Nivin Pauly steps into LCU as villain: When we cast actor from other languages, they add a different colour to the film, says director Bakkiyaraj Kannan
Nivin Pauly
is making his entry into the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU) by playing the main antagonist, Walter, in
Raghava Lawrence
's Benz. This will be the actor's fourth film in Tamil after Neram , Richie , and Ram's yet-to-be-released Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai . The film's director,
Bakkiyaraj Kannan
, who previously made Remo and Sulthan , talks to us about what made him pick Nivin for the role, how his film is connected to the LCU, and more. Excerpts:
'FANS CAN EXPECT A RUTHLESS NIVIN PAULY'
'We wanted to cast an actor who would give off a new vibe and doesn't fall under the regular villain template.
Fans can expect a ruthless Nivin Pauly. The character will be different from his previous ones and will be the peak of villainy,' begins Bakkiyaraj, who informs that Nivin will join the shoot next month.
The actor will also be dubbing for himself in the film. 'When we cast actors from other languages, they add a different colour to the film,' states the director.
'Lawrence will also play a character with a negative shade'
Talking about the character of his protagonist, played by Raghava Lawrence, the filmmaker shares, 'He plays a character with a negative shade as well.
We wanted someone rough and tough and thought that this character would suit him.' Apart from Nivin and Lawrence, another big star will also be playing an important role in the film, he reveals. ' Benz will have three female leads. We are about to finish the first schedule in Chennai.
Shooting will also happen in Mangaluru, and Rajasthan, among other places,' he adds.
'BENZ IS NEITHER A PREQUEL NOR A SEQUEL TO AN LCU FILM'
Sharing how he ended up taking over the reins of the film, he says, 'Lokesh and I are friends.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
오스템 임플란트 받아가세요
임플란터
더 알아보기
When I was working on another film, he floated the idea of other directors making films in the LCU. Since the film I was working on had a lot of CGI and its pre-production required more time, I took this up. We have been in discussions since January 2024.'
The events in this film take place in parallel to the other LCU films. 'It's neither a prequel nor a sequel, but there will be a lot of connections with the LCU. While the basic story is by Lokesh, I've worked on it and written the screenplay,' he says.
'NOW, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MULTIPLE DIRECTORS TO WORK IN FILMS OF A UNIVERSE IS OPENING UP IN INDIAN CINEMA'
Bakkiyaraj says that he is proud to be the first director to join the LCU. 'In Hollywood, multiple directors work on various films of a particular universe. Now, such an opportunity has risen in Indian cinema,' he states, adding, 'Benz will have a totally different world and the making style will be different compared to my other two films. It isn't exactly set in the dark world of Lokesh's universe. There would be my flavour, too, with the screenplay comprising a mix of darkness, fun, and family love.
'
'I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO A TELUGU FILM BEFORE SULTHAN'
His first and second films, Remo and Sulthan , came out in 2016 and 2022 respectively. Ask him about the gaps between his films, and he says, 'I take some time between films because I keep writing them until I'm satisfied. I was supposed to do a Telugu film before Sulthan and I worked on it for two years, but I wasn't able to take it forward because I couldn't entirely grasp the language. So, I thought I would do a film in Tamil.
