Lokesh Kanagaraj wanted to make Vijay’s Leo in Theni, but had to shift the shoot to Kashmir: ‘Can’t take Vijay to…’

He added, “When did we last see Vijay in a shot just walking by on a real road? It is all set. The only way to make something real was to shoot in a foreign country, but I haven’t seen any foreign country. Not a big traveller. I don’t know what happens there. When we chose Kashmir, we thought as the terrain was changing, there would be something to explore. Beyond helping the film, the location helped in shooting realistic things with Vijay. Other than shooting, Vijay anna started exploring the place on foot. He started enjoying it himself. Where else can he do that in Tamil Nadu?”

Lokesh added Vijay could do a lot because of the isolation from the crowd. “One day, I just asked if he was free and took him to the director’s room. I told him ‘Let’s go and mess with assistants’. And he agreed. We opened the door shocking the assistants, who came to a standstill. All that happened. On top of that, the location helped a lot for the project. When I look at the hyena sequence after DI (Digital Intermediate), all the hardships don’t come to mind.”

Leo, also starring, Trisha, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun, and Gautham Menon, will be released in theatres on October 19.