Archive · 8 Aug 2026
Lokesh proves directors can be Tamil cinema's next leading men
A famous movie director named Lokesh Kanagaraj acted in a new Tamil movie called DC, and he surprised everyone by doing a really good job.
He plays a character named Devadas opposite actress Wamiqa Gabbi, and people noticed how calm and real he was on screen.
This matters because some of Tamil cinema's biggest stars have stopped making movies or make them much less often now.
Superstar Vijay became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth is now 75, and Ajith Kumar spends more time on motorsport.
Because there are fewer big stars, movie directors are starting to act in films themselves.
Another director, Pradeep Ranganathan, made three very successful movies as a leading actor, each earning over Rs 100 crore.
Audiences like these director-actors because they seem like regular, relatable people instead of untouchable superheroes.
The article admits directors are not as emotionally expressive as trained actors, but says they understand timing and movie structure better.
Some critics have dismissed directors as not being 'hero material,' but the writer believes they are exactly what Tamil cinema needs right now.
Lokesh Kanagaraj stars as Devadas in the film DC, directed by Arun Matheswaran, opposite Wamiqa Gabbi as Chandra.
The article argues Tamil cinema is in a 'star crisis' because its biggest stars have retired, slowed down or moved away from regular filmmaking.
Vijay, whose final film Jana Nayagan released in July after six months of censor battles and a nationwide leak, is now the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Director Pradeep Ranganathan delivered three consecutive Rs 100 crore hits as a lead actor: Love Today, Dragon (Rs 150 crore) and Dude (Rs 100 crore).
The director-as-actor trend traces back to Sasikumar, who wrote, directed and starred in Subramaniapuram in 2008.
- Who
- Lokesh Kanagaraj and fellow Tamil directors such as Pradeep Ranganathan and Sasikumar, who are stepping in front of the camera as actors.
- What
- Lokesh Kanagaraj acts in the film DC, directed by Arun Matheswaran, spotlighting a trend of Tamil directors becoming leading men during a 'star crisis.'
- When
- In 2026, with DC currently in theaters and Vijay's final film Jana Nayagan having released in July.
- Where
- Tamil Nadu, India, in the Tamil cinema industry.
- Why
- Because Tamil cinema's biggest box-office stars have retired or slowed down, leaving a gap at the top that directors are filling.
Directors as the new leading men
Skeptics of director-actors
Directors acting on screen
Directors as the new leading men
Directors like Lokesh Kanagaraj and Pradeep Ranganathan deliver credible, hit performances because they understand scene structure, timing and framing, and they are willing to appear ordinary, weak and human on screen.
Skeptics of director-actors
Director-actors have been dismissed as not being 'hero material' and mocked for their looks, and the article concedes their emotional range and expressiveness are more limited than those of trained actors.
What sustains a film career
Directors as the new leading men
Audiences are refreshed by relatable heroes they could imagine as a roommate or colleague, and the absence of distance from the viewer is a growing strength.
Skeptics of director-actors
The star system exists because audiences form deep attachments to faces they see over decades, an attachment worth billions in ticket sales and brand deals that a director who only dips into acting cannot build.
- Film
- DC, directed by Arun Matheswaran
- Lead role
- Lokesh Kanagaraj as Devadas
- Co-star
- Wamiqa Gabbi as Chandra
- Vijay's final film
- Jana Nayagan, released in July after six months of censor battles and a nationwide leak
- Vijay's current role
- Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
- Pradeep's box office run
- Love Today, Dragon (Rs 150 crore), Dude (Rs 100 crore)
- Director-actor pioneer
- Sasikumar's Subramaniapuram (2008)
- Star ages
- Rajinikanth is 75; Kamal Haasan is 72