Nagarjuna Confirms Playing the Antagonist in Rajinikanth's 'Coolie': Such A Liberating Experience

Telugu superstar Nagarjuna has revealed that he's playing the role of the antagonist in Lokesh Kanagaraj's upcoming action-thriller Coolie opposite Rajinikanth. In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Nagarjuna revealed that he had no hesitation playing the villain in the film once he heard the full script.

"I don't know what made Lokesh come to me, but the first question he asked me was, 'Do you mind playing an antagonist?' He told me that if that wasn't on the cards at all, then we would just talk, have a cup of tea and he would take off. I told him honestly that I was not against it, but had to first listen to the script," Nagarjuna recalled.

But halfway through listening to Lokesh's narration, the Telugu actor was hooked.

"I liked it so much that I made him come back six to seven times to figure out my role! But now, if anyone asked me how my role in Coolie was, I'd answer it with one word: liberating. There was no pressure in how I acted... unlike say, the character of Deepak that I play in Kuberaa. Deepak has to be a certain way all the time, even the manner in which he has a cup of coffee has to be decent. But in Coolie, all of that flew out of the window," Nagarjuna said.

Freed from the trappings of being a leading man — and a commercial, big-budget star at that — he added that it felt even more fun to be able to yell and behave badly on-screen. "I could ask someone to shut up and get out of my face... which I could never do earlier! Having said that, everyone said I made for a very charming villain; Lokesh has presented me that way," he laughs.

Nagarjuna adds, "I had such a liberating experience. I asked him a couple of times if he was sure he wanted me to behave a certain way and if people really acted this way, and Lokesh would go, Yes sir, people are very evil!'"

The actor was shooting for Coolie at the same time as Sekhar Kammula's Kuberaa in which he was playing an absolutely contrasting character, and he says that both these "extremes" opened him up and made him a better actor. "I know that my roles in both these films are going to bring me more exciting work in the future," he concluded.

Coolie recently wrapped up its shooting and boasts a stellar cast, including Upendra, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan and Soubin Shahir. Anirudh Ravichander composes music for the project, and reports suggest that the film revolves around gold smuggling, with Rajinikanth donning a massy avatar. The film is all set to be released on August 14.

Meanwhile, Nagarjuna will be seen this week in Kuberaa, which revolves around the life of Deva (Dhanush), a beggar who gets a new lease on life, and Kumar (Nagarjuna), a seemingly wealthy government official. When Kumar offers Deva some money and strength, their lives get upturned, and a battle for money and power begins. The film, which also features Sunainaa and Jim Sarbh in key roles, has music by Devi Sri Prasad, camerawork by Niketh Bommi, and production design by the legendary Thota Tharani. Kuberaa is headed for a June 20 release.

Watch the full interview with Nagarjuna dropping later today on The Hollywood Reporter India's YouTube channel