Why Coolie Is A Terrific Tribute To 50 Years Of Rajinikanth In Indian Cinema

Superstar Rajinikanth beats up a dozen men single handedly while Anirudh croons Arangam adhirattumae...Whistle-u parakattumae...now (let the arena shake, let the whistles fly now), and the theatre literally erupts in thunderous applause and whistles.

Sitting in the first day, first show of Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Kalanidhi Maran's Sun Pictures, this Rs 350 crore extravaganza is a celebration of 50 years of Rajinikanth in the Indian film industry.

Coolie has broken records in Tamil cinema having done a whopping business of more than Rs 100 crore in advance booking sales and trade pundits believe that by August 18, it can amass Rs 300 crore worldwide. In fact, it has reportedly already secured Rs 240 crore through its digital, satellite and music sales.

Unlike all the previous films of Rajinikanth, there is a stark difference in his 171st film which  released on August 14, 2025. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj, who is known for his high-octane action commercial entertainers starring Thalapathy Vijay, has showcased the superstar in a similar flick with a whole host of other stars from across numerous film industries.

Bollywood's Aamir Khan, Tollywood's Nagarjuna, Sandalwood's Upendra and Mollywood's Soubin Shahir, join Rajinikanth in this film making it a landmark one in his career. Each of these actors drastically upped the star quotient and value of Coolie when they stepped into the film in dramatic entry scenes that had the theatre cheering. And Lokesh managed to tie all of them neatly into the plot of the film too.

Another interesting and perhaps, a highly appealing factor, was that 74-year-old Rajinikanth was not 'paired up' and made to romance a much younger heroine. The superstar stands tall looking his age and acting his age (forgive the super physicality) but still exuding the same style, charm and swag that he had in his much younger days.

Coolie is all action from the get go and this is how the director keeps the pace fast and the movie moving forward from one character to another. We are introduced to Deva (Rajinikanth) who runs a mansion and to his close friend Rajashekar (Sathyaraj), an R and D specialist, who dies unexpectedly. Deva feels responsible for Rajashekar's three daughters, including Preethi (Shruti Haasan), and when he finds out his friend was murdered, he starts to investigate. The story quickly takes off from there and we meet an uber rich don named Simon (Nagarjuna) and his right-hand man Dayal (Soubin Shahir). How are the two involved in Rajashekar's death? What happened to Rajashekar's invention?

However, the movie does lag in parts as some fight scenes are dragged on and numerous unnecessary scenes have been added in like fillers. Sharper editing by Philomin Raj could have made the film much tighter and reduced the screen time of 2 hours 50 minutes as well.

The plot of the film is flimsy and though he adds a backstory for Deva, it is action aka violence that really drives the film. Keeping in tune with many of Rajinikanth's earlier films, the director portrays the superstar as the hero who bats for the masses, in this case labourers. Deva is an ordinary man who stands up to those that wrong the masses, helps students with their education goals, and respects and protects women at all costs. But like his name translates, he is also God to those he supports.

Lokesh Kanagaraj is known for his heavy-duty but slick fight sequences, extravagant sets, low-key lighting and memorable characters that flit in and out of scenes with swag. And he has done ample justice to his 'Lokesh Cinematic Universe' in Coolie as well. Rajinikanth is seen in an avatar that we have seen shades of before - action, style, swag - and Lokesh has multiplied it a 100-fold to transform him into an out-and-out action superstar.

The entry of the hero's face next to a blade began in Maanagaram, his 2017 debut film, and continues strategically and classily in Coolie with Rajinikanth. With Coolie, the director has established himself as the top commercial action filmmaker in South India who can craft visually stunning stories that draws the young and the old into theatres not just for the stars but for the experience itself.

As for superstar Rajinikanth, what can one say about the 74-year-old who continues to stun audiences around the world with his choice of films and stylish performances?

There is just no stopping this Rajinikanth juggernaut and his fans are loving it. When director and writer K Balachander cast Shivaji Rao Gaekwad aka Rajinikanth in Appoorva Ragangal (1975) in the small role of Pandian, little could he have imagined that he would go on to become the superstar of Tamil cinema and a box office legend.

Coolie is a befitting tribute to Rajinikanth's 50 years in Tamil cinema and the team is definitely smiling away at the blockbuster it has become in his honour.