Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Cast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Upendra, Aamir Khan
Duration – 170 Minutes
 
Lokesh Kanagaraj returns the masala action genre in a darker avatar in Coolie, featuring Rajinikanth in overdrive. Produced by Sun Pictures and fueled by Anirudh's thumping music, Coolie had promised a massive entertainer — and largely, it does. With a packed cast including Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, and even Aamir Khan and Upendra's cameos, hopes were high. So, does Coolie deliver the mass euphoria?
 
Rajinikanth is Deva, a apparently subdued mansion caretaker who transforms into vengeance mode when he suspects foul play in Rajasekhar's (Sathyaraj) death, an old friend. When Deva enters the mystery, a network of corruption and crime headed by Simon (Nagarjuna), a wealthy exporter, and his brutal henchman Dayal (Soubin Shahir) is exposed. As Deva digs deeper, connections between Rajasekhar's history and the crime syndicate, and action gear is set into the story.
 
Lokesh does not follow the hero-villain cliche. What he does is introduce unpredictability via Soubin Shahir's character — Dayal is no run-of-the-mill side villain. He's frightening, calculating, and quite more than happy to engage the leads eye-to-eye. Soubin's character is actually a scene-stealer, and possibly the film's greatest surprise. Nagarjuna, meanwhile, plays his part with cautious menace — more quiet than bombastic, but effective.
 
The script is quite tight, with sufficient twists to keep one engaged. There aren't too many unwanted romantic subplots, and that is a rare triumph for any mainstream masala film. Shruti Haasan does have some good scenes as Preethi, Rajasekhar's daughter, but her character is slightly underwritten. A welcome song cameo by Pooja Hegde adds some glamour without hurting the narrative.
 
What succeeds most is Lokesh's tone — raw, intense, but still pulpy enough to please fans of the genre. The third act develops well to a high-stakes battle and cleverly sets up a potential sequel in Lokesh's overall cinematic universe.
 
Technically, the film is a winner. Anirudh's background score gives a boost to even the slower portions, and the cinematography by Girish Gangadharan provides the film with a rough, fashionable texture. Editing by Philomin Raj maintains the pace well, though some of the emotional scenes could have been shortened.
 
In the end, Coolie is a well-packaged entertainer that banks on star power, sharp character writing, and mood-driven direction. It may not break new ground narratively, but it freshens up the formula with Lokesh’s flair and Soubin’s standout villainy. Rajinikanth delivers what his fans came for, but it’s the supporting performances that leave the strongest impression.
 
A gritty action drama enhanced by Rajinikanth's swagger and Soubin Shahir's chilling act. Not revolutionary by any means, it's a quality addition to Lokesh's expanding action universe.