Movie: Coolie
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Sun Pictures
Cast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Upendra, Aamir Khan (cameo), Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Rachita Ram, Reba Monica John, Junior MGR, Kanna Ravi, Monisha Blessy, Kaali Venkat, Pooja Hegde (item song) and others
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
DOP: Girish Gangadharan
Editor: Philomin Raj
Production Designer: Sathees Kumar
Action Stunts: Anbariv
Producer: Kalanithi Maran
Written and Directed by: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Release Date: August 14, 2025
Superstar Rajinikanth joins hands with Lokesh Kanagaraj for the first time, and expectations are sky-high. Lokesh, known for his string of blockbusters, has upped the buzz by assembling a stellar cast that includes Nagarjuna, Aamir Khan, Upendra, and Shruti Haasan. The film has already set the USA box office buzzing with record advance bookings.
But is the hype justified, and has Lokesh Kanagaraj once again struck gold? Let’s find out.
Story:
Simon (Nagarjuna Akkineni) operates a smuggling empire from the port, with his loyal aide Dayal (Soubin Shahir) by his side. Their illegal operations often leave behind a trail of murders, and disposing of the bodies without leaving evidence becomes a challenge. That’s when they discover Rajasekhar (Sathyaraj), an inventor who has built a mobile chair capable of electrocuting corpses and reducing them to ashes.
Threatening to kill his three daughters, Simon and Dayal force Rajasekhar and his elder daughter Preethi (Shruti Haasan) to handle their grisly cleanup work. But everything changes when Rajasekhar suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances. His long-lost friend Deva (Rajinikanth) returns upon hearing the news, only to realize Rajasekhar was murdered. Teaming up with Preethi, Deva sets out to uncover the truth. His mission is finding the truth not only behind his friend’s death, but also the dark secrets of Simon’s empire.
As the hunt deepens, one question looms large: will Deva’s mysterious past as a coolie hold the key to the present developments?
Artistes’ Performances:
Rajinikanth takes on a role that fits both his age and screen persona. His look, including the wig, works well this time, and he balances high-octane action sequences with moments of emotional depth. However, the de-aged portrayal in the flashback “coolie” episode fails to create much impact.
Nagarjuna Akkineni brings his trademark style to the character of Simon, but the role itself is a straightforward villain without any memorable shades. With this film, Nagarjuna has clearly stepped into the territory of regular villain roles/
In contrast, Soubin Shahir stands out, delivering a strong performance in a well-written part, with Rachita Ram also getting some terrific moments.
Sathyaraj is passable, while Shruti Haasan, for the first time, gets a role that allows her to showcase her acting skills, and she delivers commendably.
Unfortunately, the cameos by Aamir Khan and Upendra leave no real impression. It is disappointing to see both actors reduced to playing such inconsequential characters
Technical Excellence:
Anirudh Ravichander once again delivers his best for Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj. His background score stands out as the film’s biggest strength, even though the songs add little value. The much-hyped viral track “Monica” fails to make an impact on screen. Anirudh succeeds in elevating otherwise mundane scenes with his thematic background music.
Girish’s cinematography is impressive, though it does not match the brilliance of his recent work in “Kingdom.” The film’s lengthy runtime is a drawback, and the editing in the second half is inexcusably sloppy. The writing remains mediocre throughout.
Highlights:
Rajinikanth charisma
Some interesting episodes in first half
A twist linked to Rachita Ram
Drawback:
Lokesh Kanagaraj’s second half syndrome
The revenge plot is done and dusted
Predictability and sloppiness
Analysis
With just five films, Lokesh Kanagaraj has risen to become the biggest director in Tamil cinema and one of the most popular filmmakers in South Indian cinema. That explains the massive hype surrounding “Coolie” and his collaboration with Rajinikanth. Staying true to his trademark style, Lokesh opens the film in an engaging manner, focusing more on drama than spectacle.
He avoids the usual drug-trafficking backdrops and single-night hunts that marked his earlier works, instead building a straightforward revenge story tailored to suit Rajinikanth’s age and screen image.
The premise is simple: a hero seeking vengeance for the death of his friend. However, the way the story begins offers a different flavor, with Lokesh bringing freshness in depicting Nagarjuna’s shady business and Sathyaraj’s discovery of an electric chair that incinerates dead bodies. These portions generate genuine intrigue.
Although the “Monica” song appears at an ill-fitting point, the first hour retains a certain vibe and momentum. But after that, the second half looks little dragged.
At the start, Rajinikanth’s character has a clear goal: to uncover the truth behind his friend’s death. Later, his objective shifts to discovering the identity of his daughter, and then again to avenging and protecting his old “coolies.” With so many shifting threads and goals, the story quickly loses focus. The twists involving Dayal’s character feel forced, and at one point in the second half, it even seems as if Dayal is the main villain while Nagarjuna’s Simon is secondary. These conflicting narrative directions dilute the impact of the film.
Lokesh attempts to sprinkle in his signature style, but this time his scriptwriting has no desired sparks. The last hour is especially weak, with ordinary storytelling. By the time Upendra and Aamir Khan appear, their pointless cameos make it feel like the film should have ended immediately rather than dragging on further.
The de-aging sequences of Rajinikanth leave an impact. That part will be a treat for Rajni fans as well as those appreciate the updating technology.
Overall, “Coolie” relies heavily on Rajinikanth’s magnetic screen presence and a few interesting episodes in the first half, only to undo them in a dragged second half. Can be watched for few engaging moments and vintage Rajni vibes with elevations by Anirudh's BGM.
Bottom-line: Engaging
