‘Leo’ director Lokesh Kanagaraj injured in unprecedented rush of fans at theatre in Palakkad

A picture shared by Lokesh Kanagaraj from his visit to the Aroma Theatre in Palakkad
| Photo Credit: @lokesh.kanagaraj/Instagram

Filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj on Tuesday suffered a minor leg injury in an unprecedented rush of fans when he came to a theatre in Palakkad, Kerala, as part of the promotion of his recent release, the Vijay-starrer Leo.

The incident occurred at the Aroma Theatre in Palakkad around noon. The director, who was supposed to address his fans at Ragam theatre in Thrissur and later at Kavitha theatre in Kochi, then cancelled his plans.

“He consulted a doctor at a hospital in Palakkad itself and later left for Coimbatore. He may stay there or might leave for Chennai for further treatment,” a source close to Kanakaraj told PTI.

Lokesh, the director behind the sensational Lokesh Cinematic Universe, shared a picture with the crowd on social media and said that he was “overwhelmed, happy and grateful” to see the fans

Meanwhile, police said they resorted to minor caning to control the crowd.

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Gokulam Movies, which is distributing Leo in Kerala, said that despite heavy security being arranged for the theatre promotion, there was an “unstoppable flow” of fans who came to see the director.

Leo has been racking up record collections with houseful shows since day one. Notably, the film debuted in third position at the global box office over the latest weekend, with $31.2 million worldwide, even beating Leonardo DiCaprio’s Killers of the Flower Moon.