Currently, his entire focus is on Rajinikanth's Coolie releasing on August 14. Once that wraps, Lokesh will move on to Kaithi 2 which is expected to begin shooting in the next few months.

In a surprising career move, Lokesh is also making his acting debut. He's playing a gangster in Arun Matheswaran's upcoming film - a rare shift for a filmmaker known solely for his direction.

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Another ambitious project in the pipeline is a superhero film with Aamir Khan, still in early development.

Addressing speculation that this might be based on his earlier script "Irumbu Kai," Lokesh clarified that much of that material has already been explored in other films. As a result, he is completely rewriting the concept to suit a pan-India audience with a fresh narrative.

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With Coolie, Kaithi 2, and the Aamir Khan project already lined up, Lokesh's calendar appears full until at least 2028.

After that, he is expected to reunite with Rajinikanth for another film, as the two have already discussed a new concept. Though there's ongoing speculation about Rolex (with Suriya) and Vikram 2, Lokesh has not officially confirmed either.

He also wants to do a cop film based on true events which might be some hope for Telugu heroes but by then many equations can change.

Meanwhile, trade circles are closely watching Coolie, especially since its release is expected to clash with War 2. Whether Lokesh's film can match - or surpass - the hype and box office pull of recent blockbusters remains to be seen.

But if early buzz is strong, Coolie has the potential to set new records and further cement Lokesh's place as one of Indian cinema's top directors.

Manaswini KManaswini is a senior writer with extensive experience covering Telugu cinema, as well as the broader Indian film landscape, including Bollywood, Tamil, and other regional industries. With a strong focus on NRI (Non-Resi…