Lokesh Kanagaraj is facing a crucial phase in his career.

In today’s highly competitive film industry, a single misstep can significantly impact a director’s reputation. Unfortunately, this appears to be the case for Kollywood’s once red-hot filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj. The underwhelming response to his latest release, Coolie, has affected his soaring career and narrowed the options that once seemed limitless.

Lokesh made a sensational entry into Tamil cinema with Karthi’s Kaithi, a film that instantly established him as a promising storyteller. His stature rose exponentially with Kamal Haasan’s Vikram, which turned out to be a massive pan-India success and cemented his place among the top-tier directors in South Indian cinema. However, the momentum began to falter when he failed to fully capitalize on opportunities with Vijay’s Leo and Rajinikanth’s Coolie.

Following the blockbuster success of Vikram, Lokesh became a favorite among audiences and industry insiders alike. He reportedly narrated scripts to several pan-India stars, including Allu Arjun, Prabhas, Ram Charan, and Pawan Kalyan. Despite the buzz and speculation surrounding a potential Telugu debut, none of these projects materialized.

Securing back-to-back films with Thalapathy Vijay and Superstar Rajinikanth is a dream scenario for any director. However, Lokesh could not entirely meet the high expectations associated with either project. While Leo went on to perform exceptionally well at the box office, it received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Post its release, Lokesh admitted that the film had shortcomings and promised to correct them in his next outing.

Unfortunately, Coolie turned out to be a major setback. The director openly acknowledged the heavy criticism the film faced and even thanked audiences for watching it primarily because of Rajinikanth’s presence. Once again, he stated that he would learn from his mistakes and deliver better work going forward.

However, these repeated assurances have begun to wear thin. A section of the audience feels that Lokesh must urgently return to his core strengths tight storytelling, gripping narratives, and impactful cinematic moments that defined Kaithi and Vikram. Without a strong course correction, there is growing concern that he risks undoing the goodwill and reputation he built early in his career.

With back-to-back disappointments and rising expectations, Lokesh Kanagaraj finds himself at a crucial crossroads. A powerful comeback is no longer optional it is essential. Time, clearly, is running out.

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