'
Check out our list of the
latest Hindi
,
English
,
Tamil
,
Telugu
,
Malayalam
, and
Kannada movies
. Don't miss our picks for the
best Hindi movies
,
best Tamil movies,
and
best Telugu films
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Nivin Pauly files case against producer Shamnas for allegedly forging his signature while registering Action Hero Biju 2
Police have registered a case against Malayalam film producer PA Shamnas for allegedly forging actor-producer Nivin Pauly's signature to obtain the title of the upcoming film Action Hero Biju 2. (Also Read: Case filed against Nivin Pauly, director Abrid Shine for 'financial fraud' in Action Hero Biju 2 deal) Nivin Pauly was accused of financial fraud by producer PA Shamnas, the actor filed a counter complaint. Nivin Pauly files case on producer Shamnas Police sources said that based on a complaint from Nivin, an FIR was registered against Shamnas under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 465 (forgery) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record). In the agreement signed in 2023 by Nivin, director Abrid Shine, and Shamnas to make the film Action Hero Biju 2, all the rights to the film were given to Nivin's production company, Pauly Junior. In his complaint, Nivin said Shamnas acquired the rights to the film's name from the Kerala Film Chamber by hiding the agreement. A document with Nivin's forged signature was presented for this. When these matters came to light during the police investigation, the Palarivattom police registered a case against Shamnas. The case against Nivin Pauly by Shamnas The police had earlier registered a case against Nivin on a complaint filed by Shamnas, who claimed that he owned the rights to the film and that Pauly Junior Company had given the overseas rights to another company without his knowledge. The complainant has alleged that, as Mahaveeryar (2022) was not a commercial success, Nivin offered to pay him ₹95 lakh. Subsequently, the actor also promised to make him a partner in his upcoming film Action Hero Biju 2, directed by Abrid Shine, and made him spend around ₹1.9 crore for the movie's shooting, Shamnas has alleged in his complaint. The actor's counter complaint states that Shamnas conspired to humiliate Nivin in public and get his way by threatening him while the dispute over the contract was still pending. The upcoming movie's first part, Action Hero Biju (2016), starring Nivin Pauly and directed by Abrid, was a mega hit in Malayalam.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Loki mama, love you!' Lokesh Kanagaraj's viral moment with a young fan seizes hearts
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj is currently busy promoting the film 'Coolie,' starring superstar Rajinikanth . Recently, he attended a grand event in Coimbatore and was a bit shocked when he heard a child's voice calling out, "Loki Mama, I love you!" as he was coming out after the event. The video of him immediately going to find the child, hugging him, and cuddling him is currently going viral. That one scene alone has fans talking about Lokesh Kanagaraj's endearing side. Becomes Tamil cinema 's highest-paid director with ₹50 crore for 'Coolie' Lokesh Kanagaraj is currently a leading director in Tamil cinema after the success of films like 'Maanagaram,' 'Kaithi,' 'Master,' 'Vikram,' and 'Leo.' He revealed in a recent interview with Galatta that he received a salary of Rs 50 crore for the film 'Coolie.' This is the highest amount paid to a director in Tamil cinema. It is expected that his salary for the next film could go up to 60 crores. 'LCU is incomplete without Vijay Anna'—comment 'triggers fan buzz To promote the film 'Coolie,' Lokesh Kanagaraj gave a 2-hour-long interview with Gopinath and also attended a program held at a Coimbatore cinema. While talking about LCU during the Coimbatore event, he said, "LCU is incomplete without Vijay Anna." His comment was widely shared among Vijay fans. This led to heated discussions on social media that this speech may have been intended to involve Thalapathy Vijay 's fans in the plot. Despite violent films, kids embrace him as 'Loki Mama.' Even though his films are full of violence and action, the way children see him as "Loki mama" has taken him to a new place. Lokesh Kanagaraj, who is soon to make his mark not only as a director but also as an actor, has now started converting the new generation into his fans.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Kingdom' release: Fans erect 75-foot cutout of Vijay Deverakonda in Hyderabad as film hits tomorrow
Picture Credit: X The much-anticipated Vijay Deverakonda starrer upcoming film, 'Kingdom' is set to hit the big screens tomorrow. Directed by 'Jersey' fame Gowtam Tinnanuri , the movie is a spy action thriller, and fans have gone all out in celebrating the much-awaited movie. 75-foot cutout unveiled in Hyderabad As seen in social media post shared by the 'Arjun Reddy' fan accounts, an enormous 75-foot-tall cutout of Vijay Deverakonda has been erected at the iconic Sudarshan 35mm theater in Hyderabad. Earlier, during the trailer launch of Kingdom, a 40-foot cutout was unveiled in Tirupati. Vijay's spy avatar Vijay Deverakonda makes his debut in the spy genre with 'Kingdom'. He will be seen playing the character of Constable Surya "Suri," whose journey is filled with intense action and drama as he is involved in covert operations and identity concealment. The trailer of the film shows a bleak, war-torn atmosphere. Everything is out of order, and lawlessness is creeping, which means the rise of a crime syndicate is beginning. Vijay Deverakonda's character, Surya, an undercover agent, lives undercover, a constable by morning and a secret agent by day. Throughout the trailer, a twist comes out that the mastermind behind the syndicate is Surya's brother, played by Satyadev. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like US$31 trillion in wealth extracted from Indonesia during Dutch colonial rule: President Prabowo CNA Read More Undo 'Kingdom' will be a two-part film and also features Bhagyashri Borse, along with Satya Dev, Venkatesh, Ayyappa Sharma, and others in pivotal roles. The music of the film is composed by the musical maestro Anirudh Ravichander. 'Kingdom' is set to release worldwide on July 31, 2025, with a special early premiere in the United States on July 30. It will be released in multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.
