Dilli teaser censor certificate leaked; fans convinced they're getting Kaithi 2: ‘LCU is back’

A leaked censor certificate has spurned off rumours that Lokesh Kanagaraj will soon make an announcement that he's helming Kaithi 2 with Karthi.

A leaked censor certificate was all it took to reignite hope among Lokesh Kanagaraj’s fans that he is indeed giving them Kaithi 2 with Karthi after all. Despite the director recently announcing a film with Allu Arjun, fans remain hopeful for the revival of LCU (Lokesh Cinematic Universe) after it seemed to go off the rails.

Dilli teaser censored by CBFC

Karthi in a still from Lokesh Kanagaraj's 2019 hit Kaithi, which saw him play a freshly released prisoner.

Dream Warrior Pictures, which produced the 2019 hit Kaithi, submitted a 30-second video titled Dilli teaser to the Central Board of Film Certification. It was certified on February 19, and the CBFC awarded with a U certificate. The information was spotted on the CBFC website. While the name Kaithi doesn’t feature anywhere on the certificate, Karthi’s character’s name in the film just so happens to be Dilli. This was enough of a hint for fans to get excited that they might just get the film they have been waiting for.

Internet reacts to leaked certificate

As soon as the certificate leaked online, fans seemed to go on an overdrive on social media. “Dilli - A 30 second VIDEO TEASER is recently censored. KAITHI-2 update is expected very soon. LCU IS BACK,” wrote one excited fan posting the picture. “What’s cooking, Biryani? The makers of Karthi and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s #Kaithi had their video teaser titled #Dilli censored today,” wrote another.

When Karthi avoided a question on Kaithi 2

In January this year, fans waiting for an announcement on Kaithi 2 were surprised when Lokesh announced a film with Allu Arjun instead. When the reporters asked Karthi about it as he promoted Vaa Vaathiyaar, he replied, “He [Lokesh] will address that,” with a smile. The clip went viral on social media, with many pointing out that Lokesh seemed to have given up on LCU. The universe, which began with Kaithi, was followed up with Kamal Haasan’s 2022 hit Vikram and Vijay’s 2023 film Leo.

A film written by Lokesh and directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan is set for release in LCU, with Raghava Lawrence headlining. Lokesh had promised films with Suriya’s character, Rolex; Karthi’s Dilli; and Kamal’s Vikram, as well as the characters Napoleon and Agent Tina, but they have yet to materialise. In 2024, he also announced a short film titled Chapter Zero - The Origin of LCU, but nothing has materialised from that either.

Lokesh’s next film with Arjun will mark his Telugu debut. He’s also debuting as an actor with Arun Matheswaran’s DC with Wamiqa Gabbi as his co-star. He last directed Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie.