Lokesh Kanagaraj (/loʊkeɪʃ kənəɡərɑːdʒ/; born 14 March 1986) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works in Tamil cinema.

[9] He directed his first feature film, Maanagaram,[10] in 2017, followed by the 2019 action thriller Kaithi produced by Dream Warrior Pictures, with Karthi in the lead role.

[13][14][15] In 2022, Lokesh directed Vikram, starring Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil.

The film’s success, along with the establishment of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), elevated his reputation in the industry, leading to another collaboration with Vijay on Leo.

[16] Following Leo, Lokesh announced Thalaivar 171, Rajinikanth’s 171st film, produced by Sun Pictures, with music by Anirudh Ravichander.

[20][21][22] Later that year, in December, Lokesh announced a short film within the LCU, titled Chapter Zero, as a prequel to Kaithi 2.

[23][24] On 14 April 2024 coinciding with Puthandu, Lokesh announced his production venture, Benz, directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan and starring Raghava Lawrence in the lead.

Rathna Kumar, who worked with Lokesh on Master, Vikram, and Leo, mentioned that his penchant for retro songs, violence, and hyperlink narratives in his films come from his admiration for Tarantino.