after its inception. However, after he decided to bring Leo into his cinematic universe, he had to make little changes to ensure that this film would fit into the LCU without disturbing already existing characters.
Leo was inspired by the popular graphic novel A History of Violence. The film tells the story of a seemingly mellow and ordinary coffee shop owner with an extraordinary past.