Abhiruchi Cookery Show -13th April

Ace director Lokesh Kanagaraj has finally broken his silence on the criticism he faced for opting out of directing the much-anticipated film that was to feature Tamil cinema legends Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan together.

Addressing the media on Monday, Lokesh clarified the circumstances behind his decision. “I want to clear a few things regarding the Rajinikanth–Kamal Haasan project. I met both of them around the time Coolie was released. They expressed their desire to work together, and for me, it was a huge honour that two legends, coming together after 46 years, wanted me to direct their film,” he said.

Lokesh explained that he was already committed to Kaithi 2 at the time but felt the opportunity was too special to ignore. “I informed the Kaithi 2 production team that I wanted to complete this project first, as I didn’t know if I would ever get such an opportunity again,” he added.

The director revealed that he spent nearly one and a half months sincerely developing the script. “I wrote the story keeping both legends in mind and gave it my absolute best. After completing the script, I narrated it to Rajinikanth sir and Kamal sir individually. Both of them were equally excited about the story,” Lokesh said.

However, further discussions led to a rethink. Lokesh pointed out that both stars have been part of back-to-back action films in recent years. “Rajinikanth sir has been doing action-oriented films right up to Jailer 2. Kamal sir’s upcoming film, directed by stunt choreographers Anbariv, is also action-heavy. Both of them felt that doing yet another action film without a break might not be ideal,” he explained.

As a result, the team mutually decided to step back from the project for the time being.

Lokesh also expressed gratitude for the support received by his recent release Coolie. “Despite facing criticism, Coolie ran successfully for 35 days. Sun Pictures have informed me that the film was profitable. I sincerely thank the media and the audience for their support,” he said, adding that the experience taught him valuable lessons. “I will make sure to apply what I’ve learned in my future projects,” he concluded.