The Leo success meet event is currently happening at Chennai amid much fan-fare and live updates of speeches from the venue have been surfacing online with every passing minute. A collection of who said what from team Leo here: 

Lyricist Vishnu Edavan: 

"The idea was given to me by Lokesh. In Vikram (2022), Kamal (Haasan) sir says 'Aaramikalangalaa?' (Shall we begin?) and here (in Leo), Vijay replies with 'Naa Ready' (I am ready). This in itself is an LCU (Lokesh Cinematic Universe, a franchise of director Lokesh Kanagaraj with Kaithi (2019), Vikram and Leo movies) connect."

Art Director Satheesh: 

 "Thank you our Thalapathy Vijay and director Lokesh Kanagaraj for the film. I'd like to thank my assistants and workers in the art department."

Choreographer Dinesh Master

"Doing a film with Vijay Sir is always special. I have done group dance with him, and now I'm happy to work with him. Vijay is the same from that day till today. Every song with Vijay Sir is my favourite."

 

Actor Mysskin

"In my life I've read about two legends- Bruce Lee and Michael Jackson. The only legend I've seen through my eyes is Vijay..For this program, they called me to be here at 4 PM, I came at 4.30 but Vijay was here from 2 PM. He's the only actor who’s super punctual in India..For 25 years, how he keeps being attractive like a magnet (is a thing of wonder). I'm so proud to be on this stage. I'm so proud to be on this stage."

'Thalapathy' Vijay Speech (Full Transcript In English Here):

"Dearest friends of both genders who have a permanent place in my heart. I thought you all were living in my heart. Realized I am living in yours too. Those are temples I am living in. I don’t know what I can do for this love that doesn’t expect anything back. Lately, I am noticing there’s a lot of anger on social media. Why? We have a lot of work to do. What will a kid do at home if the dad beats him? Forgive it all like that. Like Gandhi said, ‘Non-violence is powerful than violence.

 

[Kutti Story (Short Story)] Two guys went hunting in a forest. One guy had a bow and arrows, and the other had a spear. The guy with a bow and arrow killed a rabbit. The guy with the spear, on the other hand, took aim at an elephant. But he misses it. The two walked back to the village. One with the rabbit and the other with his spear. But if you ask me who is the achiever among the two, I would say it is the guy who came back with nothing. Because it is easy to hunt easy targets. Winning over something easy is not success, friend. We are at least trying to win a hard game, right? Always aim big. Like (Subramania) Bharati said, 'Ask for the biggest of the biggest'. That’s how your dreams, thoughts, and work should be. Everyone has a place here friend. No one else can take it away.

 

A small boy at home would take his father’s shirt and wear it. His watch too. He will also sit on his dad’s chair. The shirt will not fit him well. The watch will not fit. He wouldn’t know if he could sit on the chair–whether it belonged to him and all that. It is his dream. Dream big, friend. No one can do anything about it. Always have a great aim, like (APJ Abdul) Kalam sir said.

 

[Naa Ready Song Controversy] There was this song that created a lot of controversy. There was one line, ‘Viraluku eddukula thee pandham (torch between the fingers).’ Why do you imagine it is a cigarette? Think of it as a powerful pen. Then there was the line ‘Quarter pathathu andava konda (Quarter is not enough. Bring out the giant vessel). Why do you think it is alcohol? Think of it as koozh (millet porridge).’ I can come up with such flimsy excuses for it all, but I don’t want to do it. I plead with all of you to look at a film as a film. If you look, all around the world, cinema is seen as something artificial and a form of entertainment. In that cinema, there will be a good guy and a bad guy. To differentiate between these two, there are a few things that are done… see I don’t have to explain this all to you. I know that you all know it already. Are you all that immature? As I have said before, take only the good things and leave the rest.

 

Not just in cinema, bad things are all around us. There are a lot of wine shops on the way to our schools and colleges. Do our kids go there and have two drinks before school? You all are too shrewd. Now, look at all the love people have for me. But if I make a bad film, they will be like ‘poda’ (go man) and leave. They are of a different league. Different level you all are...

 

[Superstar title controversy]...I came here to tell this on this stage. I have told this many times, but I want to clear the air once again. Of all the stars that Tamil cinema has given us, there’s only one Puratchi Thalaivar (MG Ramachandran), there’s only one Nadigar Thilagam (Sivaji Ganesan), there’s only one Captain (Vijayakanth), there’s only one Ulaganayagan (Kamal Haasan), there’s only one Superstar (Rajinikanth). Likewise there is only one Thala (Ajith Kumar). You know Thalapathy (Vijay's moniker) are soldiers taking orders from the Kings. Kings will order, and the Thalapathy will accomplish the task. As far as I am concerned, you all are Kings and I am your Thalapathy. I am a Thalapathy at your service.”