Tamil filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj stepped in front of the camera for the first time with DC, and the film opened worldwide on August 7, 2026, to blockbuster reviews and packed opening shows. Sun Pictures confirmed the release date just three days earlier, on August 4, after the film’s launch had already been pushed back once and locked in an adult rating along the way.

Arun Matheswaran directs DC, an action romance loosely adapted from the 1917 novel Devdas. Lokesh, best known for directing hits like Vikram and Leo, plays the lead role opposite Wamiqa Gabbi. Anirudh Ravichander composed the music, adding another familiar name to a project built around a director trying something new in front of the camera instead of behind it.

Early trade reports point to a strong start. Industry trackers put day one box office collections above four crore rupees in India, with theaters reporting record opening weekend numbers in several cities. Critics have been largely positive about Lokesh’s screen presence, with more than one review calling his transition from director to leading man more convincing than expected going in.

Principal photography wrapped in April 2026, months after cameras first rolled in Chennai. The project was announced in November 2025, giving the team roughly nine months from announcement to release, a tight turnaround for a film carrying this much anticipation from Tamil cinema audiences.

For Lokesh, DC marks a real departure from the genre he built his name on. His directing credits lean heavily on tightly plotted action thrillers. Stepping into a lead acting role, in a story rooted in a century old romance novel, is a different kind of risk, and the opening weekend numbers suggest it is paying off so far. Sun Pictures has not confirmed an international release timeline beyond the opening weekend, and distributors in overseas markets are watching the domestic numbers closely before locking wider release plans.