South Indian Superstar Rajinikanth’s 171st Film to be Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj
PIB India
Film Announcement
The 171st film by South Indian movie superstar Rajinikanth is to be directed by “Vikram” director Lokesh Kanagaraj, Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Pictures officially announced on Monday, putting an end to months of speculation.
Film Details
- No further details are available, save the name of the music composer, Anirudh Ravichander (“Jawan,” “Jailer”) and stunt choreographer Anbariv (the K.G.F. franchise), indicating that the film belongs to the action genre.
- The film is currently identified as “Thalaivar171.” Thalaivar translates literally as leader and is one of the laudatory sobriquets used to describe Rajinikanth.
Success of Recent Projects
The star, director, and producer are riding the crest of a wave. “Jailer,” starring Rajinikanth, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Sun Pictures, is the third highest Indian grossing film of the year, with $76.6 million.
Kanagaraj’s “Vikram,” starring Rajinikanth’s contemporary Kamal Haasan, was one of the highest Indian grossers of 2022 with $60 million. The director’s “Leo,” starring Vijay, is due for an Oct. 19 release and is highly anticipated. The film’s U.K. distributor Ahimsa Films reports that it crossed £100,000 ($125,000) in sales across 120 locations when advance bookings opened more than 40 days before the release date.
Lokesh Cinematic Universe
Lokesh Kanagaraj is known for his LCU or Lokesh Cinematic Universe, which began with “Kaithi” (2019), continued with “Vikram,” and retrospectively included the 1986 title “Vikram.” It is not immediately clear whether “Leo” or Rajinikanth’s 171st film will be part of the LCU or not.
Upcoming Projects
- Rajinikanth has a cameo in Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s sports drama “Lal Salaam.”
- His 170th film, untitled as of now, is directed by T. J. Gnanavel (“Jai Bhim”) and is currently underway.
