“Eleven,” the Tamil-Telugu crime thriller that quietly hit theatres on May 16, 2025, turned out to be one of this year’s surprise hits!

Directed by debutant Lokkesh Ajls, the film was made on a modest budget and it came in as a triple profit, proving that compelling content can still win big at the box office even without star power.

The film starred Naveen Chandra in the lead, who’s already a familiar face in both Tamil and Telugu cinema. But here’s the twist:

Naveen Chandra wasn’t the first choice!

In a recent interview, director Lokkesh revealed that he originally wrote the anti-hero role with Silambarasan TR (Simbu) in mind. However, despite efforts, the team couldn’t get through to the actor at the time.

While a collaboration with Silambarasan TR, one of Kollywood’s top stars, might have brought in a bigger budget and commercial pressures, the film’s underdog status actually worked in its favour. With no spoilers and no big names, Eleven stayed under the radar long enough to surprise and impress audiences, making it a true sleeper hit.

Director Lokkesh Ajls now says he’s keen to work with Silambarasan TR in future projects. Could we be in for a powerful team-up soon? Fingers crossed!

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