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'Coolie' Short Takes: Rajinikanth in Blistering Form in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Scrambled Actioner
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj doesn't achieve the desired result in 'Coolie,' but despite all the odds, a certain 74-year-old still somehow demands your attention
In his 50th year at the movies — Rajinikanth’s debut came in K. Balachander’s Apoorva Raagangal (1975) — the Superstar teams up with hotshot director Lokesh Kanagaraj, fresh off his collaborations with Vijay and Kamal Haasan, to bring us Coolie. A film, Lokesh says, reminded Rajinikanth of Mani Ratnam’s classic Thalapathi (1991).
Does the action-thriller, already creating box-office records with its opening ticket sales, live up to the hype?
1) First off, one of the social media fan theories is proven to be right: yes, there is an electric chair at the centre of the plot, and yes, it emits a lot of sparks. Sadly, no time travel, loops or multiverses to jump through here though.
2) If Lokesh’s previous films focused heavily on the drug menace plaguing society, there’s a constant underlying anti-alcohol stance running throughout Coolie. Don’t drink; just shed blood. Lots of it. Simple.
3) Rajinikanth is in superb form, especially during the initial portions when he’s charming, earnest and fiery in equal measure...and just having a really good time. But then the plot thickens and the bloody action sequences kick in. While Lokesh thankfully doesn’t reduce him to a one man battering ram, we are still left wanting to see more of the Superstar’s many on-screen talents find a deserving narrative. However, the flashback portions and Rajinikanth’s de-aged look is a true-blue treat for fans.
4) You wait patiently for all the multiple interconnected threads to make sense, but none of the payoffs are as convincing as the setups. A bunch of supporting characters are killed/ revealed at various stages, but bar one slightly interesting twist, nothing hits home hard.
5) Anirudh Ravichander, as usual, composes an explosive background score that elevates scene after scene, adding some much needed firepower as Rajinikanth’s weary arms take down a zillion villains. From 'Mobsta' and 'Powerhouse' to 'Disco' and 'I Am The Danger,' the OST is an absolute blast — just like in his previous collaborations with Lokesh.
6) Nagarjuna’s much-hyped villain avatar, unfortunately, doesn’t live up to the billing. The Telugu superstar does get to chew the scenery a bit and looks a million bucks (in his Joker-inspired outfits?), but is let down by his role that verges on the caricaturish at times.
7) Soubin Shahir has the most fun in the supporting cast, and the Malayalam actor is a riot on more than one occasion. Conniving and cockroach-like at times, his character of Dayal keeps us guessing about his true intentions till the very end — and emerges to be Deva’s most troublesome adversary amidst all the baddies in the mix. And of course, he completely steals the scene along with a ravishing Pooja Hegde in the 'Monica' song.
8) There are item songs and then there are item fights. Upendra appears suddenly, beats up a few people and promptly disappears. Also shows up to share a smoke with a couple of his co-stars in the end.
9) There are so many conversations and important moments staged over phone and video calls in the film that it gets irksome after a point; is Lokesh just hung up over his now-iconic interval block from Vikram that has Kamal Haasan go ‘Arambikalama?’ into the phone camera?
10) After receiving criticism for giving women in his films a raw end of the deal, the director said in several pre-interviews that Coolie would answer his detractors. And though he does try hard to establish an emotional bond between Rajinikanth and Shruti Hassan’s characters (who gets the most screen time next to the Superstar), the relationship mostly struggles to land. Shruti, on her part, does a pretty commendable job as a grieving daughter struggling to keep her family from harm, in what is possibly Lokesh’s most fleshed-out female character across his last few films. The other surprise ‘reverse’ Agent Tina-ish twist... falls flat.
Ultimately, Lokesh tries to do with Rajinikanth and Coolie what he achieved to great success in Kamal Haasan’s Vikram (2022); surround an aging legend with a galaxy of formidable performers, and let the screenplay do the talking with copious amounts of star power (and violence) thrown in. He doesn't achieve the desired result here, but despite all the odds, a certain 74-year-old still somehow demands your attention.