Movie Name : Coolie
Release Date : August 14, 2025
Cast : Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Aamir Khan etc.
Director : Lokesh Kanagaraj
Music Director : Anirudh Ravichander
Telugumopo.com Rating : 2.5/5
Story:
Deva (Rajinikanth) runs a mansion and stays in one of its rooms. When his close friend Rajashekar (Sathyaraj) passes away, he visits his home and meets his three daughters. The eldest, Preethi (Shruti Haasan), shows clear disdain for him. Deva tells her that Rajashekar’s death wasn’t natural — it was a murder — and vows to bring the killers to justice.
Elsewhere, Simon, played by Nagarjuna, operates a smuggling empire from Visakhapatnam’s . His operations are tightly controlled by his loyal aide Dayal (Soubin Shahir). To investigate the illegal dealings behind the scenes, several police officers infiltrate the workforce, only for Dayal to track them down and kill them one by one.
Before his death, Rajashekar had crossed paths with both Simon and Dayal — a link Deva soon uncovers. Determined to find the truth and expose the dark secrets of Simon’s empire, Deva steps into this dangerous world. What is Deva’s hidden past? What sinister operations are taking place inside Simon’s domain? And can Deva solve the mystery while facing deadly obstacles? The rest of the story unfolds these answers.
Review:
When a Rajinikanth film arrives in theaters, people anticipate nothing less than magic. Sadly, in Coolie, his interpretation of Deva isn’t quite up to those lofty expectations. The character lacks depth, and though the climax brings some of those signature Superstar moments, the journey to get there is disappointing. Action scenes are not as impactful, and through much of the movie, Deva is more of a supporting force than the main driving force.
Nagarjuna, playing the part of Simon, too fails to impress. While his stylish appearance and presence on screen hold good, the character lacks depth and his performance ends up being average. Shruti Haasan does well in a pivotal role, Sathyaraj does well with minimal screen time, and Soubin Shahir impresses the most with his best performance as Dayal. Upendra’s performance is forgettable, while Aamir Khan makes a faint impression despite the brief appearance.
The movie starts with lot of energy based on the novel and interesting “mobile cremation” idea, which raises the curiosity right away. The audience wants to know what will happen to Deva, what Simon is hiding, what surprise Dayal has in store, and how the Upendra and Aamir Khan characters gel. But as the story progresses, one character after another loses their sheen, and with Deva’s own journey lacking emotional resonance, the thrill slowly dissipates.
Simon’s big entrance promises much, but his subsequent behavior disappoints and falls short of the hype. The hero-villain confrontation that is promised never really materializes, and the tension Lokesh Kanagaraj attempts to build in the early going is dampened. Deva’s entry into Simon’s kingdom and his pursuit of revenge occur too conveniently, taking away any substance of difficulty. What begins as a fresh concept quickly becomes implausible, with the bad guy trusting the hero too soon and the hero clevering everyone out without getting the slightest hair out of place. Dayal’s role, though well played by Soubin, is overcomplicated with too many unnecessary turns, weakening its impact.
The first half is somewhat engrossing, but the first hour of the second half is a drag, putting viewers’ patience to the test. Fans anticipating Simon’s character being a big highlight will be disappointed as more importance is given to Dayal. Deva’s characterization becomes relevant only towards the last 30 minutes, when the director tries to restore Rajinikanth’s bigger-than-life image.
The final act does yield a meager redemption, with a twist rooted in Deva’s history and a marginally more engrossing plot strand. The much-publicized Aamir Khan cameo does little to make the intended impact. For the most part, except for here and there in the stray moments, Coolie finds it impossible to inject the energy, drama, and thrill that people equate with a Rajinikanth entertainer. Those people who are going to theatres would be better advised to scale down their expectations.
On the technical side, Anirudh Ravichander emerges as the film’s biggest strength. His songs and background score inject much-needed life into the screenplay, with the “Monica” track standing out musically, despite its weak placement. Girish Gangadharan’s cinematography captures the night sequences beautifully, enhancing the film’s visual appeal. Sun Pictures delivers adequate production values.
As director and writer, Lokesh Kanagaraj attempts to merge a number of interesting ideas, but patchy characterisation, confused scripting, and sluggish pacing prevent Coolie from reaching its full promise. Ultimately, it’s a testament that even stardom requires powerful, concentrated storytelling to really sparkle.
Overall Coolie has its moments, but these are few and far between. For fans of Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna, they might still give it a watch for the star pull, but the movie is unable to live up to its wide expectations.
