What comprises Lokesh Cinematic Universe? Know future of franchise

Lokesh Kanagaraj has proved that he is one of the most promising directors to look out for. The filmmaker started his career as a writer-director with the 2016 anthology film Aviyal, and followed it up with the full-length feature Maanagaram (2017). After that, Kanagaraj started developing his own franchise, which came to be called Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). As he gears up for the release of his upcoming film Leo, which is said to be the third installment in the LCU, here’s all you need to know about one of Tamil cinema’s most promising ventures.

3 things you need to know

• LCU kick-started in 2019 with Kaithi.
• Actors Karthi, Kamal Haasan, Arjun Das and Suriya are part of the LCU.
• LCU is also become a commercially successful venture, with Kaithi also being remade in Bollywood.

Kaithi kickstarts LCU

Kaithi (2019) kicked off the LCU. Written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film is based on an ex-con who, after getting released from jail, gets caught up between police officers and a drug cartel. While the film is about Kaithi (Karthi) wanting to meet his estranged daughter, the larger details of the plot are left open-ended. 

Kamal Haasan makes his comeback

Kanagaraj worked with Dream Warrior Pictures and Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International to develop the first film. For the second LCU title, Vikram, the 37-year-old recruited the Dasavataram star to play the lead role. Seemingly a spiritual successor to the 1986 film also titled Vikram, which featured Kamal Haasan, the 2022 film depicted a man named Karnan who is seemingly kidnapped and killed by a group of faceless mercenaries. 

However, as a detective (Fahadh Faasil) starts piecing everything together, he finds out that Karnan isn't dead, but is actually Vikram, a former secret service agent who is trying to bring down a drug cartel. The film also features Vijay Sethupathi as the antagonist, who is killed at the end of the film. Vikram emerged as one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2022, minting Rs 420+ crore globally. 

What is the future of LCU?

Said to be the third film in the LCU, Leo will feature Thalapathy Vijay in the titular role. The trailer was released on October 5 and showcased Vijay in a salt-and-pepper look, going against enemies. Leo releases on October 19.

Moreover, there are plans for sequels to Vikram and Kaithi. In a recent interview with Variety, Karthi spoke about the status of Kaithi 2, saying that the script is in the works. Moreover, Vikram introduced Suriya as the big, bad villain Rolex, much in the same way as Thanos was revealed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Suriya later shared that after a meeting with Lokesh Kanagaraj went down, a standalone film on his character will also be developed for the franchise. 

Lokesh Kanagaraj has hinted that he would retire from direction after doing 10 films. LCU is still at its nascent stage. With almost three titles in and several in the making, the LCU is one of the most exciting franchises in Indian cinema. With actors such as Trisha Krishnan, Kamal Haasan, Karthi, Suriya, Fahadh Faasil, Thalapathy Vijay, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Das within the same franchise, Kanagaraj is expected to pump out several blockbusters.