Coolie 2025

Production Company: Sun Pictures
Release Date: 08/14/2025
Box Office Collection: ₹504 crore (in 18 days)
Language(s): Tamil
Genre: Action
Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Cast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Upendra Rao, Aamir Khan, and many others
Duration: 2h 50m
Rating: Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰ (3.6/5)

Coolie is an action-packed thriller. It tells the story of a former head of a port coolies’ union who seeks revenge for the death of his close friend.
Lokesh Kanagaraj is known for crafting innovative narratives, and this marks Superstar Rajinikanth’s 171st film. Naturally, expectations for Coolie were sky-high.

The story begins at a port in Visakhapatnam, where 14,000 coolies are exploited under the guise of import-export work, while illegal smuggling takes place. Simon, with the help of his aide Dayal, runs the operation. Simon’s son, Arjun, works at the same port as a government officer.

Hero Deva runs a lodge. When news arrives of his close friend Rajasekar’s death, he travels to Visakhapatnam. Deva suspects foul play and discovers that Rajasekar was murdered. Rajasekar had invented an electric chair. Meanwhile, Simon and his men not only smuggle gold but also harvest and sell human organs, killing coolies and disposing of their bodies using the machine Rajasekar had built. Forced into this, Rajasekar eventually gets murdered.

Later, Deva and Preethi take up the same fight. Simon learns that one of his men has secretly been an undercover cop for eight years—it turns out to be Dayal. Furious, Simon tries to kill him, but Dayal survives. Holding Preethi hostage, Dayal forces Deva to act.

Simon’s son Arjun is captured by Dayal. Enraged, Simon orders the massacre of everyone at Deva’s lodge. In a massive fight, Deva and his 18 loyal coolies slaughter the attackers and head to the port to face Simon. Simon kills Dayal’s wife, Kalyani, before his eyes. Finally, Deva reveals his true identity and clashes with Simon.

Preethi declares that she is Simon’s daughter, kills him, and destroys the ship. Deva, Preethi, and the coolies are later captured by syndicate head Dhaka and taken to the desert. On certain conditions, Dhaka spares their lives. Preethi and her two sisters move abroad, leaving Deva and his comrades to regroup.

Lead Actors: The film features an ensemble of pan-Indian stars: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Upendra Rao, and Aamir Khan.
Supporting Cast: Charlie, Rachita Ram, Maaran, Dileepan, and Kaali Venkat lend strong support. Reba, John, and Monisha don’t get much screen time.
Chemistry: This is Rajinikanth’s first film under Lokesh Kanagaraj’s direction. Remarkably, it also reunites Rajinikanth and Sathyaraj after nearly 39 years.

The first half moves at a brisk pace. The emotional arc of a friend’s death and the revenge angle feels powerful. The film blends commercial masala elements with action.
While the screenplay entertains, it doesn’t fully meet sky-high fan expectations. Lokesh’s vision leans toward mass appeal, without overindulging in glamour. The story is largely confined to the port backdrop.

Girish Gangadharan’s visuals are top-notch, especially in action sequences. Anirudh delivers with full energy. Each major character gets a distinct background score, highlighting his versatility. The pace drops slightly in the second half. High-quality VFX and excellently choreographed action scenes add to the spectacle.

Rajinikanth’s presence guarantees powerful action sequences, and the film lives up to that promise. Lokesh attempts a fresh narrative style, breaking away from conventional formulas. Stellar performances across the board—Nagarjuna’s villain role is especially impressive. Dayal’s unique portrayal resonated well with Tamil audiences. Kalyani’s twist and the surprise entry of Kaalisa left audiences stunned. AI de-aging of Rajinikanth brought back his youthful style, delighting fans.

The epic fight where Deva, along with his 19 coolies led by Kaalisa, takes on the villains is goosebump-inducing.

The second half drags a bit. Some characters are introduced too late in the film. Fans expected a stronger connection to Lokesh’s Cinematic Universe (LCU), but Coolie stands apart. Aamir Khan’s cameo, though stylish, lacked the impact fans had hoped for—especially compared to Suriya’s Rolex character.

Coolie is a mass entertainer that appeals to fans, families, children, and action lovers alike. “A grand feast for fans; for general audiences, the length may test patience at times.” A sequel to Coolie seems likely.

Recommendation Box:
✅ Must-watch in theatres
🎧 A treat for music lovers
💃 Songs that make you dance
📺 Can also wait for OTT