‘Hi’ director Vishnu Edavan has shared a hilarious behind-the-scenes anecdote involving filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj and the immense expectations surrounding ‘Coolie’. Vishnu, who previously worked as an assistant director with Lokesh, is currently promoting his latest film ‘Hi’, starring Kavin and Nayanthara. During a recent interaction, he recalled how a casual comment he made about ‘Coolie’ before its release eventually earned him a scolding from his former mentor.The incident revolved around the much-discussed Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). Following the interconnected worlds of films such as ‘Kaithi’ and ‘Vikram’, fans were eager to know whether Rajinikanth’s ‘Coolie’ would also connect to the franchise.
Vishnu Edavan says his LCU comment led to a scolding from Lokesh Kanagaraj
The incident began when Vishnu casually suggested in an interview that ‘Coolie’ could potentially be part of the LCU. Looking back, the filmmaker admitted that he made the comment simply because he thought it would generate excitement.“During the ‘Coolie’ period, I gave an interview and said, ‘Maybe ‘Coolie’ will be part of the LCU too. Who knows?’ After the film was released, I got badly trolled for it,” Vishnu recalled.He then revealed how Lokesh reacted to the statement.“Lokesh asked me, ‘You know ‘Coolie’ is not part of the LCU, right? Then why on earth did you say something like that?’” Vishnu said.
Vishnu Edavan explains why he made the ‘Coolie’ comment
Vishnu admitted that he had no intention of misleading fans and was merely trying to make the conversation around the film more exciting.“I told him, ‘No, brother, I just said it because I thought it would be fire.’ Then he looked at me and said, ‘It may be fire for you, but what about me?’ and walked away,” Vishnu recalled.The filmmaker said he only realised later that his seemingly harmless remark could have bigger consequences, particularly when a film as highly anticipated as ‘Coolie’ was already surrounded by intense fan theories and speculation.“Only afterwards did I think, maybe I should not have said that,” he admitted.
‘Coolie’ and the LCU speculation
Even before its release, ‘Coolie’ was the subject of intense discussion among fans. Rajinikanth’s collaboration with Lokesh Kanagaraj, the director’s track record with the LCU, promotional material and a steady stream of fan theories fuelled speculation about whether the film would somehow connect to the universe.
