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

Apart from Nivin and Lawrence, another big star will also be playing an important role in the film, he reveals.
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.
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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.
'
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